New recruits start on £130k
The London office of global law firm White & Case has recorded an autumn trainee retention rate of 78%.
The outfit today confirmed 18 of its 23 final-seat trainees were offered and accepted newly qualified (NQ) roles. All are on permanent deals.
White & Cases’ latest batch of associates will start on a salary of £130,000, up from a year two trainee rate of £55,000. The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows the firm offers around 50 training contracts each year.
The NQs join global practice groups including capital markets; commercial litigation; debt finance; international arbitration; mergers & acquisitions; and project development and finance. Two trainees qualify into the firm’s offices in Abu Dhabi and Paris.
Partner Inigo Esteve, who heads the trainee solicitor programme in London, commented:
“The comprehensive and high quality training our London trainees receive and the unique experience they gain through our international seats equips them with the skills and experience to succeed in the global practices they join. Together with our highly competitive salary and benefits package, this makes White & Case a compelling proposition for talented and ambitious trainee lawyers.”
Today’s result is slightly down on the firm’s spring score which saw it retain 14 of its 17 UK trainees — or 82%.
Elsewhere, Stephenson Harwood is retaining 92% of its trainees who qualify this month. It confirmed 11 of the 12 trainees were offered and accepted NQ roles, with nine joining the firm’s London office, one qualifying into Dubai and one into Singapore.
They join the firm’s commercial litigation; corporate; and real estate and projects practice groups.
Lisa Marks, partner and trainee principal at Stephenson Harwood, said: “We are delighted to see so many of our trainees progressing and building their careers with us. These talented future lawyers have demonstrated real tenacity and strength, excelling in a time that has been full of change and new ways of working.”
She continued:
“It is exciting to see so many newly qualified lawyers joining our international offices, a reflection of the firm’s continued focus on developing future talent across our global network and our one firm approach, to ensure that we have the right people in the right places to meet our clients’ evolving needs.”