Would you help this partner in this situation? Forum

[A. Nony Mouse]

No one's saying it was traditional research. I think people are questioning whether you have the experience/judgment to know that a given piece of info really is pertinent, helpful, and currently unknown.

[Anonymous User]

You shouldn't keep all that brilliance to yourself, OP! Obviously you're on track to be SA of the century with your keen research skills and tremendously-helpful-yet-undiscoverable information. This find could make you famous. I wouldn't just sit on it.

How come you guys (most lawyers?) have such a limited perspective yet dont even realize the fact you guys are?

It is an European market that the firm has been trying to enter and I used my personal family contacts. Who said anything about traditonal legal or non legal research? I understand that legal research and legal writing are your whole world at this moment but please open up eyes. Or dont write this type of an inflammatory post at least.

If I could I would just delete this post. I find TLS very helpful but not for this post. Useless reaponses.

Your post asked whether or not to tell him and basically everyone answered duh of course you should... How is that not helpful? Your question was answered with the obvious response.

[pancakes3]

If the "non-legal digging" that you found is publically google-able, be it on Edgar or literal Google? Chances are Pathern knows about that.

If this is nonpublic information that you pulled from your family contacts? Then you're potentially in a world of shit disclosure-wise and you're out of your depth.

Either way, you're (1) dumb for getting mad at TLS for thinking "horse" not "zebra" when you were the one that wrote a shitty, ambiguous OP in the first place; (2) people are mostly taking umbrage to "Because it is NOT my job and I don't want to help people I don't like." - not because of the statement in and of itself but how you're trying to make this seem like the dilemma of the century when it really doesn't matter one way or another and you seem to have already made up your mind.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

Just ignore the idiots here, bro. They're just being petty and jealous because you're tall, handsome, and look like a famous celebrity.

[jrf12886]

Probably a troll but, here goes.

First, whether you like a partner is irrelevant. You owe the client your best work and if you have useful information, you make sure it is passed on to those who need to know. (You know...unless the client is also a meanie jerk-face, in which case...take the info to your grave!). Second, I doubt a summer associate would find information from poking around that the client or partner doesn't already know. Third, your inability to take advice on here makes me think you're an insufferable person to work with.

[SFSpartan]

You shouldn't keep all that brilliance to yourself, OP! Obviously you're on track to be SA of the century with your keen research skills and tremendously-helpful-yet-undiscoverable information. This find could make you famous. I wouldn't just sit on it.

If I could I would just delete this post. I find TLS very helpful but not for this post. Useless reaponses.

I think you meant to say "I'm upset that TLS didn't give me advice that would ratify what I want to do anyway" because the advice that people have been giving has actually been fairly helpful.

You will rarely know information a partner doesn't already know. There were multiple times as an SA/Law Clerk where I thought I knew information about a potential client that a partner didn't (I had previous experience on the business side of the startup world and had industry sources that I could get bits of info from. The partner generally already knew and didn't want to pursue because he had worked for the founder when the founder was at another company and either (i) hated working with the founder; or (ii) knew the founder had a habit of not paying his bills.

In sum, you probably don't know information a partner doesn't. The guy that posted above you re: taking your info to a trusted associate gave you spectacular advice. You should follow that.

PS - I agree with others that you seem arrogant/objectively awful. You should work on that.

[tyroneslothrop1]

these threads are actually why i love TLS

[psu2016]

There is literally no scenario where any rational SA with a good faith belief that he had something useful for a partner would intentionally withhold that information because of some sort of childish personality issue with the partner. NONE.

Will you probably get a "thanks, but I already knew that" - sure, most likely you will. But most grown ups have learned how to tactfully convey said information to the partner in such a way as to not make this process stupidly awkward. In fact, this has happened to me multiple times where I thought I found something really clever...and instead of thinking that I made some ground breaking discovery I calmly sent it to attorney and said something like "hey, I found this and I think it might be relevant to matter X" along with a brief analysis of how I think it's helpful.

Let the partner decide how useful it is. You're a summer. Your primary function is to not get in the way and literally anything you do is a bonus. Don't screw it up by trying to be a hero.

[Desert Fox]

1) this was amazing trolling. hit all cylinders

2) people are way way way overblowing how omniscient partners are.

[rpupkin]

Here's what you do: hold the information in your back pocket. When/if you are no-offered at the end of the summer, head straight to the nearest competitor of the your law firm--a firm that could potentially land this client--and offer to give them the information in exchange for a full-time associate offer. It's win-win.

[yay]

Whether you like a partner or not shouldn't have anything to do with how you do your job.

That said, I'd be really surprised if this info actually did matter. But assuming for the moment that it does, handle it the same way you'd handle it with a partner you like. How is this even a question?

+1 so much this. you're always going to run into people you don't like. if you engage in this kind of high school drama people will eventually figure out your character. stay professional, courteous, and kind at all times no matter who they are or where you are at.

[UnicornHunter]

I wouldn't say anything because there is a reasonable chance this information won't actually be helpful at all.

This info would be quite helpful, and he doesn't know about it.

How do you know this? You're an SA but seem to think you know an awful lot about how the firm is run and what information other senior people don't know but would like to know. Just curious why you feel this way because this seems like a weak troll at best.

Can anyone just answer my question, rather than judging based on limited experience? Did I mention anything about how the firm is run? The world is pretty big, kids. Sigh. I can't tell you how because of privacy concerns.

Tell him


e. but report back

[bwh8813]

Whether you like a partner or not shouldn't have anything to do with how you do your job.

That said, I'd be really surprised if this info actually did matter. But assuming for the moment that it does, handle it the same way you'd handle it with a partner you like. How is this even a question?

Because it is NOT my job and I dont want to help people that I dont like.

OP, you sound like you're well on your way to becoming the Associate, and if all awesome family contacts pan out, Partner, that no one likes or wants to work with. Good luck with that.