Fee-earners must average at least 5.6 billable hours each day (80 per cent of their seven-hour daily target), with those who fail to hit this average over any given working week sent an email reminder. If the target isn’t met over a period of one month, the firm will block the lawyer’s computer.

‘Shame’

Howard Kennedy’s real estate chairman Julian Hindmarsh told The Lawyer that the system is designed to ‘shame’ lawyers who are — as result of poor timekeeping — forced to have their computer unlocked before they can continue with their work.

DLA Piper

The move follows shortly after DLA Piper revealed it would be issuing senior lawyers with red cards for persistently poor time-keeping. The firm, going one-step further than Howard Kennedy, confirmed that ‘delinquent’ partners could even see their monthly drawings reduced.