Norton Rose has offered trainees due to join the firm in 2009 and 2010 up to £10,000 to defer the start dates of their training contracts.

The top 10 City firm, which has roughly 55 trainees due to join across its September 2009 and January 2010 intakes, said it has contacted all of the future trainees this week asking for volunteers willing to push back their start date.

Those who accept will be offered up to £10,000 if they come up with something "meaningful and constructive" with their time off, while those wishing to start on the agreed date will be able to do so.

Norton Rose said that it has given trainees options to develop their skills during the year off by offering opportunities for pro bono work, internships with clients, completing a masters degree and placements within international offices.

Norton Rose HR head Lak Purewal said: "We wanted to ensure that the trainees get the best experience and training that they can. The bottom line is that we want them to stay close to us and we think this will be good for their skills development.

"But we cannot ignore the economic downturn and we are not immune. This decision came as part of our business planning."

Earlier this week Legal Week reported that Norton Rose was one of only two top 10 City firms actively considering whether to ask trainees to defer.

It now joins firms including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Lovells and Simmons & Simmons in asking trainees to push back their start dates, although Freshfields has stressed that its decision is based on a desire to balance out its two annual intakes rather than economic reasons.

Both Lovells and Simmons stated the decision to defer training contract start dates was a result of the weakening economy.

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