Daily Diary

One in, one out

Posted 13/02/2007 by The Daily Diary

Some firms have a more relaxed attitude than others to the hiring (and even firing) of new partners. However, while the relaxed approach might go down well with the open-shirt, Friday dress-down brigade, it does not always work to a firm’s advantage.

Intelligence reaches The Diary of how one ‘international’ outfit nearly missed out on hiring a team of partners from a City competitor after hosting a cocktail party to celebrate their arrival – before their resignations had even been submitted.

Unfortunately, a junior member of the departing partners’ then-team happened to be in the same hotel at the same precise moment, having delivered an address to a group of young lawyers.

The team of partners was hastily smuggled out of the hotel’s back entrance to avoid ‘rumours’ spreading of their impending move – before they were subsequently spirited off to their new firm under cover of night.