Clifford Chance (CC) is this week expected to vote on bold proposals to hand its partnership council the power to remove partners in a move intended to simplify the magic circle firm's partner expulsion system.

The plan will see any partner in the firm subjected to expulsion proceedings appear before the council, which will then have the power to remove the lawyer from the partnership without resorting to a firm-wide vote.

However, the firm is proposing to allow any partner a right of appeal to the decision, which would lead to a vote from CC's partnership – although the percentage needed to secure the expulsion is expected to be slashed from the current 85% to as low as 33%.

The change in the system – the only issue being voted on this week by CC – stems from problems the firm faced in dismissing former Bangkok managing partner Wirot Poonsuwan.

One CC partner told Legal Week: "This vote is about addressing the negative aspects that arose from the issue with our former Thai partner. The original 85% threshold was too high." The vote is the latest re-jig that CC has undertaken to modernise its partnership.