Arguing the toss over remuneration is one of those quintessentially lawyerly pursuits – along with adding value to unquantifiable amounts, spotting amazing synergies in entirely incompatible objects and laughing at accountants for being more boring than lawyers are.

One Noo Yawk partner this week honoured The Diary with his take on the pay-war that’s about to erupt in Manhattan like a particularly virulent strain of dollar-digesting ebola.