Maya Forstater

If they’re acting for clients, absolutely. If they’re not, then of course not.

what if they're acting in the interests of their current, past and prospective clients generally, rather than a specific client(s)? this happens all the time.

It really does. Can’t really comment on the tax world but have seen it a lot when lawyers talk about NDAs. Lots of lawyers feel they can’t openly because they’ll upset wealthy clients.

The danger is that lawyers in this situation, again I’m not speaking of tax as I’ve not had enough experience, present their professional knowledge as technical and neutral, when through deliberate lobbying and inhibition of contrary views they are advancing a particular interest

I think there's a lot to this, except that it implies the strategic construction of knowledge and the claimed neutrality. In my interactions with tax lawyers I think they genuinely believe they are right about what the good policy is, because they understand the subject matter.

Mainly, I suspect. If my experience in other fields is born out, plenty often not though.

Sure. I guess the lawyers who consider it worthwhile chatting to me are already at the less cynical end of the spectrum!