The introduction of new age discrimination legislation will result in a "harsher, more performance driven" culture in the legal profession, a new report claims.
According to the report from city law firm Fox Williams, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 is the most significant piece of employment legislation in the last 30 years and is likely to create significant change at law firms.
One of the main changes predicted by the report was that partner remuneration will become less dependent on experience and more dependent on performance. Partners of all ages were likely to be formally ejected if their performance was not up to scratch, the report noted.
Fox Williams also said that more partners were likely to stay in law firms beyond their 50s under the legislation unless the firms could justify a compulsory retirement age.
At a deeper level, the act was likely to undermine the "collegiate nature" of relationships in law firms, elevating performance and productivity above experience and loyalty, the report claimed.
In light of the changes, more than 90 per cent of the law firms surveyed by Fox Williams said that they would need to establish a better and more formal appraisals system in the future.
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