Strong retention performances continue
City outfits Norton Rose Fulbright, Ince & Co and Withers have all revealed their 2016 autumn retention results.
First up, Norton Rose Fulbright. Having racked up an impressive spring score of 96% — keeping 22 out of 24 trainees — the firm today trumpeted a strong autumn result of 85%.
Norton Rose Fulbright, which has 50 offices across five continents, confirmed that from a trainee cohort of 20, 17 offers were made, all of which were accepted. Having spent the past year as trainees on a salary of £46,000, the new associates will see their pay packets swell to a cool £72,000, thanks to a pay increase reported on yesterday.
Elsewhere in City retention news, Ince & Co has posted an impressive autumn result of 89%.
The outfit — which offers around ten training contracts each year — has improved on last year’s disappointing autumn result, when it kept hold of just nine out of 15, or 60%, of its newly qualified lawyers (NQs). Yesterday, we reported the firm has treated its NQs to a modest pay increase, upping pay by £3,000 (5%) to £62,000.
Last, but by no means least, Withers. The City outfit — which is renowned for its private client expertise — has confirmed an autumn 2016 retention score of 83%. Commenting on the result, Withers’ training partner Ceri Vokes told Legal Cheek:
We’re very pleased with the strong outcome in this year’s qualifying trainee group and continue to take steps to build on this success, such as using Rare’s Contextual Recruitment System to access as broad a range of candidates as possible.
Like Norton Rose Fulbright and Ince & Co, Withers also recently announced a pay increase for its junior lawyers, upping NQ pay packets by 7% to £60,000.