Pippa Middleton's gun buddy is Shearman associate
The man photographed brandishing what appeared to be a gun while driving Pippa Middleton in Paris is an associate at Shearman & Sterling who has acted for a small arms manufacturer, it has emerged.
Romain Rabillard
Romain Rabillard, an associate at the US firm’s Paris office, was snapped aiming what looked like a semi-automatic pistol out of the car and could technically face a seven-year prison sentence if police can prove it was a real weapon.
There were even reports this week that Middleton herself, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, could be prosecuted and face jail if she was found to have been involved.
Rabillard, a 36-year-old associate, advised German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch on its €295m high-yield bond offering last year as part of a team led by partners Jacques McChesney, Esther Jansen and Mei Lian.
“Heckler & Koch, in operation for more than 60 years, is a leading European manufacturer of small arms,” Shearman stated at the time of the deal.
“The company designs, produces and distributes small arms, including rifles, side arms, fully automatic weapons, grenade launchers and a variety of other related products.”
A French online database of lawyers shows that Rabillard qualified in 2004 and offers German and English as foreign languages.
Shearman declined to comment when contacted today by The Lawyer.
It is the latest fee-earner hiccup to hit Shearman, with trainee Daniel England in the limelight earlier this year when he circulated rules for a lads’ holiday in an e-mail that later went viral (9 February 2012). The firm later said it had taken “appropriate action” after investigating England’s behaviour (16 February 2012).
In 2008, a Shearman associate was sacked after he took a female vacation scheme intern to the Windmill strip club in Soho, but the firm said it had not organised the event and accepted no liability for what happened (4 August 2008).
View results 10 per page | 20 per page
Readers' comments (16)
Danno | 18-Apr-2012 6:06 pm
Yes, because law firms really need more applications at the moment...
...what they do need are clients who trust and respect the fact they're getting efficiency and accuracy from their hours. Antics like this don't help.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Shearman & Sterling Associate | 18-Apr-2012 10:22 pm
They see me rollin'
They hatin'
Patrolling they tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty
My music so loud
I'm swangin'
They hopin that they gon' catch me ridin' dirty
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty
Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 19-Apr-2012 11:46 am
Dear Shearman & Sterling Associate:
Given that these are lawyers we are talking about, may I suggest that the alternative lyrics to this song written by Al Yankovic may be more appropriate:
They see me mowin'
My front lawn
I know they're all thinking
I'm so white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Can't you see I'm white n' nerdy
Look at me I'm white n' nerdy!
I wanna roll with-
The gangsters
But so far they all think
I'm too white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
I'm just too white n' nerdy
Really, really white n' nerdy
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 19-Apr-2012 5:07 pm
Leaving the comments about boring lawyers, lively firms etc etc etc aside. Would this have even made the news had it not been for the "connection" with Pippa Middleton who herself is only newsworthy for her associations?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Wyatt Earp | 20-Apr-2012 12:44 pm
Anonymous | 19-Apr-2012 5:07 pm
Would you possibly have a "connection" with Shearman?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 24-Apr-2012 4:49 pm
Seems that associates of SS in Paris have client contacts that Magic Circle PARTNERS would kill for.
Aren't other firms just envious?
And, no, I have never worked for SS, nor would I want to. But you have to grant it to them. The SS Paris office is printing money.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment