It has become short-hand for organisations facing turbulent times to suggest that the last one to leave should turn out the lights. Well, your correspondent can confirm that Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, currently well into its Annus Front Page Disastrous, is made of sterner stuff.

At a top-level briefing recently with senior Freshfields wallahs, the lights actually went out while plenty of staff were very much in the building.