Everyone has heard the analogy that running a large law firm is like the impossible task of herding cats, but a conference session on partnership threw up a couple of fresh euphemisms for the tricky job of being a managing partner. One speaker said it was akin to managing a cemetery - there are lots of people under you but nobody listens. Another, more earthly, considered the role like being in a town with several hundred dogs - with you as the only lamp-post.