Allen & Overy (A&O) has expanded its reverse mentoring scheme to include more offices and practice areas, as it focuses on improving career progression for its lawyers.

The scheme was launched as a pilot in autumn 2016, with the firm's eight-strong board and people and performance board of 12 being reverse mentored by more junior lawyers.

It will continue to run for both boards, and has been broadened to include all the firm's executive committee, which was formed last year, as well as the committee that advised on and supports its gender strategy.

A&O's exec committee includes firm leaders senior partner Wim Dejonghe and managing partner Andrew Ballheimer, French partner Laetitia Benard and UAE partner Christian Saunders.

The scheme has also been expanded to other partners following interest from individuals, with all London litigation partners now matched with a trainee for reverse mentoring.

New mentors have been given to those who have been in the programme for more than a year, so that they gain a different perspective.

A&O diversity and inclusion senior manager Jo Dooley said: "The feedback we have had from the programme has been very good. What's proving hugely useful is that we are getting an increasingly detailed picture of the aspirations of our staff and any challenges they are facing on a day-to-day basis, which means that as an organisation, we can be quicker to make changes which have a positive impact.

"Those engaging in the programme enjoy the different perspectives they gain and we are seeing more and more people wanting to get involved, which is a very positive sign."

A&O senior partner Wim Dejonghe was among those taking part in the pilot, and was paired with London banking counsel Catherine Lang-Anderson. The pair would meet every six weeks for about an hour, with both praising the scheme.

Other initiatives the firm has rolled out recently have included a pilot launch of a remote working hub in Vauxhall, as part of a renewed push to boost gender diversity at the firm.

Yesterday (6 September), A&O released details of its gender pay gap – including partners – for both 2018 and 2017.

The firm's combined UK partner and employees gender pay gap for 2017 is 65%, just below Clifford Chance (66.3%) but above the other three magic circle firms, all of which reported mean pay gaps of between 60% and 62%.

However, A&O also released its 2018 figures, which do show an improvement with the pay gap falling to 61.2%.

Mentoring will be a topic of discussion at Legal Week CONNECT 2018, with senior lawyers and in-house counsel offering their opinions during the event.