Fears abounded that this “Playboy” image could have caused Clifford Chance’s diversity supremo to lose some sleep
Not for the first time, some might suggest, a large arse has been parading around the corridors of a global law firm.
But this one is not barking orders at junior associates — who will then pass the grief down to trainees and paralegals — but is instead a piece of art by Russian photographer Vlad Loktev.
Nonetheless, the photo — entitled Playboy 2002 — seems to be weighing down the hard-pressed junior lawyer/secretary at Clifford Chance’s Moscow office.
And just what the firm’s global diversity, equality and inclusion senior executive will make of an image of an arguably male-perspective objectified female form is anyone’s guess. Yet again, Legal Cheek pondered on the perils of being a cross-cultural global law firm.
Although in this instance, blushes are spared and the diversity and inclusion guru has not been presented with a long-term problem. It is understood that the artwork is the personal property of an unidentified Moscow staffer — purchased at a charity auction and delivered to the office — and will not be hanging on the CC walls at its Gasheka St hub.
Loktev himself is something of a celebrity snapper in Russia — taking portraits of the great and the good from politicians to artists to sportsmen.
The image was posted on Instagram a few days ago, when the mystery CC staffer seemed pretty chuffed to have bagged this cheeky example of Loktev’s oeuvre, proudly declaring “we love art”. Although, to be fair, this arse looks as though it could send the woman lugging it for a session with Vlad the osteopath.
However, the law firm art-lover has since had a dose of cold feet and removed this image from her Instagram account. Fortunately, the Legal Cheek tech department has saved a version for Russian legal profession posterity …