Time trial

It was David Letterman who said that a New York minute was the time it took to get mugged in New York. When you see what New York law firms get up to you can see what he meant.

This was brought home to me courtesy of Jonathan Haydn-Williams, a partner with Hextalls, who had the pleasure of attending an International Chamber of Commerce meeting in Paris last month to mark the tenth anniversary of the ICC’s rules of arbitration.

Come the end of the conference the delegates were given a certificate of attendance. If you were an English lawyer, the conference had lasted for seven hours. If you were from New York, it was eight. Why was this, he asked. Examination of the certificate’s small print rendered the explanation that the New Yorkers’ eight credit hours was “based on a 50-minute hour for the State Bar of New York”. In other words, if you do business with New York lawyers they have an extra ten New York minutes in which to mug you . . . or, as the Eagles sang: “In a New York minute, everything can change.” And in a New York hour it can change 50 times more.

Extra time

Meanwhile, timing was also on the minds of partners at Teacher, Stern, the sports law firm, which had chosen last Wednesday, the night of the European semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool, as the occasion for its rebranding party at the Royal Academy. The scheduling looked even more skewwhiff when you consider that Ashley Cole, the Chelsea full-back, is its stellar client.

Formerly known as Teacher Stern Selby solicitors, the firm had decided to save time by abbreviating its name and going for some zappy smug-shots along the lines of “Hungrier, Sleeker, Faster, Bolder”. Anyway, at least it gave sensible advice to the likes of young Ashley. “As a high-profile professional player, you’ve got a relatively short time in which to exploit your talent and earn as much money as possible.” And, of course get yourself into as many sex scandals and media scrapes as are achievable in a New York minute. At which point, says Graham Shear, the managing partner, the firm’s lawyers will think “outside the box”. Cole, meanwhile, likes to score from inside the box.

Good times roll

I’m still digesting how the University of Northumbria’s law school managed to find the time to process 700 pro bono cases en route to winning last month’s Attorney-General’s Pro Bono Award for best contribution by a law school. Clearly a Geordie hour must last 70 minutes.

Organised by LawWorks, the awards are for students and among the other winners were Taymour Keen, University of Kent (best individual student), the College of Law (best team of students) and Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre (best new pro bono activity). The clock is now kicking down to the equivalent awards for law firms in June.

Countryside alliance

Once Tarlo Lyons was known as the small rather smart IP and high-tech firm based in edgy Clerkenwell — all urban hip and City focus. Now that it is part of Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons, it has put on its wellies and Barbou and is sponsoring farmers’ markets in Hampshire. How times change.

edward.fennell@yahoo.co.uk

Times Recommends

• HM Revenue sued over pension scheme tax
• Farepak liquidators to sue former directors
• McCartney and Mills: it's finally over