Which UK firms offer best prospects for promotion to partnership?

RollOnFriday has taken a look at the partnership promotion statistics for UK firms to try to get a picture of which firms offer the best chance of partnership. The survey looks at the average size of each firm’s trainee intake and calculates the portion of those trainees that are likely to be inducted into the partnership. The method is imperfect, because it looks only at the intake and promotions for this year, but over time it should give an illuminating picture of the prospects at a range of firms. At the top of the list is Trowers & Hamlins, which takes on an average of 15 trainees each year, and promoted 11 lawyers to partnership this year. These figures point to a 73% chance of making partner, says RollOnFriday. According to the survey, trainees at Bristows have a 56% chance of making partner, while those at Burges Salmon have a 31% chance. Ince & Co is, at this stage, at the bottom of the list, making up no partners in the UK this year (although 5 were promoted in its overseas offices). Magic Circle firms offer very poor chances of partnership, taking on huge numbers of trainees and promoting only a tiny minority to the top rank after high attrition rates remove associates from contention. Slaughter and May promoted just two partners worldwide this year, with one in the UK, offering slim chances to its annual intake of 90-odd trainees. At Freshfields trainees have a 5% shot at partnership, while Allen & Overy offers a 6% chance.

Which UK firms offer best prospects for promotion to partnership? rollonfriday.com Mon, Apr 9, 2012