Two on fixed term deals
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has kept hold of 14 of its 21 qualifying trainees, recording an autumn retention rate of 67%.
Twenty of the cohort applied for newly qualified roles, with the firm making 17 offers. Fourteen went on to accept, including two rookies who will remain at the firm on fixed-term contracts.
The result is the first retention score posted by Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, following the July tie-up between Hogan Lovells and US law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
Prior to the merger, Hogan Lovells also recorded a 67% retention in both spring 2026 and autumn 2025, keeping on 14 of 21 and 16 of 24 trainees, respectively.
As for where the latest crop are headed, six will join corporate & finance, five are bound for disputes and three will qualify into global regulatory.
The new qualifiers will start on salaries of £145,000, after Hogan Lovells bumped its London NQ rate by 3.5% from £140,000 earlier this year, ahead of its tie-up with Cadwalader.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows trainees currently earn £56,000 in their first year, rising to £61,000 in the second. The firm recruits its future trainees through both its vacation scheme and direct training contract applications.
Big yikes
Not the strongest retention rate over the last few years. Seems quite worrying
Ouch.
Rubbish
NQ external market has been one of the worst in years …