Clifford Chance bins billing targets in bid to boost lawyers

City giant Clifford Chance has scrapped its heavily criticised billing targets for US lawyers.

The move follows the controversial memo written by associates in the firm's New York office that was leaked late last year criticising the practice.

It claimed the targets placed lawyers under undue pressure and could lead to bill 'padding' (see [2002] Gazette, 31 October, 3).

Instead of billing targets, lawyers in the US offices will now be judged on seven qualitative criteria: respect and mentoring, quality of work, excellence and client service, integrity, contribution to the community, commitment to diversity, and contribution to the firm as a whole.

The changes are designed to improve staff morale, which the leaked memo claimed was dangerously low in the New York office, and to boost client confidence.

A spokesman declined to comment on whether the move was directly linked to the controversy.

Victoria MacCallum