SJ Berwin retention rate hits 100%

The top 20 firm has announced it is keeping all eight of its trainee solicitors when they qualify in the spring. This is also a boost from last autumn, when the firm held onto 15 out of 17 of its September qualifiers giving it a retention rate of 88 per cent (8 August 2011).

SJ Berwin is the second firm to reveal 100 per cent retention after Travers Smith confirmed it was keeping all four of its trainees (5 January 2012).

Elsewhere, Stephenson Harwood has given five out of six of its final seat trainee solicitors a permanent NQ position, giving it a retention of 83 per cent.

White & Case’s figures also pointed to recovery in the NQ market, revealing 94 per cent retention rate with 15 out of 16 accepting positions at the US-headquartered firm (9 January 2012).