Boomer outside counsel who insists on calling me incessantly, basically demanding I call him back

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:big law poster above should answer if he/she is indeed big law as claimed

Why should they?

[Anonymous]

Meh. I would contact his boss and say the constant calls with no new updates are getting to be excessive and to talk to him about professionalism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:big law poster above should answer if he/she is indeed big law as claimed

Why should they?

because they indicated they were big law and so they understand how these relationships work and the structures involved. the person right above this, as example, clearly doesn't understand this issue and is just here to troll with dumb answers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:big law poster above should answer if he/she is indeed big law as claimed

Why should they?

was that you pretending to be big law?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:big law poster above should answer if he/she is indeed big law as claimed

Why should they?

because they indicated they were big law and so they understand how these relationships work and the structures involved. the person right above this, as example, clearly doesn't understand this issue and is just here to troll with dumb answers

Doesn’t mean they should answer anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't answer. Immediately email back that you have no updates.

I agree, but I’d also say in the email that each time we speak it becomes a long (and thereby) expensive call and you are not interested in incurring such expense when it is unnecessary.

He may or may not change behavior, but it helps put him on notice.

cc his boss the second time it happens.

You’re an idiot. If she does that and the boss reads the email he’ll just bill for it too.

i find it odd that so many people are responding here who clearly know little to nothing about how these relationships work.. there is no 'boss' in these situations...

Oh, shut up. I meant that if she copies any other lawyer in the law firm, they’re going to Bill for reading it as well. I know it’s not the “boss“ per se.

It could be the boss. If Boomer isn’t the relationship partner, the relationship partner would be quite pissed to know Boomer is pissing off the client and, depending on the partners’ relevant status in the firm, the relationship partner could very well be the “boss”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh. I would contact his boss and say the constant calls with no new updates are getting to be excessive and to talk to him about professionalism.

Yeah that 61+ lawyer will really GAF about calling his/her boss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. I would contact his boss and say the constant calls with no new updates are getting to be excessive and to talk to him about professionalism.

Yeah that 61+ lawyer will really GAF about calling his/her boss.

A 61 yr old service partner trying to eek out a few more years of the gravy train to fund alimony for the ex wife or two and the lifestyle of his unemployed children who studied basket weaving a Reed may very well care.

[Anonymous]

Boomer incorporates a specific attitude about work style, the role of work in one’s life, the need to talk through everything, and in some cases a reluctance to use technology. Come on folks, you all know exactly what OP means. It’s the reason those videos on different generations in the workplace exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boomer incorporates a specific attitude about work style, the role of work in one’s life, the need to talk through everything, and in some cases a reluctance to use technology. Come on folks, you all know exactly what OP means. It’s the reason those videos on different generations in the workplace exist.

This

[Anonymous]

He’s trying to run up the bill.
“As I said in my prior email, I’ll reach out when there’s an update. No need for us to get on a call.”

Rinse and repeat.

[Anonymous]

There is a consultant and SME who works for me and try to do the same thing. Last time, he submitted invoice, I requested him to submit the details and there were a few long calls. I took them out and paid the rest and told everyone to only talk to him for a slot of 15 mins and he would need approvals from us in case call time is more than 1.5 hrs/day. He was charging 4-5 hrs/day for calls. WTH

[Anonymous]

You lost me at ageist boomer. You suck too.

[Anonymous]

I'm the Biglaw lawyer. For real.

Seriously, OP, you just have to email or call the guy and just tell him point blank that he's got to cut back on the calls because you're under pressure to keep fees down. Or, as I said before, you could ask/instruct the he not bill for them. Or if he really is a so-called "service partner," you could reach out to the billing partner and have a respectful conversation with him and ask that he intervene discreetly instead.

I suspect, though, that it's not so much the billing that's bothering you. I'll bet in the scheme of things it's not very much. You just feel disrespected, being younger and being a woman. If that's what's really driving this, I suggest that you just shrug it off. I know that that's easier said than done, but really -- is what's going on here that disruptive and that worthy of so much of your energy?

Put him on mute while he's talking. Multi-task. Hell, peruse DCUM while rolling your eyes. Whatever keeps him from getting inside of your head.

What you're describing is an exceedingly minor -- and very common -- thing in the life of in house counsel in Corporate America dealing with Big Law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the Biglaw lawyer. For real.

Seriously, OP, you just have to email or call the guy and just tell him point blank that he's got to cut back on the calls because you're under pressure to keep fees down. Or, as I said before, you could ask/instruct the he not bill for them. Or if he really is a so-called "service partner," you could reach out to the billing partner and have a respectful conversation with him and ask that he intervene discreetly instead.

I suspect, though, that it's not so much the billing that's bothering you. I'll bet in the scheme of things it's not very much. You just feel disrespected, being younger and being a woman. If that's what's really driving this, I suggest that you just shrug it off. I know that that's easier said than done, but really -- is what's going on here that disruptive and that worthy of so much of your energy?

Put him on mute while he's talking. Multi-task. Hell, peruse DCUM while rolling your eyes. Whatever keeps him from getting inside of your head.

What you're describing is an exceedingly minor -- and very common -- thing in the life of in house counsel in Corporate America dealing with Big Law.

I am a Deputy GC at a company that hires Big Law. And I am female. Put up with this? Bad advice. That firm works for you, not the other way around. You have to be direct with this guy and the relationship partner if that is someone different. Also, who in your company manages the account with this firm?Maybe have a discussion with that person about your concerns. The attorneys in my group come to me if they have complaints or concerns about any of the outside lawyers. We don’t put up with outside counsel not respecting the in house lawyers. We will and have taken some attorneys off our account for that reason.

The outside counsel is there to make your life easier. If that isn’t happening, fire them.