Gould rush

On such twists of fate do major events (at least by the standards of the legal world) turn.

The merger of City firm Gouldens and US practice Jones Day is a biggie, making it the sixth largest law firm in the world and even onto the front page of the Financial Times.

But Gouldens has long had a reputation for being fiercely independent and spurning the interests of many firms (especially from the US) which were attracted by a practice that ranked far higher on profits per partner than it did on income or number of lawyers.

So where did the road to merger begin? Forget your fancy and pricey consultants, or high-powered lunches at the Savoy.

It turns out that Russell Carmedy, Gouldens' joint managing partner, and Robert Thomson, partner in charge of Jones Day's London office, both send their children to the same school, and it was at the parent-teacher association cheese and wine or some such event that the two met, and with an 'oh, I'm a solicitor too', set the train in motion.