Clifford Chance denies £90 knicker policy
18 September 2009
Clifford Chance has disappointed its thousands of female lawyers by denying reports that they had been given a £90 lingerie allowance.

The Evening Standard ran a piece on Wednesday claiming that business was so good at the firm that the "ninety nicker knicker allowance" was back. Apparently CC had reintroduced a policy of allowing lawyers to spend up to £90 on new underwear if they work past 11pm.

This was enthusiastically followed up by the Guardian the next day, which (after the inevitable complaint as to why City lawyers couldn't make do with M&S knickers like everyone else) came up with various suggestions of expensive bras and panties and advice from a Selfridges' lingerie buyer.

Sadly for the UK's finest news publications, it's all completely untrue. A spokesman for CC told RollOnFriday that "there could be circumstances where someone might be able to claim for clean clothes if they were to work very long hours, but the firm does not have an underwear policy". He added that he had no idea where the £90 figure came from.

A CC lawyer maxing out his expenses

Meanwhile the Times also claimed that lawyers are getting clients to sub their smalls. It published an article featuring an anonymous lawyer who boasted of ripping off his clients to the tune of £10,000 a year spent on underwear, expensive shirts ("never M&S"), fancy meals, champagne and, err, deodorant.