Burges Salmon has increased its trainee intake for 2014 from 24 to 27 trainees, which represents a 12.5 per cent growth.
The firm also has plans to increase its trainee intake over the next three years with a projected target of recruiting up to 30 trainees to start with the firm in 2017.
Over the past couple of years, Burges Salmon has been one of the few firms not to cut its trainee numbers and has seen a steady increase over the past five years. The firm has forecasted that that this will not affect its high retention rates, which have averaged 94 per cent over the past three years.
In addition, the firm recently launched a new recruitment programme aimed at newly qualified lawyers with opportunities across several of the firm’s practice groups; a decision that was taken due to business demand.
Robert Halton, Burges Salmon’s Director of Human Resources, said: “We are delighted to be able to report an increase in the number of trainees we are taking on, particularly as increasing our investment in our trainees is further investment in the future of the firm.'
Burges Salmon was recently named, for a record tenth time, as the UK’s best legal recruiter for trainee solicitor recruitment at this year’s LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards (TARAs). The firm was awarded the top prize in the National / Large Regional Law Firm category, seeing off a number of industry competitors.