Daily Diary

Drowning in Spital

Posted 14/11/2006 by legalweekblogs.com SU

Allen & Overy (A&O) sealed its long-awaited move to Spitalfields last month, finally giving partners something else to talk about other than how effective its revolutionary package of associate bribes is proving.

“The office is so light,” marvelled one partner obviously more used to toiling in the basement alongside fee earning flunkies. “And it’s so big – I can just walk around my floor and see everyone.”

Of course, the firm could have saved itself a bunch of cash and made its previous offices seem more spacious simply by allowing disgruntled associates to swan off elsewhere.

Impressive as the new premises undoubtedly are – complete with eco-friendly solar panels to save carbon emissions – by the time The Diary had the exact same conversation with the fifth partner in a row, watching the paint dry on the new office was beginning to seem a better alternative.

A refreshing change was provided by one A&O partner, however, who wearily told a Diary spy that – several days after the move – he was “still trying to find the bathroom and where you make the coffee”.

David Morley struggles to find the coffee machine at A&O's new Spitalfields HQ