PostsNews

Macfarlanes posts 86% trainee retention score

Avatar photo

By Legal Cheek on

8

24 out of 28


Macfarlanes has announced a trainee retention rate of 86%.

The firm confirmed this week that 24 of its 28 final-seat trainees will be staying on when they qualify next month.

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows those remaining will begin life as newly qualified (NQ) solicitors on a salary of £140,000.

Previously, Macfarlanes split its trainee intake between spring and autumn, but it has since moved to a single annual intake.

Summer trainee retention rates: the story so far… 🤝

(scroll right if using 📱)

Firm Trainees Retained Retention Rate NQ Destinations
Wedlake Bell 8 8 100% 2 to insolvency; 1 each to commercial disputes, construction, corporate, tax, IP/commercial, and private client
RPC 18 16 89% 6 to insurance; 6 to disputes (3 IP/tech, 2 commercial litigation, 1 media); 4 to corporate & commercial
Watson Farley & Williams 18 16 89% 5 to asset finance; 4 to project finance; 2 to corporate; 1 to debt capital markets; 2 to disputes and 1 to finance in Dubai; 1 to disputes in Bangkok
Clifford Chance 57 49 86% Undisclosed
Macfarlanes 28 24 86% Undisclosed
Linklaters 40 33 83% Undisclosed
A&O Shearman 54 37 69% Undisclosed
Withers 14 9 65% Undisclosed

8 Comments

Anon

Another solid score, contrary to the rumours on here that this was the worst NQ round ever.

Reply Report comment
(10)(4)

Cheech Marin, legal search

But it is in a way – if you’re not retained or are not offered the role you wanted, the market for other NQ positions is glacial, if not completely nonexistent.

It is commendable that firms are trying to hold on to as many of their trainees qualifying into NQs but the real question is how many of those 24 candidates that accepted roles with their firm did so because they wanted to rather than because they knew the alternative was a potentially long spell without a job (which is lethal for anyone starting out in London).

Anecdotally even strong candidates with a few years’ PQE are really struggling to bag a job if they found themselves laid off. My recommendation to anyone in City law right now is to sit tight, don’t take any risks and hold on to your choad until the market recovers. Now is definitely not the time to be left out in the cold wilderness as you could be there for a long while.

Reply Report comment
(21)(0)

Someone you used to know

Go to bed.

You would have done the same as those that accepted a role in a practice of no choice. You forgetting that those people have rent/mortgage to pay, need to eat and more. We don’t know how long this situation will last but here you are giving lessons of life to people.

Again, go to bed.

Reply Report comment
(2)(18)

keep drafting

lmao calm down pinhead 🍆🤡

Reply Report comment
(4)(2)

Klaxon

Huh? Have we read the same comment? They are literally saying that: best to take the job at hand than to go on empty, but if you end in a bad situation, the doldrums can currently last for quite some time before the market recovers.

Work on your reading comprehension skills, little man.

Reply Report comment
(20)(0)

Exactly

They did say that they would do that in their comment… what exactly is your point?

Reply Report comment
(4)(0)

Sad

But surely the internal and external NQ markets are correlated? Or is there a reason for high retention rates and poor external NQ market

Reply Report comment
(2)(0)

Realist

Not necessarily. I know a handful of trainees in from SC/MC firms in this year’s cohort and quite a few accepted offers in teams that are their second choice or as a last resort merely for the sake of avoiding unemployment. They are biding their time until the market picks up.

Nevertheless, there is very little external recruitment. Yes, some results are higher than expected, but quite a lot of MC/SC firms are on a hiring freeze in respect of the junior end. Other firms are also in similar positions.

My firm created extra roles to boost retention rates and because they wanted to do the best they could to retain as many, but are no where near to 80% retention.

Think of it like this, if all trainees applied internally and only a percentage were offered the roles, with all places now being filled then there is no need to recruit externally. This is where we are in terms of the market. Rates are high but there is little to offer externally, because there is an oversupply of trainees in comparison to roles available.

Reply Report comment
(5)(0)

Join the conversation

Related Stories

business man looking ้his shadow rich under money rain success concept vector
news

Is soaring NQ pay impacting trainee retention rates?

The Legal Cheek team discuss NQ salaries, retention rates, financial results and a petition to reform the SQE — listen now 🎙️

Aug 11 2025 7:48am
19
City of London at sunset
news

RPC and Wedlake Bell confirm strong summer trainee retention scores

89% and 100%

Jul 8 2025 10:23am
news

Clifford Chance retains 49 of 57 qualifying trainees

86%

Aug 6 2025 8:51am
8