29 out of 31 🤝
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has posted an impressive 94% autumn trainee retention rate.
All 31 trainees qualifying this month applied for newly qualified (NQ) associate roles, with the firm making 30 offers — 29 of which were accepted. None of the roles are on fixed-term contracts.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2026 shows HSF Kramer pays its NQs a salary of £145,000, a substantial jump from the £61,000 offered to second-year trainees.
David Rosen, partner and training principal at HSFKramer, said:
“In an increasingly competitive marketplace for legal talent, where attracting and retaining top candidates is more challenging than ever, we continue to see significant numbers of our trainees choosing to build their careers with the firm. Their desire to do so is, in part, because of the opportunity to work on complex and ground-breaking cases and transactions, using the latest technology to advise clients, and also as a result of our determination to provide an environment that is as supportive as it is stimulating.”
Trainee retention rates: the story so far… 🤝
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| Firm | Trainees | Retained | Retention Rate | NQ Destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wedlake Bell | 8 | 8 | 100% | 2 to insolvency; 1 each to commercial disputes, construction, corporate, tax, IP/commercial, and private client |
| Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer | 31 | 29 | 94% | Undisclosed |
| Irwin Mitchell | 53 | 48 | 91% | 14 to Business Services Group; 12 to Medical Negligence; 9 to Court of Protection & Public Law & Human Rights; 8 to Private Client Group; 4 to Personal Injury; 1 to General Counsel |
| RPC | 18 | 16 | 89% | 6 to insurance; 6 to disputes (3 IP/tech, 2 commercial litigation, 1 media); 4 to corporate & commercial |
| Watson Farley & Williams | 18 | 16 | 89% | 5 to asset finance; 4 to project finance; 2 to corporate; 1 to debt capital markets; 2 to disputes and 1 to finance in Dubai; 1 to disputes in Bangkok |
| Clifford Chance | 57 | 49 | 86% | Undisclosed |
| Macfarlanes | 28 | 24 | 86% | Undisclosed |
| Linklaters | 40 | 33 | 83% | Undisclosed |
| A&O Shearman | 54 | 37 | 69% | Undisclosed |
| Withers | 14 | 9 | 65% | Undisclosed |
