Nabarro has raised its default partner retirement age from 60 to 62 and brought in a provision allowing partners to continue working beyond this limit if they desire. 

The move comes after the firm began a review of its retirement policy in the wake of legislative changes in 2011 to phase out default retirement ages for UK employees.

Nabarro partners reaching the new retirement age will be able to continue working at the firm, subject to board approval.

A spokesman said: "Many partners choose to leave to pursue one last career opportunity outside private practice before they reach retirement. We now have in place a policy that allows our most experienced and talented partners to continue contributing to the success of the firm beyond an arbitrary age limit."

A growing number of major UK law firms have moved away from compulsory retirement dates for partners in recent years, including Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Hogan Lovells and Linklaters.

The change in retirement policy, which came into effect earlier this year, comes after it emerged that preliminary merger discussions between Nabarro and Addleshaw Goddard – which could have created a firm with revenues of more than £280m – were called off last month. 

While neither firm has commented, ex-partners have speculated that factors contributing to the failure of the talks include concerns that a combined firm would have been too focused on real estate, as well as both firms' lack of a significant international footprint.

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