Partner Gunning For Me Forum

[Anonymous User]

How would you handle if one partner is suddenly gunning for you?

I’ve tried the usual strategies such as trying to deescalate by having conversations (both to ventilate any concerns and rebuild rapport), clarifying instructions in writing upfront, not responding in kind to rudeness, politely pushing back where any criticisms are (objectively) based on “non-facts”, and so on.

I recently received a positive performance review (one of the best in my group according to my supervisor), and I’m relatively senior with decent hours.

One approach is to get off the partner’s matters as soon as possible and/or seek political cover from other partners. I’m working on the former, but it’ll take time given the number of legacy deals. I don’t want to be seen to be dropping the ball by actively transferring off the partner’s matters (nor do I really want the partner combing through my previous work with another associate for ammo). I’m loathe to raise the situation for political protection given (1) it is hard to establish that someone is gunning for you (I bet some responses here will suggest I’m imagining the situation), and (2) I don’t want to be the person making a big deal of it unless I actually know the partner has began trashing me behind closed doors.

[Anonymous User]

How would you handle if one partner is suddenly gunning for you?

I’ve tried the usual strategies such as trying to deescalate by having conversations (both to ventilate any concerns and rebuild rapport), clarifying instructions in writing upfront, not responding in kind to rudeness, politely pushing back where any criticisms are (objectively) based on “non-facts”, and so on.

I recently received a positive performance review (one of the best in my group according to my supervisor), and I’m relatively senior with decent hours.

One approach is to get off the partner’s matters as soon as possible and/or seek political cover from other partners. I’m working on the former, but it’ll take time given the number of legacy deals. I don’t want to be seen to be dropping the ball by actively transferring off the partner’s matters (nor do I really want the partner combing through my previous work with another associate for ammo). I’m loathe to raise the situation for political protection given (1) it is hard to establish that someone is gunning for you (I bet some responses here will suggest I’m imagining the situation), and (2) I don’t want to be the person making a big deal of it unless I actually know the partner has began trashing me behind closed doors.

Is there a partner or counsel you really trust that you can talk to? I haven't been in this situation, but I talked to a trusted partner about another partner that was doing this to someone else. The trusted partner took a closer look at what was going on and said something to the mean partner because she thought it was inappropriate.

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

It's perfectly okay to tell whoever's responsible for staffing that you don't get along with Person X and don't want to work with them anymore. If you don't do it regularly, it's typically not an issue for your career health. Even shitty partners would prefer to staff people who don't hate them.

[Anonymous User]

I would be cautious about complaining. It might work out fine if you do, but there are risks. A safer route would be the ones you've already identified. You can basically stealth fire a partner, so to speak, through using that strategy.