Building a reputation

The Hayward Gallery, strategically perched like a German pillbox over the Thames, is my least favourite building on the South Bank. Fortunately it has a friend in Eversheds who generously stepped in last week to “host” the gallery’s 40th birthday party.

Like other survivors of the 1960s, the Hayward keeps on churning out great performances despite its terrible pallor so I can see why it appeals to Cornelius Medvei, the London managing partner, who is the driving force behind the firm’s sponsorship. This support also covers the current fortnight of birthday fun including the highly popular boating pond you may have seen poised perilously over the sign “Psycho Buildings”. Given that Eversheds has recently moved into splendid new accommodation near St Paul's I suspect that the firm’s partners can view all this slummy ghastliness with some bourgeois detachment.

Chief who?

I’m no purist when it comes to the English language but lawyers are under a special obligation to mind their usage. The rules are simple — avoid pomposity, avoid ambiguity and avoid ridicule. I’m afraid to say that the College of Law has fallen into all three of those traps with the appointment of Robert Halton as its first chief people officer.

The questions are numerous. Has the college gone Native American and appointed a chief whose name is “People Officer” (no more unlikely than “Sitting Bull”)? Or why do the chief people — whoever they may be — need an officer? Is there also an officer for the non-chiefs? In any case, what is he an officer of? The court, the police or the people? I think we need a pow-wow with chief Halton soon.

Ringing endorsement

As we enter the Olympic season ParalympicsGB, the UK’s paralympics organisation, has been running a fundraising campaign on Channel 4 featuring Sir Paul McCartney singing Live and Let Die.

I’d have thought Band on the Run was more appropriate but, more significantly, the legal work for the campaign (including dealing with the stakeholders and providing IP advice) was handled by a cross-border pro bono team from Lovells. A number of its lawyers — led by the appropriately named Richard Welfare — will also be going to Beijing to provide on-site advice to ParalympicsGB and athletes. Whether Sir Paul will also be providing a musical accompaniment I’m not sure but the ad can be viewed and donations made to support Britain’s Paralympians at www.btplc.com/paralympicsgb

Bleeding ‘ell

Speaking of Lovells, I spied this week a distinguished member of its PR team in the Bleeding Heart restaurant that lies round the corner from the firm’s Holborn eyrie. The PR was sitting alongside Sir Trevor McDonald, the newsreader, probably complaining about the laughably dire service. Is it time that Lovells found an alternative works café that gives you time to have pudding?

edward.fennell@yahoo.co.uk

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