Daily Diary

Last of the summer wine

Posted 26/09/2007 by The Daily Diary

With the dust having hardly settled on the bombshell of Big Bill Charnley’s move from his troubled Chicago firm to another troubled Chicago firm with a different name, The Diary was intrigued to discover the ex-McDermott Will & Emery man was saving up this summer for a special treat.

Speaking to revered wine critic Jancis Robinson earlier this summer, Bill was waxing lyrical about the many talents of superstar ‘wine portfolio manager’ Susie De Paolis, who charges £2,000 for an initial chat about high-priced plonk. Yup, that’s her actual job.

“Four years ago I didn’t know what I’d got where,” Charnley confessed to the Financial Times, claret-faced. “I had no control over my wine investments. Now, well, I’ve spoken to her twice today already about a £1.4m parcel of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti I’m tempted by.”

Nice work if you can get it. Any slightly less senior City lawyers torn between investing in the ‘six for £6’ deal on Kestrel Super at Morrison’s or the £2.99 two-litre White Lightning from Londis should drop us a line at thediary@legalweek.com.