Freshfields partner grumbles about World Cup
25 June 2010
A tax partner at Freshfields' Madrid office has published an article in the Spanish economic publication "Negocio" criticising her colleagues for watching football. At 9:45 at night.

Silvia Paternain gives vent to her irritation at the male lawyers in her department watching the Spain v Honduras match, while her female colleagues - who have no interest in the beautiful game - are toiling away at their desks. She argues that it doesn't matter if it's late in the evening - there's still work to be done.

She also suggests that if she was to try to come up with any other reason for a delay in getting a document out, she'd get short shrift. Which is probably a fair point...

Silvia Paternain. Doesn't watch football. And nor should you.

A spokesman for the firm said that Paternain had been asked to write the article as a tongue in cheek observation of how business life in Spain has been hit by the World Cup. He added that the office had set up a screen to enable all staff to watch the match.