Nabarro follows rivals' lead with partnership alternative

The Newly renamed Nabarro is set to follow the market trend and introduce an alternative career path for associates for the 2007-08 financial year.

The firm's fee-earner liaison group is currently considering a draft proposal for the alternative path that has been put forward by the firm's management.

The liaison group, which is made up of at least one senior associate from each department, is due to thrash out the concept with Nabarro managing partner Nicky Paradise and HR director Celia Staples at a meeting this week.

Paradise said: "We as partners might think we know what our associates want, but unless we talk through the specifics it's not necessarily what they want.

"We've read in The Lawyer what other firms are doing and the approach they're taking and have talked to other firms about how it works. Now we're trying to formulate the best approach for us. This isn't one of those areas where one size fits all."

Paradise said a number of frameworks had been put forward to the associate group as possibilities for their consideration.

Nabarro changed its name from Nabarro Nathanson last week.