The Times (UK) reports,
probably for its juiciness quotient, that data from an internal
Clifford Chance CRM system at the Paris office inadvertently came
to light, and included—quelle surprise!—insights into
some key executives at major clients including Airbus and EADS,
its parent. Last time I checked I thought that was part of
the raison d’etre of a CRM system, but that would be to
ignore the imperial spread of Political Correctness, which has now
overtopped the levees, as it were, and threatens the ruination
of informed and adult discourse.
What "insights," exactly, are we talking about? On
the one hand, we have: “A
great guy”, “very straight” and “a
rising star”. But then we also have: “very
powerful for five years: marginalised since then” and “very
stressed when he is under pressure”, as well as such facts as that
one executive was recently divorced and another had lost his house in a
chemical plant explosion.
Shall we now stand back out of range of the flying fur? An
Airbus spokesman promptly condemned the remarks as "absolutely
inappropriate" and added for effect that they "were amazed,…knew
nothing about it,…totally disapprove,…[and lest you doubt]
feel very strongly." They added that they might reconsider
using Clifford Chance at all.
Meanwhile, a Clifford Chance spokeswoman
said in no fewer than three sentence constructions that the material
was "absolutely inappropriate," apologized for being "unable
to stay on the back" of all 220 lawyers in the Paris office, and
said it was an isolated incident, "not intended to be nasty in
any way."
Upshot: The information has been purged and evidently some
Solon’s may make inquiry into whether the material offended French
privacy law, which declares with near total opacity that databases
must contain only what is
“adequate, pertinent and not excessive”,
upon pain of up to a €300,000 (US$380,000) fine.
Now let’s review the bidding: In a consummately professional
and indeed forward-looking fashion, Clifford Chance maintained—and
lawyers actually contributed to, which may be the real miracle
here—a CRM system with, in my opinion, Truly Useful information. If
someone becomes a hothead under pressure, I’d like to know that
it’s him and not me. Likewise, I’d prefer to
avoid bone-headed attempts at small talk that reference the divorced
fellow’s wife or the chemical plant victim’s country home. Upon
exposure of this "pertinent, and not excessive" information (I
cannot opine on whether it was "adequate" as I have no insight
into the extent of the data), Airbus/EADS decided to go ballistic,
to the extent of threatening to re-examine the entire client relationship. And
Clifford Chance, inevitably, given that their sudden opponent had
gone nuclear, completely caved.
I don’t know whether the cravenness of Airbus/EADS or the unconditional
and unilateral surrender of Clifford Chance to the P.C. gods is
more depressing, but for all involved, ladies and gentlemen, I
have three words: Spine. Backbone. Courage.
