US firm Crowell & Moring boosted its London office last week with the hire of Jones Day intellectual property lawyer Alison Crofts. But why is this item, which frankly smacks more of the news pages, popping up in the Diary? Because of ducks. Yes, ducks. Little yellow rubber ones. These are the chaps that apparently make Crowell & Moring a firm with “soul”, at least according to chairman John Macleod. “If you’re not stuffy or pretentious, you’ll also like our ‘soul’, as evidenced by the rubber ducks that add whimsy to an otherwise serious fountain sculpture in our reception area,” he gushes. “The ducks were added surreptitiously by some wag and would doubtless horrify the artist, but they remain, because they make the fountain just right for us.” Ahh, how sweet is that? Crofts should feel right at home in her new firm. According to the press release announcing her arrival, she is a “fun” person. Crazy.