Ian Austin, Manchester's favourite son and the former Executive Chairman of the now defunct Halliwells, has found himself on the end of a slightly humiliating downgrade. For Austin is a fellow with more than one string to his bow. He is not just the man who captained Halliwells to its eventual demise. He's also the man who presides over the Audit Committee at the University of Salford. 

And until last week his bio on the university's website was lengthy and glowing. Austin was described as one of the "most dynamic figures in the North West market." This is the same chap who made whining excuses to The Lawyer following the demise of his firm. He's praised for guiding Halliwells "through a series of bold initiatives that saw it become Manchester's largest law firm". Presumably the same bold initiatives that saw a max exodus of partners, a slashing of associate salaries, rock bottom morale and the turning off of the office air con.

It gets worse. "Strong leadership, business focus, open communications and sound financial management are his trademarks." Hmmmm - the words reverse premium and £20 million loan spring to mind. And the final cracker "he has guided Halliwells through a period of accelerated growth and remains committed to its success and long term future."

This fawning bio remained on the uni's site for some time until some clued up soul decided to tippex out Austin's Halliwells' experiences and focus on his more long-lasting achievements. Like coming from Manchester.



A spokeswoman for the University of Salford said "Ian Austin’s profile on the University of Salford website was changed because the information was out of date and inaccurate". Still, at least he remains one of the region's leading lawyers.