If the prospect of adding famed corporate raider Gary Weiss to Cromwell’s board doesn’t entice Cromwell shareholders, maybe Joe Gersh will sweeten the deal?

The currently locked-down Melbourne corporate lawyer is the latest high-profile business figure to be drawn into the internecine and very bitter conflict between the Singaporean property investor and Cromwell Property Group. In brief, ARA owns 25.07 per cent of Cromwell and wants the board seat that should entitle it to. But Cromwell says it’s a competitor trying to take it over by stealth.

Well, not so stealthily anymore. ARA has recently launched a hostile partial takeover of Cromwell, at 88.2¢ a share a share. Its bidder’s statement was lodged on Tuesday, along with its latest critique of Cromell’s “erratic and undisciplined” behaviour.

Additionally, ARA stated that it plans to call its third EGM, at which Gersh’s name will appear along with Weiss’ on the ballot as its representative. Gersh, for his sins, sits on the board of the ABC, so surely any position on Cromwell’s will be a cinch, relatively speaking.

Presumably he’s been drawn in through his ties to ARA’s law firm, Arnold Block Leibler, Gersh being a former senior partner there. He’s got plenty of commercial property experience, including through his eponymous property investment firm Gersh Investment Partners. Mind you, Weiss is exceedingly well credentialled (if very busy), and that hasn’t done him much good at the last two EGMs.