Forging European relations

Furthering Anglo-German relations has always been something of a mission for Obiter.

Comments about past conflicts from another century, or the World Cup? Certainly not in this office.

So it was with great delight that we attended a party celebrating the establishment of Taylor Wessing, a firm forged from the merger of London-based Taylor Joynson Garrett and top German firm Wessing.

Realising that old rivalries still run deep, the firm laid on a theme-park's-worth of games to satisfy even the most immature of partners.

Michael Schumacher did battle with Damon Hill on the Scalextric, Jenga crumbled faster than the Berlin Wall and table football games were settled on penalties.

However, the greatest advancement in European relations was made by Obiter, who - while discussing the recent German election with the managing partner of the Dusseldorf office - commented that the victory of Gerhard Schroder was a case of 'better the devil you know'.

The look of horror on the poor man's face confirmed that British idioms do not always translate well into German.

Inadvertently compare the German premier with Satan? As if...