Chapter 35
Jay reaches out, pressing the elevator button before I can. “You ready for this?”
I nod. “I am.”
“Good. You’ll take lead in there.”
I nod again. A ding announces the elevator arriving. It’s empty. I let Jay enter first, then follow him inside. He selects the correct floor, and then we start to ascend.
We’re at the headquarters of Clarke Infrastructure—a privately owned company based in New York and operating globally.
The founder, Lloyd Clarke, is famous for having started as a construction foreman and scaling to a size of multibillion-dollar government bids.
And for his cynical discernment when it comes to business.
He attended trade school, learning the construction business from the bottom up and the inside out.
That practical experience hasn’t meshed well with previous counsel.
He’s worked with five firms in the past four years, firing his most recent representation last week. We’re in the running to replace them.
The doors open again. I’m expecting a generic lobby, but we step into a unique layout.
The offices are placed around the perimeter of the floor.
A large conference table is set up in the center of the open space, no walls surrounding it.
Smaller tables are arranged around it instead.
Several are occupied with two or three employees on laptops.
Others have building plans or dioramas set on them.
Lloyd Clarke is seated at the large center table, which is round, not rectangular.
I’d recognize him even if I hadn’t done extensive research prior to this pitch and read several articles that included photographs of him.
He looks young for his age—sixty-one—and is wearing jeans and a polo with the company’s logo embroidered on it, rather than the customary suit.
Three men—all wearing suits—are seated across from and around him.
“Are you from Locke, Grey, and Lee?” A woman approaches, her polo identifying her as another employee.
“We are,” Jay confirms.
“Great. Lloyd is wrapping up his appointment before yours. He’ll be with you shortly. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“A water would be great. Flynn?”
I yank my gaze from one of the men at the table. “Same, please.”
“I’ll be right back with those.” The woman smiles, then departs.
“Clever,” Jay comments, surveying the table. “Those guys are from Bradford, Nash, & Monroe. He’s ensuring we see the competition.”
“Smart,” I agree, still focused on Perry as he talks alongside his colleagues.
Lloyd is listening intently.
I’m not surprised he’s impressing. Perry shares obvious similarities with the CEO.
He’s self-made, paying his own way through college and university.
If Julian was ever generous enough to offer his sibling money, Frank was too proud to accept the handout.
I used to think I was the lucky one, being born to the wealthier brother.
Now I think the opposite. What I always interpreted as envy on Perry’s part?
I’m beginning to wonder how much of that was projected as I grew older and realized Perry was wealthier in different ways.
His dad flew to New York just to see him.
The only time Julian visited me in Boston was for the graduation ceremony.
The men at the table all stand, each of the lawyers shaking hands with Lloyd before walking this way. Perry is nodding along to something one of his colleagues whispers to him before he spots me. Surprise flashes across his face before he continues toward the elevators and where we’re standing.
I speak first. “Good afternoon, Perry.”
“Flynn. Hey. Good to see you.”
Jay glances between us. “Harvard classmate, Flynn?”
“Ah, no,” Perry answers first. “I was part of the ninety-three percent that was rejected.”
I had no idea Perry had applied to Harvard for law school. I wasn’t in the mindset to ask for advice from anyone, let alone the cousin I’d never been close with. He got rejected, then watched Julian ensure I was admitted.
“Perry went to Northwestern,” I state. “Which is also top fifteen.”
More surprise appears on Perry’s face.
“That’s where my brother went,” Jay comments. “He loved it.”
Perry nods. “I did too.”
“Here are your waters.” The same woman from before reappears with two glass bottles that she hands to me and Jay. “Lloyd is ready to start whenever you are.”
“Great.” Jay glances at me. “Ready?”
I nod.
“Good to see you, Flynn,” Perry says.
He continues toward the elevators, where his coworkers are waiting for him.
I spin, impulsively asking, “Want to grab a drink sometime?”
Perry glances back, shock apparent in his expression. “I, uh … yeah. Sure. That’d be nice.”
I release a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. “Great. I’ll, uh … I’ll text you.”
“Sounds good. You’re buying.”
A surprised smile appears as Perry continues in the opposite direction. Who knew my cousin had a sense of humor?
My smile fades as Jay and I approach the table where Lloyd Clarke is seated. He glances up as we near, appraising Jay first, then me. His expression doesn’t change, yet I sense he’s unimpressed.
More suits, is what I’d guess he’s thinking.
“Afternoon, Mr. Clarke. I’m Jay Lewis, from Locke, Grey, and Lee.”
“Nice to meet you.” They shake hands. “Call me Lloyd, please.”
“Flynn Parks,” I state, holding my hand out next.
“Welcome.” Lloyd takes a seat again, leaning back in his chair. “Why should I hire you?”
The blunt question is aimed at Jay, not me. I wonder if this is part of Jay’s strategy in having me make the pitch. Or maybe he knew this account was a long shot and is treating this as a training exercise.
“Because you don’t just need new lawyers. You need different ones. Better ones.”
As soon as I speak, Lloyd’s gaze travels slowly from Jay to me.
“I’ve hired some of the best firms in this city, Mr. Parks.”
“And subsequently fired them. Because they had treated this company like a business.”
His eyebrows lift, along with the corners of his mouth. “Is it not one?”
“No. It’s not. It’s your legacy. It’s your family.
It’s forty years of competitors underestimating you and clients trusting you.
Any competent attorney can handle regulatory matters, securities work, and international deals for you.
Plenty have, and you’ve found fault with all of them.
Because, frankly, I don’t think that’s what you’re looking for.
Your profits last year alone were nine figures.
Lawyers are trained to look for loopholes, especially for a client worth fifty to a hundred million in legal fees.
But you’re a builder, Lloyd. You want a firm foundation.
You care about the work you do, not how much you get paid to do it.
No one will ever care as much about this company as you do.
You’re looking for representation that shares a similar mindset.
That cares about more than the bottom line. ”
Lloyd says nothing. He stares at me for so long that I’m tempted to break eye contact so I can check a clock to see how many minutes we’ve been sitting here.
“How long have you been a lawyer, Flynn?”
“Technically, I’m not a licensed one yet. July bar results don’t release until next month.”
Lloyd nods, then looks at Jay. “Do you share your colleague’s assessment, Mr. Lewis?”
Jay hesitates. I doubt mine was the professional, detailed pitch he would have made, and he’s having to make a hasty determination if he should stick to it or provide Lloyd with an alternative assessment.
If Lloyd hated everything I had to say, he has a chance to salvage this and still get the client.
“I think you have no shortage of law firms asking for your business and that you’re the only one who knows exactly what you’re looking for.
I will add, since I’ve been at the firm for longer, that we have a number of high-profile, long-term clients who have been more than satisfied with our representation.
Our size allows us to personalize our approach and ensure every member of each team is dedicated to any case they’re a part of.
As Flynn said, any lawyer can review a contract for you.
A lawyer at our firm can tell you what the other side will argue before they share it, where the regulators will focus, and how to structure a deal so you leave the room with leverage instead of liability.
Every decision you make affects your entire company.
Our role is to remove uncertainty so you can focus on running the company. ”
“I’m afraid I’m the strange breed who isn’t afraid of uncertainty, Mr. Lewis.
For example, I decided a couple of hours ago that I would hire a firm I’d met with this morning.
I kept my afternoon schedule as a courtesy, and because—as your associate Mr. Parks pointed out—I tend to run through lawyers rather quickly. It’s never a bad idea to have backups.”
“I see,” Jay states.
“No, I don’t think you do. Because I was decided, and then Mr. Parks changed my mind.”
I freeze, shock trickling through me.
Lloyd closes the open notebook on the table.
He didn’t take a single note while Jay or I was talking.
“You’re hired.” He picks up a pen, pointing it at me.
“And as soon as Mr. Parks passes the bar, I’d like him to be instated as the lead attorney on all matters concerning my company. Is that clear?”
“Of course,” Jay says quickly. He’s doing a better job at hiding it, but he must be as stunned as I am.
“Good.” Lloyd stands.
Jay quickly climbs to his feet as well. I follow suit a second later, still processing what just took place.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Lewis.” Lloyd shakes Jay’s hand, then turns to me. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Parks.”
“Flynn,” I correct, gripping his palm.
“Some aspects of business are always personal, Flynn. Most people take a long time to learn that lesson, if they ever do.”
I nod.
He nods back, then heads for one of the corner offices.
Jay and I walk toward the elevators. Jay is silent, and I am too.
I landed a client. A major client.
Once we’re inside the elevator, I speak. “That went well.”
“Well? That was you jumping on the partner track. Outstanding work, Flynn. I never would have thought to frame it like that, and it was exactly the right approach.”
“I was inspired by a … friend,” I say since my fake girlfriend’s father doesn’t play well in any context, let alone a professional one.
“And that is why I love overseeing first-year associates. You think outside the box. Most of you don’t have huge egos yet and are willing to take some risks. I can’t teach that creativity, just the firm policies.”
I misjudged Jay during orientation week. I figured he was only focused on us not embarrassing him by not knowing the proper order of things, not that he was self-aware enough to be open to learning from those with less experience.
“I appreciate the opportunity,” I tell him.
“Damn right you do,” Jay tells me, smiling. “Clarke Infrastructure is a big enough account that the name partners will hear about it. Most first-year associates are still figuring out where the law library is.”
If Simon Grey hears about this, my father might. The thought appears, then disappears. I’m more preoccupied by the prospect of telling Rory.
We emerge from the building that houses Clarke Infrastructure’s headquarters. The clouds earlier have given way to spitting rain that soaks my hair as we head toward the waiting car.
“Back to the office, please,” Jay instructs the driver once we’re settled in the back seat.
The town car pulls back into traffic.
Seconds later, we’re hit from behind.