Building up speed

What is it about solicitors and fast cars/bikes? Obiter has, over the years, often featured readers throwing themselves around tracks at insane speeds, all in the name of sport.

As the latest example, Matthew Truelove, explains: 'It offsets the thrill-a-minute nature of commercial property law.' But there is also the marketing aspect of these things, and in an admirable international drive, solicitors in Surrey have used Mr Truelove to make their pitch to potential clients in Germany on the basis of speed of service, accuracy and, erm, their ability to change tyres really quickly.

Mr Truelove, a partner at Guildford-based TWM and a staunch supporter of Surrey Law Society, recently took his BMW M3 to the Nurburgring 24-hour race, which in terms of cars entered and spectators (around 150,000) is said to be the largest of its kind in the world.

And the profession left the famous track with its head held high as his car (which had four drivers over the race) came third in its class, giving Mr Truelove the chance to climb the podium at an event televised throughout Europe.

Not as good as completing the sale of an office block, sure, but not bad.