A Scottish corporate lawyer was having a quiet dinner with a friend in Claridges two weeks ago when he received a shock introduction to a City firm’s guerilla-style marketing tactics.
The genteel friend, a well-known entrepreneur, is doing a £300m or so deal in India at the moment and was complaining loudly and bitterly of the problems he was facing on the subcontinent. Suddenly a random lady from the table behind him stood up and produced her business card. She announced that her firm had lots of experience in India and would be more than happy to smooth things over for him.
The entrepreneur, being one of the old school, was pretty embarrassed by the intrusion and mumbled platitudes until the lady went away. And what was the firm name on the business card? Herbert Smith – who else?
