You may not have noticed it yet, but Obiter suspects there is a conspiracy afoot to take over the legal profession.

The source, it is believed, is south London-based firm Anthony Gold.

A well-regarded generalist practice by day, it has ambitious designs by night.

Managing partner David Marshall is also president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, the profession's largest practitioner group.

And now family law head Kim Beatson has taken over as interim chairwoman of the profession's second largest practitioner group, the Solicitors Family Law Association (see [2004] Gazette, 5 February, 1).

It is, we have no doubt, just the start.

So don't be surprised if Sir David Clementi proposes shifting responsibility for regulating the profession to south of the River Thames or even, as their aspirations escalate, if senior partner Howard Lerman ends up standing against George Bush in the forthcoming US presidential elections.

We understand that trainees at the firm are taught how to stroke white cats while laughing like maniacs.