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Trainee retention: White & Case keeps on 100% of Spring 2015 trainees as OC retains 89%

White & Case and Osborne Clarke (OC) are the latest firms to reveal trainee retention rates this month, keeping on 100% and 89% respectively.

White & Case kept all of its 13 trainee solicitors who applied to qualify in February 2015 as it targets a growing number of cross-border transactions. The result follows a 100% retention rate for the same class last year, and an 84% retention rate in September 2014 after 12 trainees from a total intake of 14 accepted positions at the firm.

The firm’s partner and training principal Justin Benson, who heads the trainee solicitor programme in the London office, said: ‘We continue to see growing demand for English law expertise in cross-border transactions and aim to provide our trainees with the skills and experience they need to become successful lawyers in a leading and dynamic international law firm.’

The newly qualified lawyers join will join the firm’s corporate M&A, disputes, banking and energy, infrastructure, and project and asset finance practice groups.

OC, on the other hand, managed to keep on 89% of its Spring qualifiers, with eight out of its nine trainees set to qualify in March this year. Three of the newly qualified lawyers will join the firm’s Bristol office, with another three in London and two in Thames Valley, across the firm’s commercial, projects, funds, corporate and property litigation groups.

Trowers & Hamlins retained slightly less with 82% of its trainees staying on at that firm. In total, nine of its eleven trainees will qualifying in March 2015 and take up positions across the real estate, banking and finance, disputes and international energy and natural resources departments. Seven of the solicitors will be based in the firm’s London office, with one each in Manchester and Birmingham.

jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk