Andy,

Eeek! Yes, but I'll say at the start that I won on every occasion.

It was an extremely painful process, especially when they demand all your data without being specific, and it left me with an enduring distrust of lawyers, and a sense of relief that I instinctively hoard data and documents obsessively.

What I didn't say in the editorial was that the strategy that put them all on the run was to bombard them with great quantities of materials, and pertinent questions which required answers and clarification. I realize that this requires a few hours poring over law books, but the results are very satisfying. The other side's costs mount alarmingly and it makes their file look horrid and complicated. Like feral carnivores, these guys go for the quick kill. if anything looks difficult, then they rush off after easier prey.

The advantage of this strategy is that you end up looking keen and helpful, which goes down very well in court.