From sizeable cohorts come solid results
DLA Piper and Addleshaw Goddard have unveiled their 2017 retention results.
From a huge qualifying cohort of 96, DLA Piper confirmed that 75 soon-to-be associates had put pen to paper on permanent deals. Equating to a score of 78%, the global firm was, at the time of publication, unable to provide details on how many offers it made or the destinations of its recruits.
According to DLA’s UK managing partner, Sandra Wallace, the outfit had an unusually large number of NQs this year. She said:
In 2015, the firm had an above average trainee intake in the UK. We pride ourselves on our strong retention rates and, whilst this has resulted in our retention percentage being slightly lower than normal, we are delighted that this year we have been able to offer more NQ roles than in recent years.
The latest retention result comes just weeks after DLA — which usually offers about 70 training contracts a year — upped rookie and trainee remuneration.
Its London NQs now earn £75,000, up from £70,000 (7% boost), while their regional counterparts will start on a salary of £42,000, up from £41,000 (2% boost). City trainees saw their pay elevated to £44,000 in year one and £49,000 in year two, equating to rises of 5% and 4% respectively.
Elsewhere, Addleshaw Goddard — known as the ‘northern giant’ thanks to its strong presence in both Leeds and Manchester — revealed that 38 of its 47 NQs are staying put. This equates to an impressive retention score of 81%. The firm was unable to provide a breakdown of which offices or departments its new lawyers would be qualifying into, but did tell us all 47 trainees received an offer.
Today’s retention score means Addleshaw Goddard has equalled its 2016 performance. On that occasion the outfit kept 22 of its 27 NQs or 81%. Its new recruits will earn £62,000 in London and £40,000 in the regions.
Trainee autumn retention 2017
| Firm | Score | Breakdown |
| Burges Salmon | 100% | 28/28 |
| Watson Farley & Williams | 100% | 15/15 |
| Fieldfisher | 100% | 13/13 |
| Blake Morgan | 100% | 9/9 |
| Forsters | 100% | 8/8 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell | 100% | 4/4 |
| Latham & Watkins | 95% | 21/22 |
| Ashurst | 95% | 19/20 |
| Macfarlanes | 92% | 23/25 (two on FTC*) |
| Slaughter and May | 91% | 29/32 |
| Travers Smith | 90% | 18/20 |
| Ince & Co | 90% | 9/10 |
| Stephenson Harwood | 90% | 9/10 |
| Blake Morgan | 89% | 8/9 |
| Reed Smith | 86% | 12/14 |
| Allen & Overy | 85% | 40/47 |
| Linklaters | 84% | 47/56 |
| Gowling WLG | 84% | 21/25 |
| Bird & Bird | 83% | 15/18 |
| White & Case | 83% | 15/18 |
| Covington & Burling | 83% | 5/6 |
| Osborne Clarke | 82% | 14/17 |
| RPC | 82% | 14/17 |
| Clifford Chance | 81% | 42/52 |
| Addleshaw Goddard | 81% | 38/47 |
| Bond Dickinson | 81% | 22/27 |
| Eversheds Sutherland | 80% | 44/55 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | 80% | 28/35 |
| Hogan Lovells | 80% | 24/30 |
| Clyde & Co | 79% | 34/43 (one on FTC) |
| Mills & Reeve | 79% | 15/19 (one on FTC) |
| DLA Piper | 78% | 75/96 |
| Simmons & Simmons | 78% | 21/27 |
| Shearman & Sterling | 75% | 12/16 |
| Pinsent Masons | 74% | 67/91 |
| Mayer Brown | 73% | 8/11 |
| Withers | 73% | 8/11 |
| Trowers & Hamlins | 70% | 7/10 |
| Berwin Leighton Paisner | 67% | 16/24 |
| Browne Jacobson | 67% | 6/9 |
| Freshfields | 66% | 27/41 |
| Dentons | 64% | 18/28 |
| Mishcon de Reya | 64% | 9/14 |
| Taylor Wessing | 62% | 16/26 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | 56% | 5/9 |
| Weil Gotshal | 50% | 5/10 |
| Stewarts Law | 25% | 1/4 |
*Fixed term contract
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