Perhaps the best-known business lawyer in Britain — albeit not for his legal achievements — Bruce Buck is the chairman of Chelsea Football Club and a confidant of Roman Abramovich. Buck, 62, advised on the Russian billionaire's takeover of the club in 2003, although at £140 million it was significantly smaller than the sort of deal he is accustomed to handling as head of European operations for Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, America's biggest law firm. A graduate of Columbia University Law School, Buck was poached by the mergers and acquisitions giant to head its European office in 1988 and has since turned it into a significant player in the region. Last year Skadden advised on $379 billion worth of deals across the Continent, according to Thomson Financial, making it first among US-headquartered firms and fourth overall. Born in New York, Buck began his career in 1970 at White & Case and was head of its London office from 1983 until 1988. A Chelsea season ticket-holder before he helped Abramovich to buy the club — Buck is the only other shareholder, owning precisely one share — he also enjoys shooting, skiing and classical music.

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