93% and 75%
Law firm duo Burges Salmon and Russell-Cooke have revealed their 2026 retention scores.
First up, Burges Salmon. The firm, which has offices in Bristol, London and Edinburgh, will keep 25 of its 27 trainees, an impressive 93% retention rate. Most of these soon-to-be NQs (22, to be exact) will qualify into the Bristol HQ, with the remaining three heading to the Edinburgh office.
By department, five NQs are headed to pensions, four each to corporate, projects and real estate, and two each to construction & engineering and employment. One NQ apiece will start in banking & finance, dispute resolution, planning, and private client.
Next, Russell-Cooke. Of its eight qualifiers, the firm has retained six, a 75% retention rate. These six will each join a different team: corporate and commercial, education, immigration, employment, and private client. The final NQ, a legal assistant at the firm who qualified via the QWE route, is joining the PI and medical negligence team.
Jemma Pollock, Russell-Cooke’s graduate recruitment partner, said:
“I am incredibly proud of this year’s qualifiers and delighted that six of our eight trainees will be continuing their careers with us. Watching talented people develop and take the next step in their careers is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.”
She continued: “Opening up access to the legal profession remains incredibly important to us as a firm, as is developing and supporting our people. Through our training contracts, QWE pathway and the launch of our Solicitor Apprenticeship Scheme later this year, we are committed to ensuring that talented individuals can build successful careers with us, whatever route they choose to take.”
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows that NQs at Burges Salmon earn £76,000 in Bristol and £72,000 in Edinburgh. Russell-Cooke does not disclose its NQ salaries.