If a particularly talented PR firm was hired to come up with a stunt to highlight the most egregious practices in City pay, it would be hard pressed to conjure up anything better than the banker bonus case that resulted in such a dramatic ruling at the High Court this week.

To recap on the details: in 2008, Dresdner Kleinwort's then chief executive, Stefan Jentzsch, in an apparent attempt to prevent mass defections, stood up at a town hall meeting and told staff that €400m had been set aside for a guaranteed minimum bonus pool.