‘Under the counter’ supplies revealed
US legal powerhouse Paul Weiss has clarified that it is not preventing its London lawyers from having butter in its plush in-house restaurant, despite an earlier report suggesting otherwise.
The firm recently unveiled its revamped Mayfair office with an eye-catching tour that showcased its in-house restaurant, dubbed ‘Air’ after the street it is based on. The sleek space serves everything from top-notch sushi to freshly pressed juices.
The FT toured the new offices and reported this week that, at first, they were told they couldn’t have butter with their toasted bagel because the firm apparently doesn’t serve it. Eventually, however, an “exception” was made and a butter-filled ramekin appeared.
Legal Cheek has since sought clarification on the firm’s stance on butter — investigative journalism at its finest — with a PW source confirming that “butter is indeed available, albeit kept under the counter.”
Secret spreadable aside, the firm does appear keen to ensure its lawyers eat well, with Sachdev drawing comparisons between PW lawyers and professional sportsmen and women.
“Would you [offer food or] have conditions that your athletes train and work in that were sub-optimal and not really assisting them in being the best?” he told the newspaper. “I think it’s no different in the world of lawyers.”
But it seems some of Paul Weiss’ lawyers are less worried about their waistlines.
When asked if there’s been any push-back on the healthy food, Sachdev says: “There’s definitely been, ‘Where’s the dessert? Where’s the bacon?’ and the answer is, ‘Nobody’s making you eat here’. We’re in the heart of Soho… if you want to go and have hamburgers every day, the door is not locked.”
Curious about how law firms feed their lawyers? Dive into our guide on firm canteens to discover who’s serving top-notch nosh and who’s dishing out dinners that belong back in the school cafeteria.