Hart tells City firms:'do more for charity'

CITY lawyers should spend their professional twilight years working in the public interest, rather than earn ing even more money, says the Lord Chancellor's special adviser.

Garry Hart, former senior partner at City firm Herbert Smith, took an 80 per cent pay cut to become Lord Irvine's special adviser. His salary dropped from about £350,000 to £73,000.

In an exclusive interview, Hart tells The Lawyer: "Before professionals become completely clapped out, they should find ways of making a contribution in a different way.

"There are many lawyers in the City who are lucky enough to have a career such as I had, who have earned enough.

"I am not one of those who think you have to keep accumulating money until you snuff it. That was never my principle objective."

Hart continues: "I was reaching the point where I would have had to retire. I have given up three years of practice to do this."

He urges City lawyers to branch out into charity work and other community work.

Hart, 58, is the trustees chairman at the Almeida Theatre, Islington, and a trustee of the Architecture Foundation.

Hart says he has not noticed the drop in salary. His wife, Valerie Davies, is a partner at Norton Rose. Besides a home in Islington, the couple own a 100-acre sheep farm

in Wales.



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