Slaughter and May has agreed a new secondment arrangement with New Zealand firm Chapman Tripp.

The pair have been in discussions over the last few months and have decided to enter into a non-exclusive programme that will see junior lawyers from each firm seconded to the other for a year.

Chapman Tripp, which has three offices in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, will become the third New Zealand firm in Slaughters' secondment network. The magic circle outfit also has similar arrangments with Bell Gully and Russell McVeagh in the region.

The firm also operates a secondment programme in Australia with Allens Arthur Robinson.

Slaughters practice partner Paul Olney said: "Our secondment programmes are an important strand of our international strategy. We have run them successfully for a very long time with leading independent firms across the world including in Europe, the US, Australia, China, Japan, India and the Middle East.

"We have an extensive network in place already, but we are always open to new opportunities where the arrangement is part of building a good relationship with a leading independent firm."

The news comes after Slaughters last month announced a 100% trainee retention rate for its autumn intake of newly-qualified lawyers, with all 59 of the firm's September qualifiers set to stay on.