Macfarlanes has upped its maternity leave by almost 70% in a bid to retain more female lawyers at the firm and increase the number of women in its partnership.

The City firm will now offer all employees 23.5 weeks of maternity leave on full pay, up from just 14 weeks.

The new policy, which took effect from January this year following a firmwide review of diversity measures, is available to all employees other than partners. Partners are subject to a separate policy, believed to offer a broadly similar package.

The overhaul has also seen Macfarlanes introduce a new maternity policy that provides female lawyers and support staff with a mentor to help the transition to and from maternity leave.

Macfarlanes diversity and corporate partner Nicola Richards (pictured) said: "We want Macfarlanes to be seen as a challenging but fair workplace for all and we decided that one of our key priorities ought to be to retain more talented female lawyers. We began by changing our maternity policy.

"We have significantly enhanced our maternity leave pay and coupled that with a maternity programme which supports women while away and prepares them for their eventual return to the firm. Overall the aim is to ensure that our talented women's path to partnership is not hindered by maternity."

Macfarlanes' diversity review has also seen the firm introduce a flexible working scheme across the board. The firm had previously only offered flexible working to parents, carers and on an ad hoc basis.