The post HSF Kramer posts 94% trainee retention score appeared first on Legal Cheek.
]]>29 out of 31 
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has posted an impressive 94% autumn trainee retention rate.
All 31 trainees qualifying this month applied for newly qualified (NQ) associate roles, with the firm making 30 offers — 29 of which were accepted. None of the roles are on fixed-term contracts.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2026 shows HSF Kramer pays its NQs a salary of £145,000, a substantial jump from the £61,000 offered to second-year trainees.
David Rosen, partner and training principal at HSFKramer, said:
“In an increasingly competitive marketplace for legal talent, where attracting and retaining top candidates is more challenging than ever, we continue to see significant numbers of our trainees choosing to build their careers with the firm. Their desire to do so is, in part, because of the opportunity to work on complex and ground-breaking cases and transactions, using the latest technology to advise clients, and also as a result of our determination to provide an environment that is as supportive as it is stimulating.”
Trainee retention rates: the story so far…
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| 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 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer | 31 | 29 | 94% | Undisclosed |
| Irwin Mitchell | 53 | 48 | 91% | 14 to Business Services Group; 12 to Medical Negligence; 9 to Court of Protection & Public Law & Human Rights; 8 to Private Client Group; 4 to Personal Injury; 1 to General Counsel |
| 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 |
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]]>The post HSF Kramer pushes NQ solicitor pay to £145k appeared first on Legal Cheek.
]]>£10k hike
International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has announced that it has increased the salaries of its newly qualified associates in London to £145,000 — up from £135,000.
The boost, effective from today (1 July), comes after City giant Herbert Smith Freehills and US law firm Kramer Levin merged to create HSF Kramer last month.
The £145k rate takes the newly-formed firm ahead of fellow City outfits Ashurst and Hogan Lovells — both of which raised NQ pay to £140k this summer — and approaches the £150k figure doled out to Magic Circle NQs.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows that HSF Kramer takes on around 60 trainees each year.
Commenting on the firm’s salaries, Jeremy Walden, executive partner, UK & EMEA, at HSF Kramer, said:
“We invest in our people at every stage of their careers through a balanced and competitive reward structure. As one of the leading global law firms in today’s fast-moving market, this is important for us to be able to strengthen the experience we deliver to our clients, to maintain our firm’s culture and to ensure the firm’s continued success and growth.”
This is the latest in a slew of NQ pay rises over the last few weeks, with firms like DLA Piper (£110,000 to £130,000) and CMS (£110,000 to £120,000) as well as Bird & Bird (£98,000 to £102,000), Eversheds Sutherland (£100,000 to £110,000) and Pinsent Masons (£97,000 to £105,000) all announcing summer boosts to their most junior lawyers’ salaries.
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]]>The post HSF-Kramer merger goes live appeared first on Legal Cheek.
]]>TC seekers, take note: there’s a new name in City law
The merger between City giant Herbert Smith Freehills and US law firm Kramer Levin was finalised yesterday, after receiving partner approval earlier this year.
The newly merged firm, operating under the name Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer — or simply HSF Kramer — generates $2 billion (over £1.5 billion) in global revenue, all within a single profit pool.
HSF Kramer has over 2,700 lawyers, including 630 partners, across 26 offices worldwide.
Kramer Levin was the much smaller of the two firms, with just three offices across the US in New York, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC, along with one international hub in Paris. The Paris outpost was not included in the deal, with its partners reportedly opting to join US firm Morgan Lewis instead.
Speaking in April, HSF Kramer’s global CEO, Justin D’Agostino, said the deal will enable the firm to “deliver more effectively for our clients, whose needs are evolving rapidly in a complex environment”.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows HSF Kramer is one of the largest training contract providers in the City with an annual offering in excess of 60. Trainees earn £56,000 in year one, rising to £61,000, and £135,000 upon qualification.
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