Tulkinghorn: A right royal welcome
Former Skadden litigator extraordinaire Bob Bennett, who joined Hogan & Hartson last month and is based in Washington DC, was delighted - nay amazed - at the lengths his new London-based partners went to to make him feel welcome on his first trip to the city since joining.
“I was thrilled to look out of our London office window and see the Queen,” says Bennett. “I’d like to thank my partners for arranging that.”
It is possible that the Queen was visiting St Paul’s that day for the swearing in of the 682nd Lord Mayor of the City of London and was not there as an impromptu Hogan welcoming committee at all, but Bennett prefers to believe the shindig was laid on just for his benefit.
The visiting American was not without his criticism of the day’s festivities, however, pointing out that, “The Mayor had a bigger hat than the Queen”.
Fight for your right to party
With the crisis over why not enjoy a beer? Thousands of lawyers at the recent International Bar Association (IBA) conference in Madrid certainly did.
The high attendance, good weather and upbeat attitude saw a return to some old-fashioned ”networking”. Not least at the muy de moda Hotel Urban, where attendees soaked up the sun along with the San Miguel on the roof terrace bar.
However, all fun must come to an end. Tulkinghorn understands there was much disappointment when the hotel staff threatened to close the popular bar.
All looked lost until up stepped that well-known charmer Keith Oliver, senior partner and head of commercial litigation and fraud at Peters & Peters, who, with the promise of an army of thirsty lawyers, persuaded the staff to keep the bar open and drinks flowing.
That’s the spirit (also the wine, lager, alcopops etc).
Rock of the aged
One of the lawyers at that well-known home of rock ‘n’ roll Trowers & Hamlins has produced a potential chart topper. Young dude David Mosey, head of projects and construction at Trowers, is the svengali behind Early Contractor Involvement in Building Procurement.
Tulkinghorn understands that this is not, in fact, a new prog rock album but a book on construction law. Nevertheless Mosey, a lifelong fan of legendary 1970s rockers Mott the Hoople, has dedicated not one but two chapters to the band.
Mosey blagged his way backstage at a recent Hoople gig, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Mick Jones from The Clash to get his book signed. Once there, Mosey cut a deal with the band’s manager for a four-CD box set in return for a copy of his book. Bargain.
“One chapter’s called ‘The Golden Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll’,” says Mosey. “It’s about the last 10 years of construction procurement reform.” Indeed.
