The legal awards company which gave a prize to a fake law firm invented by RollOnFriday is still offering it the chance to buy a trophy and appear in its magazine.

Finance Monthly was roundly mocked in February when it named FLF Abiola & Co as its "Film Financing Law Firm of the Year - Nigeria", even though the firm did not exist. FLF stood for 'Fake Law Firm', the Managing Partner's profile picture was a photograph of Danny Glover and the firm's logo was an ejaculating penis. The story shone a light on the trade in shonky legal awards and was covered by publications including the Guardian and the Times. Andrew Palmer, a director of Finance Monthly, wouldn't talk to RollOnFriday* but told the Times, "we have not met our usual high standards and have taken immediate necessary steps to ensure this never happens again".

Those steps have not extended to blacklisting Abiola & Co. On the contrary, on 27 February, four days after RollOnFriday's expose, Finance Monthly Awards Manager Navdeep Poonia emailed imaginary Managing Partner Dennis Abiola to inform him that the firm would be included in Finance Monthly's winners’ magazine. 

Poonia also offered Dennis the opportunity to buy a laser-engraved trophy for £279 plus VAT, a "framed and wax sealed stamped A4 certificate" for £285 plus VAT and a "personalised high-resolution logo" which would seamlessly meld Abiola & Co's spunking cock to Finance Monthly's award graphics for £249 plus VAT.
 

Dennis Abiola can't believe it.

On 29 March Finance Monthly reiterated its offer, emphasising that the deadline was 3 April because the winners' magazine was being published on the 16 April. Then on 9 April Poonia offered "one last chance" to buy its clobber "for your recognition". However he offered another opportunity on the 18 April, when he revealed that the winner's magazine would actually be published on the 25th April. It hasn't yet appeared online, so this week 'Dennis' asked if he still had time to purchase a pair of trophies to mount on his gateposts. At the time of going to press, Finance Monthly had not responded.

*When RollOnFriday fooled Finance Monthly into awarding it a 'Gamechangers Award' in relation to a Cypriot water taxi scheme, a furious Palmer told ROF never to contact him again :(