It conveys a certain breeziness about the ease of leaving, too, as though disentangling a decades-old trade partnership were as simple as flouncing out of a rather unfriendly golf club.

The importance of potlatches in establishing friendly ties with outside groups has already been discussed: marriages and trade partnership often grew out of association at a potlatch.

It also said changes that precluded it from qualifying under publicly traded partnership rules might 'result in a reduction in the value of our common units'.

Publicly traded partnerships, real estate investment trusts, hedge funds and venture capital funds are other types of uncorporations.