Nabarro has cut back the number of trainee vacancies if offers by almost 30%, as the firm becomes one of the first of the UK top 50 to confirm its retention figures for this spring's qualifying intake.

The firm has slimmed down the number of available training contracts to 25 for the July 2013 deadline, down from thirty-five on offer in July last year.

According to the firm, the figure has been reduced to better reflect intake figures. A spokesperson said: "The firm has brought its notional trainee vacancies figure into line with its intake figures, which have averaged 25 since 2010. Despite the difficult economic climate, we have been able to invest consistently in trainees with our intake at 24 in 2013 and 25 in 2014."

The firm took on 22 graduates in 2010 and 26 in both 2011 and 2012.

Meanwhile, the firm has announced that it will retain 78% of its spring 2013 qualifiers, keeping on seven of nine trainees offered a position at the firm.

The result is up on last September's retention rate of 69%, when nine of 11 NQs accepted roles at the firm of a total of 13 who qualified. However, the rate is down on spring 2012, when the firm took 13 of 15 qualifying lawyers (87%).

The news comes after recent research by the Chambers Student Guide found that trainee retention rates at UK law firms have dipped in 2012 for the first time since the height of the downturn in 2009.

The survey of 123 firms found 2,074 out of 2,620 qualifying trainees were kept on at their firms last year, amounting to an overall retention rate of 79.1%, down on last year's corresponding figure of 80.5%.

Magic circle firm Clifford Chance last year confirmed it had cut back the number of graduate trainees it takes on in London by almost one fifth, with the target number of trainees for its 2015 intake set at 100, down from a target of 120 in recent years.