Jones Day finally confirms autumn trainee retention rate of 76%

As Shoosmiths and DAC Beachcroft reveal respective 57% and 77% scores

The London office of US law firm Jones Day has finally confirmed its 2017 autumn retention figure. It’s 76%.

Of the 21 final seat trainees who qualified last month, 16 have opted to stay on as newly qualified (NQ) associates. The Ohio-headquartered outfit, which offers around 20 UK training contacts annually in the UK, confirmed that it made 18 offers, with two rookies declining.

Legal Cheek’s Firms Most List 2017-18 shows that Jones Day’s NQs will start on a impressive £100,000. This puts them £5,000 better off than their opposite numbers at fellow US player Dechert, and just £1,500 behind those finding their associate feet at the London office of New York stalwart Sullivan & Cromwell. Trainees at Jones Day currently earn £47,000, rising to £54,000 in year two.

The firm — which has a number of lawyers currently serving in President Donald Trump’s White House administration — scored well in our Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey 2017-18. It bagged an A* for perks and a host of As for, among other things, training, quality of work and social life.

Meanwhile, national player Shoosmiths has posted a disappointing 57% result. The firm — which offers roughly 22 training positions each year — has retained just 12 of its 21 autumn NQs.

A spokesperson revealed to Legal Cheek that the firm actually had space for 23 new associates but was unable to match NQs with their preferred departments or offices. Shoosmiths trainees earn £26,000 in year one, rising to £27,000 in year two. Upon qualification, a newbie associate will earn a salary of £40,000.

Shoosmiths did OK in our Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey 2017-18. It scored As for training, quality of work, peer support and work/life balance, but got a B for partner approachability and C for social life.

Elsewhere, international outfit DAC Beachcroft confirmed it had retained ten of its 13 autumn NQs. Giving it a respectable score of 77%, the firm confirmed that four trainees would be based in London, three in Bristol, two in Leeds and one in Manchester. The new recruits will be spread across a number of the firm’s key practice areas including corporate, clinical risk and real estate.

DAC Beachcroft — which chalked up As for partner approachability, quality of work and work/life balance in our recent survey, with Bs for training and peer support — offers around 13 training contracts each year. Salaries for NQs in the regions range from £37,000 to £40,000 depending on location, while those in London start lawyer life on £60,000.

Trainee autumn retention 2017

*Fixed term contract