DLA Piper lawyers have given their team leader a rousing send-off in a lockdown music video guaranteed to make hearts swell and, at certain points, ears twinge.
Although the video’s opening messages - 'Goodbye Tim' and 'Farewell Tim' - have slightly unfortunate connotations in a pandemic, employment partner Tim Marshall is absolutely fine, and also still at the firm. He has merely stepped down as Joint Global Head of DLA Piper's employment practice.
His colleagues at DLA Piper paid tribute to Marshall with a rendition of 'So Long, Farewell' from The Sound Of Music, putting to shame the cover of 'Imagine' which celebrities warbled after spending two days indoors.
A lawyer from the UK opens the show by singing, "So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night" in a faultless baritone while sporting black tie and his OBE, before handing over to a continental colleague who gets an A for effort.
The next participant takes things up a few hundred notches by rattling off an instrumental on her accordion.
Then it gets delightfully 'Allo 'Allo as a pair of gentlemen doff their hats and bid, "Adieu, adieu, to yeu and yeu and yeu", before a third man resembling the mad hatter at a rave shouts in front of a bush.
An impressive number of DLA Piper staff were able to pull together Roaring 20s costumes while in lockdown. Some even found Great Gatsby-esque backdrops lying about their house.
And booze. Booze is well-represented. Rightly so, given its increased prominence in the lives of many of us stuck at home.
The requirement for remote submissions meant stitching the song together must have been an arduous task, but at least the editor had fun pairing the debonair Brit tooting on his clarinet with a bloke from abroad necking champagne in front of a Man U shirt.
Despite the ear-bleeding contributions of a few of the lawyers, the tribute ends with a note-perfect reference to the reality of working life in 2020: that we're only visible from the chest up (unless we get it wrong).
A DLA spokesperson said, “Tim has had a change of role at the firm, and seeing as they couldn’t get together in person to thank him for his eight years as International Group Head, his colleagues thought they would do the next best thing and give him the gift of song".
"We apologise unreservedly if any RollOnFriday readers’ eyes or ears were damaged in the viewing of this video, but remain quietly proud of the team’s fortitude, ingenuity and sheer sartorial flair in celebrating with Tim during this lockdown period”. Good on them.
Comments
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Good on you, DLA. Nice thing to do, and provides an excuse to dress up.
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Isn't OBE guy wearing his gong on the wrong side? I'm not well up on these things. I could be wrong.
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Good on you and Team, Tim. Well deserved.
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Nice to see. Thought it was a good video.
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OBE guy is indeed wearing the insignia incorrectly. It should be on his left lapel not his right breast. Tsk tsk tsk.
Jolly good video though.
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Shame that the United shirt takes the shine of an otherwise nice video. Best of luck with the next phase Tim.
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Heh at the mad hatter at a rave. My little daughter just read this over my shoulder and said ‘he looks like Mr Tumble!’
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One of the funniest lockdown videos I’ve witnessed that’s brought real tears of laughter to my eyes, especially the trouser-less pianist; what an absolute hoot. They certainly have some characters at that firm. Hahaha.
Good luck with the reassignment Tim.
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@Anonymous 15 May 20 09:11, perhaps it's his phone camera inverting the footage?
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Anon 09:11 here. You may be right, Anon 11:57. In which case, the phone in question and those responsible for it should be clapped in irons and thrown in the Tower. I did not die in two world wars just so that some colonial witchcraft merchant can subvert anachronistic monarchical whim.
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Sending all the best Tim.
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Thanks for all the memories Tim!
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Proper naughty song from a tasty little firm
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Bravo DLA. Zigger zagger and a lump of celery to you Tim
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A nice display of wealth by senior lawyers, always good to see
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That's good and it is always the background which is interesting - their houses, roses, chandeliers, clothes..
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DLA is an interesting firm. Almost as profitable as the magic circle these days. Still a lot of personalities and colour lurking about which other firms cut. Good on them.