Partner trying to get me fired

[Anonymous]

Agree with almost all the PPs- this shit happens in law firms all. the. time. I am sorry, it sucks and it's not fair, but start looking. You're in a great position because you have a job and you're well regarded by your other contacts. I have seen so many people from my former firm who were labeled as subpar and forced out, and then went on to bigger and better things. You can do it!

[Anonymous]

It almost makes me laugh when I see the inevitable "how do we keep our talent" navel gazing PR pieces in the legal industry. Big law doesn't care about talent. It cares about getting clients and that means your connections to power. A lot of people get there by linking up with a big partner and cutting all lines below them. Others have social capital. You, OP...are screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Biglaw is sick and full of mentally ill backstabbing psycopaths.

Who then land in the government and make everyone's lives miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It almost makes me laugh when I see the inevitable "how do we keep our talent" navel gazing PR pieces in the legal industry. Big law doesn't care about talent. It cares about getting clients and that means your connections to power. A lot of people get there by linking up with a big partner and cutting all lines below them. Others have social capital. You, OP...are screwed.

+1. Law firms are not meritocracies. And I say this as someone who has done quite well at a firm. But I have seen how many people were thrown under the bus for getting on the wrong side of one partner or another. It can be brutal. Good work doesn't buy you security.

[Anonymous]

Who then land in the government and make everyone's lives miserable.

That's the opposite of my experience. My agency is full of bright, kind people who really just didn't buy or were pushed out of biglaw. Most assholes in biglaw burrow in, hop from firm to firm for a bit more money/power, and refuse to retire (because third wives ain't cheap).

Very different in the government. Extremely.

Also, diverse! With women in leadership positions! And fathers who see their children.

It's so different.

[Anonymous]

Start looking now and very actively for a job. When you're close, go to firm management and tell then you're willing to leave for a severance package. Take it and run and then accept a new job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biglaw is sick and full of mentally ill backstabbing psycopaths.

Who then land in the government and make everyone's lives miserable.

I think this is for the most part incorrect. The mentally ill psychos are the ones who stay around and make partner. The people who voluntarily leave/get pushed out probably have a soul, or at least enough of one that they are salvageable.

[Anonymous]

Partners who do like you need to counteract this by saying good things about you.

If you don't have anyone in your own, get out.

[Anonymous]

It isn't worth it to those partners, PP. You have to understand when someone wants you gone, why waste your limited power saving them when you could use it to get more origination credit or points or whatever. It's unlikely unless OP has some sort of hook that makes it worth another partner's time (which if she did she wouldn't have been targeted by the insane partner -- they go after the defenseless).

Also, there's is a thing in biglaw about narratives and how someone can go from being a great attorney to the most inept mess the legal profession has ever seen. I've seen this happen over and over. And it's sad and demoralizing to the poor associate, but it's also the way firms work. It's never their fault. It's never a bad partner. It's always an inept, stupid, lazy associate.

OP needs to find another job, stat. Her career actually could be completely sunk if she doesn't take looking seriously.

[Anonymous]

OP, sorry you are going through this.

When I was in a similar situation, I did the following:

first, I got a sense from a couple of key players (three partners and an influential staff member) about what was happening and shared my concerns that the partner in question has a mistaken view of me and my abilities;

second, I never bad mouthed the partner to anyone (other than close friends;

third, I confronted the partner, politely but assertively, and asked for feed back about the concerns he was expressing to others (I remember his initial response was, "those comments were not meant to be shared with you") -- this let him know that I had partners looking out for me who would share with me comments he was making;

fourth, I circled back to the partners who were supportive, shared the feed back I received, looked for signs of what they though might have some kernel of truth, then asked them for help working on how I could improve on those issues (despite the fact I did not agree there were issues);

fifth, I made it a point to follow the advice I received and to make sure that the people who gave the advice knew this. This creates some buy in where your success is also the success of the partners who provide the advice. This created situations where the advice giving partner would talk to the negative partner and note that he had given me advice and saw improvements in the areas of concern, putting the negative partner into a position of having to disagree with someone with a vested interest in me.

sixth, I avoided working for that partner again.

seventh, I worked really hard that year to make sure I would get excellent reviews from all of the other partners for whom i worked. In the end, three partners gave me very good reviews and the negative partner gave me a lukewarm review commenting, "apparently my experience was not the same as others who have worked with [me]".

Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I was in this position. I was a lateral brought in from the a prestigious government agency with a lot of subject matter expertise as a senior associate (I was going to be put up for partner that year basically). A junior partner just had it out for me and spent my entire brief period making my life a living hell. Predictably stressful as I was expecting (they hired me knowing this) and the breadwinner.

I had a baby, took the maximum leave available and landed another job. I when I returned from maternity leave, the partner had a meeting with another partner to basically go over how terrible I was an basically give me notice.

I ended up laughing so hard I peed myself a bit. I announced my resignation, pointed out I was leaving to go in house at a company that wasn't a firm client (and hence not beholden to anyone's origination rights), stood up, and walked out in the sunshine.

Been here ten years. I manage a legal budget of ~20 million a year.

And I still won't hire anyone associated with that firm (or that horrid woman who was hell bent on ruining my life).

New poster here. Will you hire me? I can assure you that I don't work for that firm or that horrid woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would storm into HR today, and state that the bitch lawyer sexually harassed you, over and over again. You rejected her, and thus her current behavior to you, and her speaking negatively of you to colleagues. Turn the tables on her. Remember, you are both lawyers (sigh)Meanwhile, hunt for a new job like a bandit.

This is absolutely the worst advice. False accusations of sexual harassment help NOBODY. Do not do this, and PP, get a clue.

+1000. You are deluded, PP. This is a good way to never work in the law again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And I still won't hire anyone associated with that firm (or that horrid woman who was hell bent on ruining my life).

This is how I feel about my current employer....there's no way in the world I would ever hire anyone who works with me or I work for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, sorry you are going through this.

When I was in a similar situation, I did the following:

first, I got a sense from a couple of key players (three partners and an influential staff member) about what was happening and shared my concerns that the partner in question has a mistaken view of me and my abilities;

second, I never bad mouthed the partner to anyone (other than close friends;

third, I confronted the partner, politely but assertively, and asked for feed back about the concerns he was expressing to others (I remember his initial response was, "those comments were not meant to be shared with you") -- this let him know that I had partners looking out for me who would share with me comments he was making;

fourth, I circled back to the partners who were supportive, shared the feed back I received, looked for signs of what they though might have some kernel of truth, then asked them for help working on how I could improve on those issues (despite the fact I did not agree there were issues);

fifth, I made it a point to follow the advice I received and to make sure that the people who gave the advice knew this. This creates some buy in where your success is also the success of the partners who provide the advice. This created situations where the advice giving partner would talk to the negative partner and note that he had given me advice and saw improvements in the areas of concern, putting the negative partner into a position of having to disagree with someone with a vested interest in me.

sixth, I avoided working for that partner again.

seventh, I worked really hard that year to make sure I would get excellent reviews from all of the other partners for whom i worked. In the end, three partners gave me very good reviews and the negative partner gave me a lukewarm review commenting, "apparently my experience was not the same as others who have worked with [me]".

Hope this helps.

A friend at my old firm followed very similar steps with success.mIt was a rough year or so for her after the bad review but she came out way ahead in the end and seems much happier now. If you want to stay where you are, I'd suggest a similar approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would storm into HR today, and state that the bitch lawyer sexually harassed you, over and over again. You rejected her, and thus her current behavior to you, and her speaking negatively of you to colleagues. Turn the tables on her. Remember, you are both lawyers (sigh)Meanwhile, hunt for a new job like a bandit.

This is brilliant. Put HER on the defensive.