Herbert Smith has abandoned its 'make a difference' initiative for partner appraisals, to focus on partner performance through more formal assessments.

The top 10 City firm rolled out a new system over the summer, with partners assessed annually against four distinct areas: client skills, technical skills, people skills and how their performance fits with the firm's strategy.

Crucially, the new system places emphasis on Herbert Smith's efforts to become more international, with feedback from partners in international offices included formally for the first time and assessments taking into account matters such as cross-selling between offices.

The new system marks a shift from the more consensual approach introduced in 2007 by senior partner David Gold, dubbed 'make a difference'.

This did not include any specific criteria for appraisal but was instead intended to see partners volunteer improvements they could make to their practice areas as well as how they approached clients and business development matters.

The move to tighten up on partner performance comes after the firm changed its associate appraisal process earlier this year to set out clearer guidelines as to what is expected of them.

Gold (pictured) told Legal Week: "We recognised at our recent conference in Berlin the need for a new appraisal system designed to get the best out of partners.

It is a simplification of the previous system, being less wordy and more focused on the specific objectives and priorities that each partner needs to concentrate on."

Herbert Smith on the Legal Week Wiki