Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's head of diversity and inclusion Deborah Dalgleish is set to join Ashurst in the same role next month.

Dalgleish, who has spent the last 12 years at Freshfields, was head of UK trainee recruitment at the firm from 1999 to 2009, and head of diversity for the last three years.

During her time at the firm she has overseen the introduction of a number of initiatives, including training intended to alert partners to unconscious biases that could affect recruitment and promotion decisions.

Prior to joining Freshfields, she worked at legacy firm Theodore Goddard in HR and graduate recruitment, and as a real estate lawyer at Herbert Smith.

Ashurst senior partner Charlie Geffen said: "We are delighted to get Deborah on board. We place great emphasis on our initiatives in this area and Deborah's appointment will both build upon and drive forward our diversity agenda at a strategic level."

The news follows Ashurst's move to roll out a new flexible working scheme for equity partners intended to make it easier to work part-time without hindering progression through the lockstep.

The City law firm has introduced a new policy that will allow equity partners to remain at the same point in the firm's lockstep while being remunerated on a pro rata basis.

Freshfields revamped its global diversity committee last month, with internal communications head Kate Laffar appointed as head of the team alongside London chief Mark Rawlinson and intellectual property partner Avril Martindale.