Four more UK top 50 firms rethink approach to lawyer performance assessment
BLP and Fieldfisher among firms mulling changes to appraisal systems following magic circle moves
May 26, 2017 at 04:03 AM
2 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Law.com International
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), Fieldfisher, Withers and RPC have joined a growing group of UK top 50 law firms looking to change the way they appraise their fee earners and staff.
In recent months, a number of leading firms have unveiled significant changes to the way they assess performance, with Linklaters set to drop both individual financial targets and annual performance reviews for partners, and Allen & Overy and Hogan Lovells both moving away from formal annual assessments in favour of ongoing – or 'continuous' – feedback.
Others within the UK top 50 now look set to follow suit. BLP confirmed to Legal Week that it is reviewing its annual appraisal process, and is canvassing staff on potential changes. A spokesperson said: "In recent years we have refined the annual appraisal process to focus more on career development, which has been well received. We acknowledge that there is still some room for improvement, and have instigated focus groups to gather further feedback."
Elsewhere, Fieldfisher is also considering dropping annual appraisals, with a spokesperson saying: "The dialogue that we are having with our partners and staff shows that there is an increasing appetite for developmental feedback and more regular 'touch points' across all levels of staff, whether fee earner, business services or secretary.
"We have a dedicated project team in place that is actively working on how we can create a more rounded real-time feedback culture, and we are actively considering the role and relevance of the annual appraisal in supporting that."
RPC is also reviewing its partner target model, but has no concrete plans yet. The firm dropped annual appraisals and performance ratings for everyone in the firm in July last year, replacing these with regular, more informal discussions on a quarterly basis. Withers also confirmed that it is currently reviewing its annual appraisal process.
Other firms to have made similar changes in recent months include Baker McKenzie. The global firm dropped annual appraisals and performance ratings for all fee earners and staff at the end of the 2016-17 financial year, replacing them with more regular feedback on performance throughout the year.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All
US Reviewer of Foreign Transactions Sees More Political, Policy Influence, Say Observers
Delaware Supreme Court Adopts Broad Interpretation of Case Law on Anticompetition Provisions
3 minute read
The Week in Data Dec. 19: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers
Davis Polk Moves to New, Expanded Redwood City Office
Trending Stories
- 1Senate Confirms Last 2 of Biden's California Judicial Nominees
- 2Morrison & Foerster Doles Out Year-End and Special Bonuses, Raises Base Compensation for Associates
- 3Tom Girardi to Surrender to Federal Authorities on Jan. 7
- 4Husch Blackwell, Foley Among Law Firms Opening Southeast Offices This Year
- 5In Lawsuit, Ex-Google Employee Says Company’s Layoffs Targeted Parents and Others on Leave
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
