Candid notes of a meeting between legal recruiters and Eversheds partners have been leaked to RollOnFriday. They shine a baleful light on the inner workings of chinnys*.

Eversheds has disputed much of the content of the notes, which were emailed by a senior recruitment consultant to his colleagues. The notes were taken by the rec cons of a briefing given by two Eversheds partners on hiring requirements for their expanding practice.

RollOnFriday has redacted personal details to protect the guilty and also the innocent, particularly the lawyers who work in the Shed's regional teams. In an observation which would otherwise break their hearts (and which, it should be emphasised, Eversheds has told RollOnFriday it does not recognise), the recruiters noted that Eversheds' Birmingham and Cambridge offices are, "where they outsource less interesting work", whereas "the quality of work is really high in London".

According to the email, the Shed partners would ideally poach associates from Nabarro because it is "apparently a sweatshop", where "they have to work harder than Eversheds because of their fee rates". As Nabarro supervisors are, the note records the partners saying, "very systematic with checking emails", their associates "are well trained".

Recruitment consultants preparing to tranq you, right now

The recruiters also summarise (their interpretation of) partners' issues with existing team members, providing an invaluable insight into the hard-nosed world of the working chinny.

There's the lawyer who doesn't know he's bungling it across the table:

• "They made an offer to a star in [rival firm], but there are complications with [redacted], so on hold currently but [an Eversheds partner] is working opposite him on a case and not too impressed so they are ambivalent."

The lawyer playing hard to get:

• "Recently, a senior associate resigned on the day she was made up to senior associate because her boyfriend is a [travelling clown**] so very seasonal work so they are going travelling, the partners want her to stay and negotiating a sabbatical for her."

And the lawyer who is hard to like:

• "They have a senior associate who is quite demanding...[partner] thinks she will leave."

Apparently before their meeting the recruiters also talked to a recent lateral hire into the Eversheds partnership. Their write-up of what happened when they relayed the new joiner's view of his prospects to the Eversheds partners is the saddest part of the note:

• "[New junior partner lateral hire] is bringing work with him and he is particularly strong in [redacted specialism]. He thinks it could be a £2 million practice next year, both partners laughed at that."

A spokesman for Eversheds told RollOnFriday, “This seems to be a third-hand internal note of a confidential meeting with us. We haven’t seen this interpretation before and do not recognise or agree with much of its content, especially the references concerning our competitors and our regional offices. I would take this with a pinch of salt”.

*RollOnFriday for 'recruitment consultant', which may be derived from 'chinny beard'
**not really, but a job even more ridiculous which would make her immediately identifiable if revealed