Lawyers circle Arctic

A Manchester solicitor has returned from Greenland after an official visit to break the ice with local businesses.

Graeme Jump, senior partner of Mace & Jones, was invited to the Arctic Winter Games as chairman of one of the tournament co-sponsors, Legalink - a 2,000 strong network of international lawyers.

Coca-Cola was among the other sponsors.

The games, held every two years since 1970, are open to delegations from polar regions such as Alaska, Greenland, northern provinces of Canada and some Russian states.

Among the 17 sports contested are dog sledding, snowshoeing and speed skating.

Mr Jump said: 'Greenland is a relatively new country that, although still largely owned by Denmark, now has power to decide its own domestic policy and is keen to make contact with the outside world without having to go through the Danes.'

Mr Jump said despite the minus 25 degree temperatures in the capital, Nuuk, where he met Greenland's prime minister, Jonathan Motszfeldt, the reception was far from frosty.

'We made strong links with important politicians, public representatives and businesses,' he said.

'We tried to pass on as much information as possible, and one of the country's leading fish exporters asked me to get him Manchester United tickets.'

Mr Jump said there will be follow- up visits by Legalink members in an effort to put the country's legal work on something of an arctic roll.

Andrew Towler