One on fixed-term deal
Mills & Reeve has become the second law firm to reveal its autumn 2020 trainee retention score.
From a September qualifying cohort of 18, the UK outfit has retained 16 rookies, one of which is on a fixed-term contract. This hands the firm, which dishes out around 20 TCs annually, a retention result of 89% or 83%, depending on how you interpret the numbers.
The outfit’s employment team takes the lion’s share of the newbies with six, while commercial, IP and IT (one team) and family take two apiece. The final six will be divided equally between insurance disputes; construction; projects; real estate; real estate disputes; and health litigation.
Six newly-qualified (NQ) solicitors join the firm’s Cambridge office, five are Birmingham-bound and two will start lawyer life in Manchester. London and Norwich will receive one NQ each, while the final newbie will work across a number of the firm’s offices.
Legal Cheek‘s Firms Most List shows the firm’s latest recruits will start on a salary of £43,000. Trainees receive £27,000 in year one and £28,000 in year two.
Caroline Dean, partner and trainee principal at Mills & Reeve, commented: “Given the current unusual circumstances we are really pleased to be able to retain so many of our talented colleagues as associates, as they represent the long-term future of the firm.”
Last week Sidley Austin confirmed that all 11 trainee solicitors based in its London office had opted to stick around post-qualification. However, like Mills & Reeve, one associate-to-be is on a fixed-term deal.