Clifford Chance has undergone a trial Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) inspection as the regulator works out how best to inspect larger law firms.

The City giant volunteered to be the SRA’s ‘guinea pig’ and five inspectors spent a week at the firm, learning how a practice of that size operates. The aim was to develop protocols that inspectors could apply to other large firms.

Only 185 of the 10,114 law firms in England and Wales have 26 partners or more – 86% have four partners or fewer.

Chris Perrin, Clifford Chance’s executive partner and general counsel, said he was sure the SRA would be able to devise a method to inspect firms of such size, ‘but whether it’s possible with scaled-up processes that they use for small firms, I doubt’.

SRA chief executive Antony Townsend said: ‘The SRA is working to ensure that its visits and inspections are appropriate to all sectors. While the same standards must apply to all solicitors, the techniques for monitoring compliance and providing support will vary according to the nature of the firm.

‘Our visit to Clifford Chance was to pilot visits to big firms – to learn what works and what doesn't. Visits to other major firms will follow.’