Field Fisher lawyers freed from Mumbai terror ordeal
As reported on TheLawyer.com, Abell was trapped in his room when the attacks began on Wednesday night (see story). He was released from his room in the Oberoi at around 5am UK time today, and Abell about an hour later.
The Lawyer spoke to Abell while he waited at the British Council for his flight back to the UK. He said that FFW brought a security consultant into its London office to give Abell advice via his BlackBerry on strategies for surviving the siege.
Abell added: "[A crisis] brings the best out in people. Everyone back at home was really pulling together and made sure my family were looked after. It made me appreciate what a supportive culture we have at the firm.
"Everybody - except perhaps for one person - was there supporting me," he added. "In 40 hours I received more than 3,000 emails from lawyers that I worked with all over the world and many lawyers that I haven't worked with. It's great to be part of a profession that looks after its people."
Abell described the chain of events that led to his first being trapped in his room.
"Chris and I had dinner with a client in the evening at the Kandahar Restaurant in the hotel. We left and 20 or 30 minutes later there was shooting in the restaurant. It sounds as if the waitress serving us that night got shot," he said.
"After dinner I was talking to some Japanese businessmen, waiting for the lift [in the lobby]. The lifts are usually very slow but that day they were fast. I got the lift up to my room and after about 10 minutes I heard a big blast. I think one of the Japanese men was killed in the blast. What I've been through is really nothing. There were so many other strong people."
Abell barricaded himself in his room on the 23rd floor of the hotel, after deciding not to make a run for it via the fire escape. He heard gunfire in the corridor outside his room, as well as other explosions. During the 40 hour siege Abell said he ate nothing, slept for about two hours and only had two bottles of water.
Despite the carnage, Abell said that he still managed to conduct FFW board meetings on strategy. "You've got to be in control of your space. I was in control of my space and I wasn't going to let the terrorists put me off my stride. Some of the partners said they would understand, given the situation, if I didn't want to attend the meeting. I said 'Why?'. You've just got to keep going."
Abell said he would take Monday (1 December) off to recover, but that he would be back in the office the following day.
FFW issued a statement saying: "We're immensely grateful to all our business contacts, friends and advisers both in the UK and overseas who are helping us in these difficult times."
Yesterday's story attracted a raft of reader comment:
Sad
Date: 28-Nov-2008 @ 13:17PM
From: Anonymous
I was sad to read the lack of sympathy presumably fellow lawyers for someone in such extreme dange, braving a horrific and completely unexpected encounter of terrorism.
I think he has been extremely brave and shown high character in daring to report to the news whilst he was barrackaded in his room so that we could know what was happening in Mumbai.
I think he is an example to others of how a lawyer being able to handle a horrific situation very well. I think we should be inspired by the courage and spirit that he has demonstrated.
Embarrassed to be a lawyer
Date: 28-Nov-2008 @ 12:49PM
From: Anonymous
What an embarrassment to the legal profession this guy is. I am a former City solicitor working in house; i don't read the Lawyer these days and i don't normally go on comment boards. But the namedropping of his firm through the Today interview takes the biscuit and has driven me to this site to comment; no wonder people think lawyers are tw*ts. What an inappropriate time to try and promote one's third division law firm.
FFW
Date: 28-Nov-2008 @ 10:39AM
From: Anonymous
So what firm does Mark Abell work for exactly?! It's a joke that someone who is in a life or death situation would take the opportunity to try to win some work for FFW!
Field Fisher partner trapped by Mumbai terror attack
Date: 28-Nov-2008 @ 10:32AM
From: Anonymous
He is now out of the hotel.
No surprise
Date: 28-Nov-2008 @ 08:03AM
From: Anonymous
Why am I not surprised by the shameless self-promotion at a time when so many people were suffering?
@Anonymous
Date: 27-Nov-2008 @ 20:29PM
From: think different
Don't be silly please, Mark Abell is now having extremely tuff times there, still being locked in his room (21:26 CET). He probably mentioned FFW just because he was on business trip there for his firm. Be decent.
Shameless
Date: 27-Nov-2008 @ 16:43PM
From: Anonymous
I thought the blatant FFW name dropping during the interview was shocking "Yes, FFW do a lot of work in India!!" But if that's the way you have to sell yourself, so be it.
Legal News?
Date: 27-Nov-2008 @ 15:40PM
From: Anon
The BBC's Today programme is hardly legal news, unless you think otherwise.
Last comment
Date: 27-Nov-2008 @ 15:07PM
From: Anon.
I have a feeling that what with all that's going on, those teenage terrorists might be a little too busy to read legal news on their Blackberries.
!!!
Date: 27-Nov-2008 @ 14:59PM
From: NonnyMus
Why is this being advertised?! Do they want the terrorist to knock on his door and hunt him down?
To read yesterday's story click here.
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Readers' comments (40)
Anon. | 28-Nov-2008 1:43 pm
How is this self-promotion?
These comments don't make any sense: how is this self-promotion?!!!!! I don't think that he arranged the terrorists himself!!!!
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 1:57 pm
FFW
I'm glad this guy's been released unharmed. However, as a lawyer I'm embarrassed that his ego is clearly so big he can't see that he's coming across as a complete prat. All this "I wasn't going to let the terrorists put me off my stride" stuff. Were it not for the awfulness of the events, it would be hilarious.
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Jamie Benson, Dorsey | 28-Nov-2008 2:15 pm
I was there too
I was holed up in the Trident hotel for 38 hours. I got out at 12 IST today. It was a very scary time.
I had ordered room service at around 10.15 pm on Wednesday. 15 minutes later I received a call from room service telling me that my order could not be delivered because of an emergency. I asked what sort of emergency and the woman responded she could not tell me. I thought that the kitchen caught on fire, so decided to go to the Oberoi, which is linked to the Trident, to get some food. The lifts were out and I called the operator but could not get an answer. I knew something was amiss but didn't think there had been a terrorist attack. I was on the 27th floor and decided to walk down. I got as far as the 14th floor when, to my horror, I saw a blood soaked landing. I quickly turned around and started to walk up the stairs back to my room. My heart was in my mouth as I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. To my relief, it was a fellow guest. I told him my horrific discovery. He looked at me disbelieving, so he had a look for himself and confirmed it was indeed blood. We both headed up the stairs and meet another guy coming down the stairs. He too looked at us with disbelief but a loud explosion soon changed his mind and we all headed up the stairs. Another explosion rocked the building as we reached the 23rd floor, where one of the guys had a room, so we all decided to head there. As we walked along the hallway a gentleman opened his door. We told him what happened and along with another man just passing by, went into his room.
There were five men in the room including me (an Australian). The other four men comprised a Canadian, an American, Frenchman and an Indian. We barricaded the door and then watched in horror as the story of the attack unfolded on live television. We could hear the explosions and rifle fire close by.
The TV reception was cut off in the early morning and from then on we relied on text messages and phone calls to know what was going on. My colleagues and people I know in India were sending me updates. The other guys were also getting updates. A lot of the news was conflicting throughout the time I was there. It does not help that the Trident and the Oberoi next door are colloquially known together as the Oberoi (the Trident was the original Oberoi, was renamed the Oberoi Towers, then the Trident Hilton and now the Trident).
As we were locked and barricaded in the room, I was not too concerned about terrorists getting into the room. My main concern was the hotel catching fire - I had seen the Taj on fire early on Thursday morning. I was on the 23rd floor, so jumping out of the window was not an option. I was very scared when I got a report saying that the Oberoi's roof was on fire and there were small fires in the Trident. Luckily, these fires did not spread.
After several false dawns, I was very relieved to have the army and the hotel staff knock on the door. They lead me down to the lobby, which was strewn with broken glass and splatterings of blood. My passport and baggage was still in my room on the 27th floor and after 20 minutes the staff took me to my room and let me get my stuff.
I was escorted outside, quickly processed and met by the Australian Consul General, Peter Forby, put on a bus to the ITC Maratha hotel, near the airport, from where I am writing to you. I am catching a flight out of here tonight.
I am an Australian living in London and working as a US corporate lawyer for Dorsey & Whitney. I have been to India more than 20 times and Mumbai at least 10 times. I do a lot of work on equity capital raisings for Indian companies, including for Central Bank of India, HT Media (publisher of the Hindustan Times), Jagran Publications Limited (publisher of Jagran Prakashan, the newspaper with the largest readership in the world). I just worked on an equity raising for ibn18 Broadcast Limited, which owns CNN IBN, that closed yesterday. I found it iron
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 3:33 pm
Field Fisher lawyers freed from Mumbai ordeal
"Anonymous"'s comments were spot on.
The self-importance of lawyers such as this Abel character is astonishing, and frankly nauseating.
One assumes that FFW will be contributing heavily and publicly to appropriate charitable funds in India and recording such generousity through your pages.
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 3:34 pm
Anonymous
it is easy to be in control of one's space when one is hiding in one's room after hearing a loud bang!
it might have been thoughtful of Mr Abell to have moved away from his own space in order to assist those who needed help. There is nothing heroic about attending a board meeting when one has not been in direct line of fire.
He would come across in a better light had he commented instead on the courageous actions of others on that day. Michael Murphy might well have attended a board meeting had he not lost consciousness after being shot in the ribs.
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Safe at home | 28-Nov-2008 3:44 pm
Dreadful!
So you are trapped in a hotel room with terrorists all around. What do you do? Answer: Call the Today Programme. How is this NOT crass self-promotion.
What other purpose could there be for calling the Today Programme? If anything, in a world of international communications, doing this may have drawn a resident terrorist’s attention to him. What does the “except perhaps for one person” bit of “Everybody - except perhaps for one person - was there supporting me," convey? And the insistence on joining the meeting is just ridiculous.
Like others, I felt a pang of compassion for him when I heard the interview. I am also delighted that he is out and safe and well, but I would be utterly ashamed of his behaviour if I was his partner.
I have always found the crass characterisations in Towering Inferno and other similar disaster movies wholly unrealistic. Now I am not so sure. These people really exist!
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Anon. | 28-Nov-2008 4:10 pm
Think for yourself
Outrage at Abell's supposed self-promotion is like anger at Jonathan Ross and Russel Brand. People who thought it for themselves? About two. People who thought it after they were persuaded of it by other people: about 2,000.
Don't just jump on the bandwagon.
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xxx | 28-Nov-2008 4:17 pm
Sick
Well after following this story very closely, and realsing the horrific ordeal that this guy has been through I can honestly say it's sick to think that all of you lot seem to think that he is doing this to promote his company< why shouldn't he tell his story!
I don't think any of you can comment how brave this man was unless you were actually there with murderers running riot killing everyone - I think the pschologicall damage is greater in cases like this, so unless you have a back ground in psychology I suggest you be quiet and keep your useless opinions to yourself! !
I thought this business was full of intelligent sympathetic people, how wrong can a person be! This man was brave and tried to keep going under these circumstances and if you can't see that your totally deluded!
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 4:26 pm
What the hell is your problem?
Mark Abel's a crass self-publicist is he? Oh yeah, he's terrible, he spoke to reporters from his hotel room so he could advertise Field Fisher. Are you mental?
During the interview on the Today Programme this morning he mentioned where he worked once. He was only in India because he was on a business trip - I think he is perfectly entitled to say who sent him there.
He's talking about law firms on this site because the audience are lawyers. As for "helping out those in need" instead of hiding in his hotel room - who are you, Jack Bauer? And if he wants to work while he's trapped, so what? I suppose you would have been sharpening breadsticks into weapons. Get off your high horse.
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 4:29 pm
Terrorists in India
After reading Jamie's story and watching for myself on the news I am in shock at reading some of the comments written in relation to Jamie's terrifying story. For the lawyer who is embarrassed to be a lawyer because he thinks Jamie's ego is so big I had to laugh, i would like to see what you would do put in that position !!I I think Jamie showed bravery and courage all the way! Your the one with the big ego!
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xxx | 28-Nov-2008 4:41 pm
xxx
Yes he is talking about it on this site because the audience are lawyers and it's called 'news' and it's something that needs to be talked about, so we can put a stop to these terrorists in whatever which way we can!
To the Lawyers that are embarrassed to be lawyers because of this story, well you should be embarrassed to be yourself because I don't think you'd be any where near as brave! now do some work!!
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 4:53 pm
I dont agree
Is work really that important, when people are being shot around you, why would you feel the need to attend a board meeting and to be “in control” of your “own space” - is that supposed to impress...
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Anon. | 28-Nov-2008 5:07 pm
Am I being thick?
Where is there any mention of the Today programme in this story?
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 5:08 pm
FFW
I used to work with the guy. Make no mistake he knew EXACTLY what he was doing when he was name checking the firm.
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 5:08 pm
Anonymous
It's not so much what he did but the way he trumpeted victoriously the fact that he was " in control of his own space " as if he had, at great risk and with personal courage, somehow managed to thwart the terrorists. It is that statement above all else which makes him look so very bad. The true heroes never make statements, or at least not vapid ones like like Abell's.
Jamie's comment is different - he doesn't make statements. He is simply telling his terrible story.
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BMW | 28-Nov-2008 5:11 pm
Who are you to criticize ?
In typical lawyer fashion people look to criticize when they should show empathy and support to a fellow lawyer caught in a life threatening scenario. Who are you to judge someone like Mark Abell when you have probably never even had to fear for your life before. Go home and get a life.
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Anonymous | 28-Nov-2008 5:32 pm
Mumbai solicitor
I heard the interview with James Naughtie on Radio 4 this morning and thought that Mr Abell did his profession proud;he recounted events calmly and professionally and praised the fortitude and courage of the hotel staff and emergency services despite being clearly overwrought by the horrific events.
I'd like to think that I could have been as professional as he was in all the circumstances but I doubt it.
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Intellectual property lawyer in Jamaica | 28-Nov-2008 6:42 pm
Mark Abell
I was so shocked to see that Mark was caught in the Mumbai terror attacks. I met Mark once at the INTA meeting in San Antonio, Texas, USA and I was impressed with his tremendous sense of humour- Mark remember the Alamo! I am therefore not surprised that he was able to cope with his ordeal with such resiliance. As we say in Jamaica "Walk good Mark!".
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Anonymous | 29-Nov-2008 11:16 am
Channel 4 News Interview
Did anyone watch the Channel 4 News interview last night? It was about 3 minutes long, and Channel 4 News plastered across the screen for the entire 3 minutes "MARK ABELL, PARTNER, FIELD FISHER WATERHOUSE". Yes it is shameless promotion. I can't think of many people I know who would use such a horrible event to promote their firm. Read/watch the interviews of other hostages and you will see that they do not think it appropriate to say "hey by the way I work for X, X does a lot of work in India".
As for conducting a board meeting from his hotel room, how sad. I would be on the phone to my family for the entire time. But then I might not win as much work for my firm if I did that.
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Anonymous | 1-Dec-2008 9:04 am
Oh Dear
On the radio again this morning, and only four (or five) mentions of FFW. He's a lawyer, making decisions and solving problems is what he does. Advising on IP issues / surviving terrorist acts - all in a days work ... couldn't believe it.
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