Dentons' retention rates on course for dramatic turnaround

The move follows Dentons’ woeful 14 per cent retention rate for Spring 2010 qualifiers, which resulted in the firm offering just one of its newly qualified (NQ) lawyers a job in the real estate department out of a cohort of seven (read more).

The 14 per cent result is much lower than the 79 per cent Dentons managed in Spring 2009 as well as that achieved by many other firms, which reported retention rates of 70 per cent and upwards for Spring 2010 qualifiers.

Graduate recruitment partner Jeremy Cape admitted that the firm had made the announcement earlier than usual in a bid to calm nervous trainees.

“Although these are only job openings and not confirmed job offers, we thought it was important to let the trainees know where they stand. They have been in their fourth seat for a couple of weeks now and typically trainees qualify into their second or third seat anyway, so we don’t think its too early to make the announcement.”

The top 25 law firm has confirmed that it has 25 NQ vacancies available in its UK and Middle East offices for 31 of its soon-to-be newly qualified (NQ) lawyers.

Dentons confirmed that it had positions in the UK in banking, corporate, dispute resolution, energy, infrastructure and project finance, employment and pensions, real estate and TMT.

Meanwhile, it said that it would also be offering positions to NQs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat across its banking, construction, corporate as well as its energy and projects departments.