Will the issue never be resolved? As this week’s analysis illustrates, more than a decade of intense debate has yet to settle the matter of whether Slaughter and May’s boutique model has a place on the global legal stage.

But credit where it’s due: the ‘best friends’ concept has continued to confound critics. While it would be a stretch to say that it has thrived in Europe, it has done enough to keep Slaughters in the game.