Charles Russell Speechlys has ruled out an 'eat what you kill' pay system as the firm kicks off a review of its remuneration structure.

The recently merged firm has given itself until May 2016 to bring together the pay deals of legacy outfits Charles Russell and Speechly Bircham, following their merger in November 2014.

Under the pay review, the firm is looking at a range of options, from keeping the pure lockstep operated by legacy Charles Russell to adding a 'super pointer' group for top-performing partners, but it has ruled out moving to a pure merit-based pay system.

Charles Russell Speechlys managing partner James Carter (pictured) said: "We are highly unlikely to move to an eat what you kill system, it is just not consistent with the culture of the firm.

"It is a long exercise and we need to consult. That's why we put an 18-month time frame on the process at the time of the merger. We are reviewing the whole structure, looking at all options from pure lockstep to mixtures of lockstep and bonus payments."

Legacy Charles Russell operated a pure lockstep, whereas legacy Speechly Bircham's remuneration structure incorporated more flexibility, primarily in how quickly partners could accelerate up or down the ladder, in a modified lockstep.

"The two legacy firm were 80% of the way there to having an integrated remuneration structure," Carter said. "The approaches were similar, but there were inevitably differences in the detail."

There is understood to be no regional variation in either firm's lockstep.

Since the merger, the firm has combined its two offices in Geneva, where both legacy firms previously had bases, into a single office.

The firm is also set to implement a new integrated document management system in the next few months and a new accounting system should be in place by the end of this financial year.

The litigation practice at the firm is also reviewing a third party litigation funding agreement that legacy Speechly Bircham had to ensure that it best suits the combined firm's needs.