As well as having a famous name in the chair of the St Paul Traveler's conference (see below), there was a fair amount of name-dropping during the day. David Gold of top City firm Herbert Smith recalled a recent conversation with Alan Sugar in which the star of the recent BBC2 hit 'The Apprentice' explained why Mr Gold wasn't right for the programme: 'If you were a good businessman, you'd have a big boat out there on the water like I do. Go back to being a lawyer.' And so Mr Gold decided to become senior partner instead. Then there was a strictly no-names approach from Lovells indemnity partner Michael Seymour, who in a cogent explanation of the main causes of risk in practice and the importance of attendance notes, recalled one very useful piece of advice, in which it was suggested to him that lawyers should always record the opposite of what was discussed. If all goes well, then there is nothing to worry about. If it goes wrong, then there's the handy protection of a note explaining how the lawyer had warned the client against the fatal course of action. 'Not that I would advise such an approach,' Mr Seymour added. Perhaps the most famous names arrived at lunchtime, when for some reason Basil Fawlty and Manuel (or, rather, their not very good lookalikes) chivvied the lawyers along in a slightly irritating manner. Still, as one participant muttered, making a living as a lookalike of a fictional character is probably more fun than underwriting solicitors' indemnity insurance. The final bit of name action came as the Lord Chancellor swept in to address the conference. Obiter was standing outside the conference room with a senior solicitor and, as Lord Falconer walked by, he waved and said 'Hello Andrew' at the solicitor. 'I've never had the chance to tell him in private that my name's David,' the lawyer confided.