Lauren Coote, Emily Ray, Fiona Smith and Alexandra Svennevik have each been given a permanent position with the firm, having completed their training in March. Helen Deady will join them when she qualifies in September.
This means that Hewitsons will retain all those individuals who began traineeships with it in September 2016. The firm has achieved perfect trainee retention rates before, but this will be the first time that all the successful candidates have been women.
The five individuals will join Hewitsons’ various specialist teams, which range from agriculture and banking to technology and transport.
Lauren, whom the Cambridgeshire & District Law Society recently named Trainee Lawyer of the Year, is now based at the firm’s Cambridge office, in Newmarket Road, together with Emily and Fiona. They have joined the Contentious, Real Estate and Agricultural business units, respectively.
Alexandra – known as Lexy – is now based at the firm’s Northampton office, in Billing Road, where she has joined the Private Wealth business unit. Helen will also be based in Northampton, joining the Agricultural business unit when she qualifies.
Colin Jones, Managing Partner at Hewitsons, said: “Lauren, Helen, Emily, Fiona and Lexy have each demonstrated outstanding talent and commitment during their time with Hewitsons so far. They have all proven that they have what it takes to deliver for our expanding client base and go far in this profession, so we are delighted to be welcoming them into our fold.
“The fact all five are women is illustrative of the fact that the legal field is becoming more inclusive, which is, of course, wonderful to see.”
Every September, Hewitsons takes on a new group of law graduates as trainees, each of whom spends up to two years with the firm, learning from partners across its various specialist teams.
Each year, Hewitsons also retains a high proportion of its trainees after they qualify, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to investing in fresh talent, as well as how sought-after its positions are. Many of the firm’s current partners began their careers as Hewitsons trainees.
Across Hewitsons’ offices in Cambridge, London, Milton Keynes and Northampton, nearly 70 per cent of all legal staff are women.
To mark International Women’s Day, which was on March 8, five of the firm’s female solicitors visited girls at Northampton Academy to give inspirational career advice, together with a senior female audit manager from professional service company KPMG’s Milton Keynes office.
Trish Kempson, a Partner in the firm’s Real Estate team, said: “As we told the girls at the academy, it is important that women know that if they want to pursue a legal career and they put their mind to it, nothing can stop them.”
Image: Trainees L-R: Lauren Coote, Emily Ray and Fiona Smith