Actress Halle Berry once famously thanked her lawyer - and 24 other people - after she won an Oscar for 'Monster's Ball'. It didn't catch on, unfortunately. Until now, that is. According to the National Law Journal, the first words that ice dancers Ben Agosto and Tanith Belbin, pictured above, apparently uttered after securing a silver medal at the recent Winter Olympics in Turin were: 'We want to thank our legal team.'

Ms Belbin, a Canadian native, was not eligible for citizenship until 2007 and only US citizens are allowed to represent the country at the Olympics. To her rescue came Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and Hogan & Hartson. Lawyers at the two firms managed to fast-track through Congress legislation on citizenship for those with 'extraordinary ability', beating the deadline of 31 December by just 24 hours. All in all, a heart-warming tale and a nice change from 'the only winners are the lawyers' angle we are used to. Obiter therefore looks forward to other celebrities making public expressions of gratitude for the efforts of their lawyers. But we are not holding our breath.