Slaughter and May is stepping up its management of associate performance, with the intention of monitoring performance after each piece of work.

The reviews, which will be carried out in addition to traditional annual appraisals, were initially rolled out last year and have so far seen the biggest uptake in transactional departments. However, management is now encouraging partners to roll the measure out across all practice groups.

The firm stressed the change was not an attempt to let go of more associates and said the numbers leaving would remain on par with previous years. It said the scheme aims to provide greater feedback and transparency on performance so associates have a better understanding of how they are progressing.

Practice partner Paul Olney said: "By conducting appraisals after a piece of work we can provide a faster and more meaningful feedback. It is often easier to discuss a specific issue on performance when it is still fresh in the associates and partners' minds, rather than waiting until the end of the year."

He added: "These types of appraisals lend themselves more easily to practice areas with a transaction focus, but it is possible to conduct more regular reviews in other areas."

Slaughters has the fastest route to partnership of the top 10 City firms, with a five-year average in 2008 of 7.1 years' PQE for new partners, despite the fact new City partners go straight into the equity, whereas those at many other firms spend time as salaried partners first.

Separately, Slaughters' non-lawyer head of graduate recruitment, Charlotte Houghton, is leaving and being replaced by Atisreal former resourcing manager Melanie Binks.