The firm hopes to avoid redundancies by reducing hours. The scheme has been approved by 19 of the firm’s 21 international offices.
Norton Rose is still working to make the plan comply with the law in France and Germany.
London lawyers and staff were informed this week they will be the first affected.
The plan, under which Norton Rose employees, including partners, would choose between a four-day week, a paid sabbatical of four to 12 weeks, or both, is entirely voluntary.
The Norton Rose Group is a leading international law firm. It offers business law services from 21 offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. With around 1000 lawyers, its practice specializes in five key areas: corporate finance, financial institutions, energy and infrastructure, transport and technology.