Allen & Overy (A&O) has moved a number of German partners down its lockstep, with the firm also making it more difficult for those in the country to move beyond 40 points on its 50-point ladder.

The magic circle firm has moved down or frozen about 50% of its German partners in a bid to improve profitability, with only a handful of the firm’s 51 German partners now understood to be sitting above 40 points.