Daily Diary

Continental lambs enter the Slaughterhouse

Posted 11/10/2006 by legalweekblogs.com SU

There are some debates destined to rage throughout time – blondes or brunettes; scrambled or poached; one-stop shop or independent network?

At time of writing, early respondents to legalweek.com’s latest online poll (‘Does Slaughter and May’s ‘best friends’ network cut the mustard?’) were just about siding with the one-stop shoppers. Although by the time you read this, that may well have changed, such is the ultra-dynamic nature of the web and the incorrigibly fickle nature of City lawyers.

This week Slaughters took its first tentative steps towards that swash-buckling six-way merger we all know is just around the corner after agreeing to share office premises in Brussels with continental chums Hengeler Mueller, Uria Menendez, Bonelli Erede Pappalardo and Bredin Prat (see story).

However, displaying characteristic Teutonic efficiency, Hengeler caught its best friends rather on the hop, rising bright and early to slap its colours on the news sun-lounger by sending out its own missive of Belgian-themed waffle at 6am UK-time, hours ahead of the agreed slot later that afternoon.

“We were not supposed to be announcing this until two o’clock,” said one bemused Slaughters heavyweight yesterday as a Diary spy probed him for details. “I thought they only did that sort of thing at the swimming pool.”

The Diary understands that an advance party of Slaughters partners armed with Union Jack towels has since been dispatched to bag the best spots ahead of the alliance’s unofficial partner retreat in Benidorm next month.