Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Weil Gotshal & Manges and Trowers & Hamlins have all announced increases in their spring trainee retention rate.

At HSF, 33 trainees received offers out of a total intake of 35, all of which were accepted. The firm's spring retention rate of 94% is a slight increase on last year's figures.

In its 2015 spring round, the firm retained 39 of 42 trainees – a rate of 93%. Later that year, 92% of its autumn qualifiers were kept on, with 34 out of 37 accepting offers.

Meanwhile Trowers & Hamlins is retaining 88% of its qualifiers in its spring round. This includes seven of the eight trainees qualifying this spring, plus a further trainee, Jack Frier, who qualified earlier due to his level of work experience.

Last spring Trowers reported an 82% retention rate when it kept on nine of 11 qualifiers. This was followed by disappointing numbers in the autumn 2015 round, when five out of seven trainees took up newly qualified (NQ) positions with the firm.

Weil has announced a far smaller intake of three trainees, with all applicants being successful. This is the US firm's second year retaining its total applicant cohort, after it retained all nine of its autumn qualifiers last year.

Slaughter and May became the first UK firm to reveal its spring 2016 retention rate in the first week of January, with the firm retaining 95% of its trainees compared to 88% in spring 2015.

Earlier this month, Nabarro announced its spring retention rates.

The firm said that eight out of nine qualifying trainees had opted to stay on at the firm.

Nabarro's real estate practice saw the largest number of newly qualified (NQ) lawyers join, with three added to the team.