Corporate Blawg read in the Lawyer's Garotte that Vanessa Knapp, a partner at Freshfields has received an OBE for services to Corporate Law, in the New Years Honours list of 2007. How cool is that?
Initially Corporate Blawg was delighted at the idea that an OBE could be awarded to a lawyer who implements "tax-efficient" structures for multi-national corporations. However, Vanessa is not that, but a bit of a whizz on mergers & acquisitions.
Corporate Blawg, clearly a keeno for extra-curricular work-related activities, is rather excited about the committees' and what-nots that Vanessa is part of, and which have earned her this high esteem. Corporate Blawg is going to spend this year attempting to wiggle his way into various company law committees, and will report back here on his progress. Vanessa's CV has highlighted a few potential avenues:
- The Law Society Company Law Committee
- The City of London Law Society Company Law Sub-committee
- UK representative of the Company Law Committee of the Council of the Bars and Law Societies of the European Union
Clearly Vanessa has waived substantial fees in order to spend many units of otherwise billable time with civil serpants sorting out the Companies Act 2006, and this OBE is her pay-orf from the Treasury. Such a cynical view should not and does not detract from her brilliant and awe-inspiring success. (For the avoidance of doubt, Corporate Blawg is not a Freshfields lawyer, nor does he want to be one thank you very much.)
And finally, Corporate Blawg believes that there should be less honours awarded to pop stars and TV entertainers and more to doctors, nurses, teachers, headmasters, post-office workers, streetcleaners, corporate lawyers and traffic wardens.
Maybe not traffic wardens.
Comments