The four trainees who joined Pinsent Masons in Belfast last year have all been retained as newly-qualified solicitors, the firm announced as it welcomed four new recruits to its training programme.

The newly-qualified solicitors are Sarah-Louise Baird (corporate); Meghan Kirk (litigation & regulatory); Matthew McMurray (energy & projects) and Louise Welsby (infrastructure & construction).

Danielle McKeefry, Rory Copeland, Hannah Megarry and Lisa McGrady join the training contract programme in September 2017.

Andrea McIlroy-Rose, partner and head of the firm’s Belfast office, said: “I’m delighted to see us maintain our strong level of investment in the lawyers of tomorrow. At Pinsent Masons we pride ourselves in providing a first rate training programme.

“Our entrants start their experience with a Trainee Conference where they have the opportunity to meet counterparts from other Pinsent Masons offices. As well as properly structured legal training, we also provide broader skills training such as networking and client engagement. The programme is supported by a dedicated team ensuring that our people get the best out of the experience of training with us.

“The recruitment and selection process is robust and rigorous, so we are confident that when we select someone they already have the skills and attributes required to be an excellent solicitor. The investment in training we make and the quality of people we select, means we will in most instances seek to retain them as newly qualified solicitors.

“Pinsent Masons is proud of the positive environment in which our people work and this has been recognised by some outstanding recent accreditations including in the top-ranked professional services firm in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index and The Times’ Top 50 Employers for Women.”