Daily Diary

Softly, softly catchee… er, alliance

Posted 14/07/2008 by Daily Diary

Up and down the saloon bars of this proud nation, talk is of just one thing — how are US-based London-avoider Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Anglo-Scots cash magnet Dickson Minto going to work together?

Well, the Diary can help, partly by drawing on its network of top sources, but mainly by reading the well-crafted announcement issued by Willkie to clear up the matter.

In many ways the headline “Willkie and Dickson Minto form strategic alliance” gets Ronseal on the situation, laying out clearly that it is, in fact, a “strategic alliance”.

But the straight-talking author of said missive, perhaps fearful that someone might think the succession-challenged Scots firm might be contemplating an evil merger 20 years down the line, decided that this was far too subtle.

So the opening paragraph rams home the point like an inebriated joy-rider with a “strategic alliance” and another “alliance”, just to make the point clear.

Point made, you might think. You would be wrong as paragraph two gets in two more “alliances”. To be fair, it gets a bit slipshod after that with paragraphs four and six each managing just the one “alliance” each, while a searing quote from Willkie chairman Jack Nussbaum in paragraph five doesn’t even bother with mentioning the word alliance. Crazy guy.

Still, seven “alliances” in a 300-word ramble should make it crystal clear. At least it would, if the last sentence hadn’t said that both firms would operate with “complete independence”, which some might argue is mutually exclusive of a “strategic alliance”.