Bristol-headquartered national law firm Burges Salmon has hailed the success of its apprenticeship scheme after all four of the latest cohort were admitted to its roll of solicitors.
The firm has been a strong supporter of legal apprenticeships since they were introduced in 2015 and has since helped shape the paralegal and solicitor standards. 
It took on its first five entrants in 2016 as part of a trailblazer group of like-minded firms.
The latest cohort, who have spent six-plus years of study and work at Burges Salmon and successfully passed their SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) assessments, are all continuing their careers with the firm.
They have joined the 24 solicitors who qualified this year as the firm posted a 100% trainee retention rate.
Nicole Marks, pictured third from left, and Jasmine Sharp, pictured, left, have become members of the dispute resolution team while Charlie Morgan, pictured second from left and Joanna Rogers, pictured, right, have joined its corporate and construction and engineering departments respectively.
The four are the second cohort of solicitors qualifying through Burges Salmon’s apprenticeship route and follow in the footsteps of India Jenkins, Tom Chamberlain and Elliot Hawes, who all qualified last year.
Burges Salmon managing partner Roger Bull, pictured, congratulated Nicole, Jasmine, Charlie and Joanna on their achievements, saying it had been fantastic to see them grow and develop over the years. 
“Supporting, advancing and investing in our people is a cornerstone for how we set ourselves up for future growth, and we’re thrilled to have an impressive pool of 28 talented newly qualified solicitors who have decided to pursue their careers with us, a testament to the success of our trainee and apprenticeship schemes,” he added.
“The legal sector has made great strides in broadening access to the profession and better reflect the diverse make-up of the UK.
“Legal apprenticeships in particular have proved a very effective social mobility tool, opening up new routes into a career in law and offering opportunities for people who feel university isn’t the right path for them.
“Learning from the ground up, our apprentices have a unique opportunity to work with talented lawyers and business professionals, enjoying and contributing to the supportive and collaborative culture we’ve created.”
He said it was also “very pleasing” to see students who had previously taken part in the firm’s work experience programmes such as Bright Sparks and Bristol Future Talent Partnership, applying for apprenticeships at the firm.
Burges Salmon, which also has offices in London and Edinburgh, currently employs 28 apprentices across its legal and business professional teams including marketing, people, facilities and IT.
The firm has expanded its headcount by 30% from 850 to more than 1,100 people over the past four years.
Earlier this month it reported a 27% increase in turnover to £163m – a direct result, it said, of ongoing investment in its clients, people, premises, technology and innovation and the responsible business agenda.
It also increased profit per equity partner (PEP) by 42% to £661,000 and net profit by 46% to £50.5m in its 2023/24 financial year.
