Clifford Chance (CC) has overhauled its management strategy to free up fee-earning time for its more senior partners.

The magic circle firm is attempting to increase the number of partner hours available for fee earning by cutting back on duplicated management positions and encouraging business development staff to get more involved in the running of their practice groups.

CC has laid out its intentions to allow the majority of partners holding management positions to take on more fee earning, with the firm concerned that many of its management positions are held by partners with key client relationships who no longer have time to continue fee earning.

In addition, CC's recently published corporate governance paper saw the firm ask global practice area leaders to consider taking up the role of local practice group leader in a bid to cut back on the number of partners involved in management.

A move such as this could be implemented in the firm's litigation practice, where global practice group leader Jeremy Sandelson (pictured) is thought to be the front-runner to succeed Nick Munday as London litigation head when his current term runs out in September.

CC has also recently transferred some of the management responsibilities held by practice group leaders to their business services teams in an attempt to free up partner time.

The news comes after CC last month appointed two partners – Michael Bates and Robert Lee – to co-manage the London finance team so that both could continue with client work.