Clifford Chance will keep on 38 of its 43 March qualifiers, or 88 per cent.
The firm made 38 offers, all of which were accepted. All are on permanent contracts.
It is the third magic circle firm to release its results this round. Previously, Allen & Overy kept on 92 per cent of its qualifiers permanently, as did Linklaters, which also kept one on a fixed-term contract.
Overall, the March 2021 retention period has been a good one so far, with more than 80 per cent of trainees kept on in NQ roles.
It follows an equally strong autumn round, despite early fears that the pandemic might see many trainees let go. The use of fixed-term contracts, however, was a notable feature of the September qualifying round.
