16 out of 19
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has fired the starting pistol on a new retention season with a solid score of 84%.
Of the 19 final seat trainees due to qualify this September, sixteen will be staying on as newly-qualified (NQ) associates. Sixteen rookies applied for permanent roles.
All soon-to-be associates are on permanent deals, HSF confirmed.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2022 shows HSF recruits around 60 trainees each year, split across two intakes. Trainees earn a salary of £50,000 in year one, rising to £55,000 in year two. NQ pay currently sits at £105,000, excluding bonus.
Today’s result more or less matches the firm’s spring rate of 83%, when it retained 24 of 29 qualifying trainees.
Earlier this month HSF confirmed it will provide a maintenance grant of £17,000 to future trainees completing the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) — a sum which matches that provided by the likes of Freshfields, Linklaters and Slaughter and May.