Bond Dickinson has confirmed that it will retain 22 of its trainees this year which is an 81% retention rate.

The trainees have all accepted their positions as newly qualified solicitors in the Corporate & Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate and Private Wealth teams nationwide and will join the teams in the Aberdeen, Bristol, Leeds, Southampton, London and Newcastle offices. They will have the opportunity to work across the firm's eight key sectors of expertise: retail, energy, financial institutions, insurance, manufacturing, transport, real estate and private wealth.

Jonathan Blair, Managing Partner, said: "We are thrilled to be in a position to offer roles to our newly qualified solicitors and are really pleased with our retention rate which endorses our reputation as a strong and reputable firm to work for.  We are extremely proud to be able to continue to offer opportunities for great new talent to develop in a supportive working environment here at Bond Dickinson."

Sam Lee, Head of Recruitment, added: "Our people are at the very heart of what we do. We want them to enjoy long and successful careers with us and so we work hard to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to develop, grow and be rewarded for their success. We are proud to offer our trainees one of the best training programmes in the country which supports them every step of the way so they are equipped with the essential skills, expertise and commercial acumen to pursue a successful career in this increasingly competitive legal market."

Earlier this year, Bond Dickinson was named as a top graduate employer, ranking 161 in the 2017 Guardian UK 300 list. Over 60 law firms were ranked and Bond Dickinson featured amongst the top 20. The annual list is made up following the votes from over 60,000 students and recognise the best employers in the UK for people seeking graduate jobs.

Combining with US firm Womble Carlyle, Bond Dickinson are consolidating their national reputation and regional heritage under one powerful transatlantic brand.

Womble Bond Dickinson will have more than 420 partners and 1,000 lawyers across 8 offices in the UK and 15 offices in the US. This combination will enable the firm to provide an enviable transatlantic platform for further local, regional and international growth putting Womble Bond Dickinson in the UK's top 20 and in the top 80 in the US listings.