Biglaw Horror Stories Forum

[Anonymous User]

I sent an e-mail to the partners in my group letting them know that I was going to be out of the office for the next few days because my father was reaching the last days of his battle with cancer and I needed to return home to see him and be with my family.

A few minutes after I send the e-mail my phone rings, its one of the partners. no doubt to express his condolences?

Nope. "You'll still be available to work on X matter, right? I don't want to have to find someone else to staff on this and bring them up to speed."

I'm sure this is not the worst we can get on here.

[Anonymous User]

That is actually one of the worse stories that I have ever heard. I would probably start your lateral hunt if you could. Seems more sociopathic than the normal biglaw partner.

[DELG]

You came strong out the gate, now I'm embarrassed to even play.

[Tls2016]

I sent an e-mail to the partners in my group letting them know that I was going to be out of the office for the next few days because my father was reaching the last days of his battle with cancer and I needed to return home to see him and be with my family.

A few minutes after I send the e-mail my phone rings, its one of the partners. no doubt to express his condolences?

Nope. "You'll still be available to work on X matter, right? I don't want to have to find someone else to staff on this and bring them up to speed."

I'm sure this is not the worst we can get on here.

This is the worst story I have ever heard. Sorry it happened to you OP.

[Anonymous User]

OP, I'm sorry for your loss; that partner is a fucking asshole who doesn't deserve your time and brains.

My "favorite" story from my firm from a few years back:

Associate is undergoing treatment for (non-terminal) cancer, while continuing to work. Treatment involves bi-weekly chemo treatments necessitating every other Friday off. Associate gets an email from Partner the night before a scheduled treatment asking for help on doc review project. Associate emails back and says, "Sorry, but as you may remember, I get treatment every other week, and tomorrow is one of the days when I am getting chemo." Partner emails back and says, "But you'll just be sitting there, right? So why can't you review documents while you do that?"

[DELG]

OP, I'm sorry for your loss; that partner is a fucking asshole who doesn't deserve your time and brains.

My "favorite" story from my firm from a few years back:

Associate is undergoing treatment for (non-terminal) cancer, while continuing to work. Treatment involves bi-weekly chemo treatments necessitating every other Friday off. Associate gets an email from Partner the night before a scheduled treatment asking for help on doc review project. Associate emails back and says, "Sorry, but as you may remember, I get treatment every other week, and tomorrow is one of the days when I am getting chemo." Partner emails back and says, "But you'll just be sitting there, right? So why can't you review documents while you do that?"

TBF I mean he's just asking questions

[lurklaw]

Wow. Both stories are worse than any other I've heard.

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

I sent an e-mail to the partners in my group letting them know that I was going to be out of the office for the next few days because my father was reaching the last days of his battle with cancer and I needed to return home to see him and be with my family.

A few minutes after I send the e-mail my phone rings, its one of the partners. no doubt to express his condolences?

Nope. "You'll still be available to work on X matter, right? I don't want to have to find someone else to staff on this and bring them up to speed."

I'm sure this is not the worst we can get on here.

Is this not a quitting-level offense? There's no way you can put a price on something that undignified.

[mrs.miawallace]

partners be like "why should we automatically tip out hat for medical conditions or relatives dying, what about you just had a bad day because your cat died? We send out fancy gifts to your sons' wedding as well, or your wife's birthday. Your cancer has the same effect on me as of a nasty hangover from your partying too hard last night, both leads to absence and stalling for work, except one is expected to be greeted with brief condolence and one is being fired"

[dixiecupdrinking]

I hope you said no.

[Actus Reus]

In all likelihood, the partner didn't see the e-mail.

Most partners are woeful when it comes to e-mail responsiveness

[A. Nony Mouse]

Except if he hadn't seen the email he wouldn't need to ask if the OP would still be available, right?

[kaiser]

OP, I'm sorry for your loss; that partner is a fucking asshole who doesn't deserve your time and brains.

My "favorite" story from my firm from a few years back:

Associate is undergoing treatment for (non-terminal) cancer, while continuing to work. Treatment involves bi-weekly chemo treatments necessitating every other Friday off. Associate gets an email from Partner the night before a scheduled treatment asking for help on doc review project. Associate emails back and says, "Sorry, but as you may remember, I get treatment every other week, and tomorrow is one of the days when I am getting chemo." Partner emails back and says, "But you'll just be sitting there, right? So why can't you review documents while you do that?"

TBF I mean he's just asking questions

Its justification of this kind of behavior that reinforces it. No, its not just asking questions.

[kaiser]

I sent an e-mail to the partners in my group letting them know that I was going to be out of the office for the next few days because my father was reaching the last days of his battle with cancer and I needed to return home to see him and be with my family.

A few minutes after I send the e-mail my phone rings, its one of the partners. no doubt to express his condolences?

Nope. "You'll still be available to work on X matter, right? I don't want to have to find someone else to staff on this and bring them up to speed."

I'm sure this is not the worst we can get on here.

Its not the worst I've heard, but the level of insensitivity and lack of caring puts it pretty high up there. I certainly hope you stood your ground on principle here.

[homestyle28]

This is probably a more run of the mill story. I've only heard it second hand, but a number of people tell it the same way, and knowing the parties involved, probably legit:

Super Sr. Associate is an up-and-comer, thought highly of, works tons of hours (think repeat years of 2700 billables). Has a go to partner for work, who is, objectively a bitch. She routinely calls, yells at him for fucking up things he did not fuck up, he grins, bears it and keeps working for her. This goes on for several years. Super Sr. is up for partnership, which here is significantly determined by who will speak up for your skills. Super Sr. has taken many deps, worked many trials, and has all the requisite experiences for becoming a young partner. GoTo Partner refuses to speak up for him, and may have even spoke out against him, after years of going back to him to do her work.

This was a few years ago. Super Sr. Assoc is now Super Duper Sr. Assoc (b/c some people don't know how to quit). GoTo Partner remains...and I have an assignment due for her today.

[dixiecupdrinking]

This is probably a more run of the mill story. I've only heard it second hand, but a number of people tell it the same way, and knowing the parties involved, probably legit:

Super Sr. Associate is an up-and-comer, thought highly of, works tons of hours (think repeat years of 2700 billables). Has a go to partner for work, who is, objectively a bitch. She routinely calls, yells at him for fucking up things he did not fuck up, he grins, bears it and keeps working for her. This goes on for several years. Super Sr. is up for partnership, which here is significantly determined by who will speak up for your skills. Super Sr. has taken many deps, worked many trials, and has all the requisite experiences for becoming a young partner. GoTo Partner refuses to speak up for him, and may have even spoke out against him, after years of going back to him to do her work.

This was a few years ago. Super Sr. Assoc is now Super Duper Sr. Assoc (b/c some people don't know how to quit). GoTo Partner remains...and I have an assignment due for her today.

No one respects a bootlicker, especially the boot wearer.

[tyroneslothrop1]

The above is a true statement. The difficulty can be knowing the when and how to assert yourself.

[kaiser]

This is probably a more run of the mill story. I've only heard it second hand, but a number of people tell it the same way, and knowing the parties involved, probably legit:

Super Sr. Associate is an up-and-comer, thought highly of, works tons of hours (think repeat years of 2700 billables). Has a go to partner for work, who is, objectively a bitch. She routinely calls, yells at him for fucking up things he did not fuck up, he grins, bears it and keeps working for her. This goes on for several years. Super Sr. is up for partnership, which here is significantly determined by who will speak up for your skills. Super Sr. has taken many deps, worked many trials, and has all the requisite experiences for becoming a young partner. GoTo Partner refuses to speak up for him, and may have even spoke out against him, after years of going back to him to do her work.

This was a few years ago. Super Sr. Assoc is now Super Duper Sr. Assoc (b/c some people don't know how to quit). GoTo Partner remains...and I have an assignment due for her today.

Not surprised at all. The Senior Associate sounds like he never stood up for himself or held his ground once and, for whatever reason, though the partner would simply respect him for his work.

[Anonymous User]

This is probably a more run of the mill story. I've only heard it second hand, but a number of people tell it the same way, and knowing the parties involved, probably legit:

Super Sr. Associate is an up-and-comer, thought highly of, works tons of hours (think repeat years of 2700 billables). Has a go to partner for work, who is, objectively a bitch. She routinely calls, yells at him for fucking up things he did not fuck up, he grins, bears it and keeps working for her. This goes on for several years. Super Sr. is up for partnership, which here is significantly determined by who will speak up for your skills. Super Sr. has taken many deps, worked many trials, and has all the requisite experiences for becoming a young partner. GoTo Partner refuses to speak up for him, and may have even spoke out against him, after years of going back to him to do her work.

This was a few years ago. Super Sr. Assoc is now Super Duper Sr. Assoc (b/c some people don't know how to quit). GoTo Partner remains...and I have an assignment due for her today.

Not surprised at all. The Senior Associate sounds like he never stood up for himself or held his ground once and, for whatever reason, though the partner would simply respect him for his work.

This is credited and something juniors should be more aware of. More than once, I've heard a partner say something to the effect of "If [Joe] can't stand up to me, how can I trust that he'll stand up to someone he's negotiating against?"

[DELG]

Why would they make you partner just because you're good at being an associate

[pancakes3]

Why would they make you partner just because you're good at being an associate

This is a problem in the pure sciences where stellar researchers get promoted but make for shitty PI's.

[DELG]

I mean I'm just saying if all you have to show for 8-10 years of biglaw is fat billables and excellent work product you definitely shouldn't assume you're making partner. Tiara syndrome.

[Anonymous User]

This is probably a more run of the mill story. I've only heard it second hand, but a number of people tell it the same way, and knowing the parties involved, probably legit:

Super Sr. Associate is an up-and-comer, thought highly of, works tons of hours (think repeat years of 2700 billables). Has a go to partner for work, who is, objectively a bitch. She routinely calls, yells at him for fucking up things he did not fuck up, he grins, bears it and keeps working for her. This goes on for several years. Super Sr. is up for partnership, which here is significantly determined by who will speak up for your skills. Super Sr. has taken many deps, worked many trials, and has all the requisite experiences for becoming a young partner. GoTo Partner refuses to speak up for him, and may have even spoke out against him, after years of going back to him to do her work.

This was a few years ago. Super Sr. Assoc is now Super Duper Sr. Assoc (b/c some people don't know how to quit). GoTo Partner remains...and I have an assignment due for her today.

This goes to show a lot of the randomness involved in making partner. Every year at my firm there are senior associates who've been gunning their hearts out for years with similar or more billables, great experience, well liked, etc. only to get told "no more room" by the bouncer at the doors to breakfast.

[kaiser]

The people I've seen make partner were always either (i) the folks who had a book of business loyal to them or (ii) the folks who were invariably respected almost as if they were a partner already. Anytime I ever saw some senior grunt thinking he was going to make partner, it never happened, and the guy was left wondering why. The problem is that, if you are still walked on and "act like an associate" by the time you are up for partner, you aren't making partner. For the folks who actually did make partner, you would almost have been fooled into thinking they were partners already.

[mvp99]

The people I've seen make partner were always either (i) the folks who had a book of business loyal to them or (ii) the folks who were invariably respected almost as if they were a partner already. Anytime I ever saw some senior grunt thinking he was going to make partner, it never happened, and the guy was left wondering why. The problem is that, if you are still walked on and "act like an associate" by the time you are up for partner, you aren't making partner. For the folks who actually did make partner, you would almost have been fooled into thinking they were partners already.

(iii) they firm needs a partner (unless (i))