Ashurst is set to complete its first partner remuneration review since its full financial merger with Australia's Blake Dawson.

Partners at Blakes transferred over to Ashurst's managed lockstep system in November last year, a move which had been one of the conditions in the firms' merger deed.

The impending review means that partners from the Australian arm of the firm could move up or down the lockstep for the first time.

Blakes had previously operated a merit-based system whereas Ashurst has a modified lockstep with a performance-related element. This takes into account contribution to the business including team development and introducing clients to other members.

Ashurst's remuneration ladder runs from 25 to 65 equity points, with gateways at 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 50 and 57, on which partners are approved annually.

Depending on what they were billing Blakes partners were moved across to the equivalent financial rung on the lockstep. In general the highest billers moved over to the top of the lockstep.

The review is set to be complete in a month's time and will set all partner points for the financial year beginning 1 May 2014.

One partner within the firm said: "There were grumblings at the time from some Blakes partners who thought they would get short-changed but those who were really unhappy have either moved on or will put up with it."

Ashurst brought in the 'super-plateau' 65-point level in 2007, in an overhaul of its remuneration system which saw it rebase its lockstep from a 20-50 point ladder to a wider 25-65 point scale, allowing it to better reward star performers.