Richard Punt, chief executive of Allen & Overy's Peerpoint unit, says: 'We’ve got an author, a diver, a yachtsman, a painter, all working for us. What this allows them to do is not just to say I go diving at the weekend, but I spend three months diving, or I’m going to write my next book.' 

Growing sector

The model is particularly well developed in the UK, but is spreading to Asia and other parts of Europe. Typically, these lawyers will work for a client of a law firm on a project - which might run for six or 12 months - and then move to a new client after a project is finished. Pinsent Masons runs a flexible team called Vario and believes that other law firms will have to follow suit, as they are required to be more adaptable in the way that they service clients. Source: Financial Times