Beneath its hard-bitten, uber-cynical exterior, The Diary is an old romantic at heart. Just two weeks ago this very page was helping lovelorn US law firm Duane Morris in its quest for that perfect City date (number of responses to date: zero).

While making that particular match may ultimately prove beyond Eros himself, The Diary is happy to tell the heart-warming tale of true romance that resulted when hunky Herbert Smith partner Chris ‘de-parting for BLP’ de Pury recently ran into Linklaters stud-muffin Julian Innes-Taylor at a five-star resort in Cyprus.