Newcastle firm Muckle has announced it will retain 100 per cent of trainees due to qualify this year, despite the growing number of redundancies in the legal sector.

Newcastle firm Muckle has announced it will retain 100 per cent of trainees due to qualify this year, despite the growing number of redundancies in the legal sector.

The firm, which has so far made 14 staff redundant, is set to retain all six trainee solicitors due to qualify in September this year.

Stephen McNicol, managing partner, said: “When we take on trainees we’re committed to providing them with a fantastic training ground. We’ll be welcoming a brilliant bunch of lawyers to the firm this year.”

Muckle was one of the first firms to announce trainee deferrals. Last year it asked its September 2008 intake to push back their start dates to September 2009 for a minimum payout of £4,000.

“Deferring trainees was a difficult but necessary decision to have to make to ensure that they would get the same training opportunities that other intakes have had,” said McNicol.

The trainees will qualify into dispute resolution, private client, employment and hybrid corporate finance and banking.