Not broken but in need of more flexibility
A year ago Legal Week observed that the model of associate lockstep was too rigid to effectively react to changing market conditions – certainly to the dramatic changes looming in 2009. The year has proved to be as turbulent as expected and the model has continued to be revised, initially with widespread salary freezes. Lockstep’s failings have also been apparent from the growing number of firms moving towards competency-based systems where associate pay is determined on the basis of promotion to defined levels.
