RPC has undertaken a major shake-up of its partnership structure, introducing a number of new senior-level roles including salaried partner, of counsel and senior associate.

Previously, the firm operated a full-equity partnership and it claims that the changes reflect the changing expectations of its people, the market and client demand, as well as increasing opportunities for career progression.

The updated structure, which has been introduced with immediate effect, will offer RPC lawyers five options for senior legal careers at the firm: full equity partner, fixed share equity partner, salaried partner, of counsel and senior associate.

In a statement, RPC managing partner James Miller commented: "Like every business, we evolve and the market around us evolves too. Our all-equity structure has served us very well, but we know that the bar to achieving partnership here has been seen as very high.

"High standards are a good thing, of course, and that won't change, but we saw the need to offer our people alternative career destinations with titles that reflect their seniority and value – value to clients and value to the business.

"These new roles give people a credible and recognisable alternative to full equity partnership, if that's the route they wish to take."

He said the firm had spent a lot of time prior to the move listening to people's expectations and considerations when it comes to their career progression, adding: "The battle for talent is fierce. This new structure will help us to retain our best people, attract new talent and deliver better outcomes for our clients."

RPC is not the only firm to make alterations to its partnership structure in a bid to retain talent. Last year, Weil Gotshal announced plans to cut back its partner path by two years across all of its offices to seven and a half years, to retain associates.

Magic Circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is also considering whether to implement a "performance-based acceleration mechanism" to its lockstep model, to enable high-performing junior partners to move up the pay ladder.