Suits: A Lawyer Surviving TV Chaos

Louis Litt was a junior partner at Pearson & Hardman, with certain administrative rights.

For instance, he was responsible for managing all the new lawyers and paralegals in the firm.

However, Martin himself was already overwhelmed with work, so he hadn't assigned Priya to handle the tedious and mundane tasks that other assistants were often stuck with. Instead, he directly placed her under his wing to assist with his own affairs.

Now, thanks to Martin, Priya had risen dramatically. Many lawyers and their assistants were undoubtedly envious or even resentful behind her back.

Could Louis be subtly expressing dissatisfaction?

Martin quietly pondered this while maintaining a calm exterior. "Priya is indeed an excellent girl. Moreover, her father is a highly respected doctor in New Delhi, India."

"Her brother, my good friend Rajesh, is a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Imperial College London and is currently researching Neptune at Columbia University."

Before Priya had fully demonstrated her legal abilities, Martin could only rely on her family background to bolster her standing.

Louis caught the implication in Martin's words and quickly shook his head. "Martin, I'm not questioning you or Priya. After all, this deal belongs to you, and it's entirely your decision how to handle it."

"I'm merely suggesting there might be an opportunity for collaboration between us. After all, Priya is still inexperienced and may not yet be capable of handling the legal affairs of multiple medium-to-large companies, right?"

"Multiple?"

The office suddenly fell silent, save for the sound of Martin's right index finger repeatedly tapping against the glass.

So Louis had set his sights on the high-quality enterprises behind Martin's mutual aid group members.

Due to legal restrictions, after signing personal legal contracts with the mutual aid group members, Martin couldn't take on key legal roles in their associated companies.

This was why Priya had been able to leap into the role of Facebook's Chief Legal Counsel as a junior lawyer.

Louis was right—Priya was too young and inexperienced. Handling Facebook's legal affairs was already a stretch and Martin estimated she'd need another two years of mentorship before he could fully let go.

If another company's critical legal position were to emerge now, Martin truly lacked the manpower to cover it.

It must be said, Louis Litt's timing for extending an olive branch was impeccable.

The essence of collaboration was mutual benefit.

Martin was short on people to handle the legal matters of those internet companies, while Louis needed better performance and visibility to secure his promotion to senior partner.

From a purely interest-driven perspective, the two were a match made in heaven!

However, the founders of the mutual aid group and the enterprises behind them formed the foundation of Martin's legal career. How far and high Martin could rise depended largely on the future development of these individuals and companies.

While earning the trust of the founders, Martin also hoped to maintain control over corporate legal matters, ensuring he wouldn't have to worry about internal betrayals when dealing with external issues.

According to the original plan, Martin would gradually recruit suitable novice lawyers, continue expanding his influence within those companies, and hand over responsibilities to the newcomers once they were ready—at least ensuring no betrayal for the next decade.

Even if betrayal occurred, Martin had prepared nine ways to deal with those betrayals!

But Louis had clearly identified Martin's current weakness—a lack of manpower—and directly seized the opportunity, disregarding his status as a senior partner to extend goodwill. This combination of cunning and sincerity was impossible for Martin to refuse.

Everyone knew that the reason Facebook's board allowed an assistant lawyer to serve as the company's Chief Legal Counsel wasn't just because of Martin's prior relationship with them but also because of the prestige of Pearson & Hardman.

Having enjoyed the shade of the big tree, it was only fair to water it occasionally…

Martin pondered for a long time before finally looking up at Louis, who was feigning calmness.

"You know, clients trust me enough to entrust me with their personal legal affairs. I must ensure I don't betray that precious trust."

Louis nodded in agreement. "Of course, that's the foundation of our profession."

Martin shrugged. "My clients sacrificed their rest and dating time, pouring their passion into creating these forward-looking companies!"

"They want to reap the joy and satisfaction of success, not face deception and betrayal from the company or the board."

"As their legal counsel, I must preemptively identify and eliminate these potential risks."

Louis instantly understood—it was a refusal to relinquish control.

At this point, Louis didn't care about control anymore. He simply wanted a heavyweight client as leverage during this critical period of his bid for senior partnership.

Louis hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Although the interests of the board and the founders sometimes don't align completely, I believe the founders who lead the company to success are more trustworthy on key issues."

"I hope you'll always remember today's answer!"

Martin smiled and raised his glass . "To a pleasant collaboration!"

Louis realized the deal was sealed. His previously tense body slowly relaxed, and he raised his glass to clink with Martin's.

After finishing the whiskey, Louis didn't linger. After congratulating Martin once more on securing Facebook, he left feeling much lighter.

Back in his office, Louis sat down and noticed a new text message on his phone, labeled "Martin Scott."

"Condé Nast Information Technology Company, main website: Reddit, founder: Steve Huffman. Remember to book a nice restaurant for Thursday evening."

"P.S.: Steve likes Canadian ice wine."

Louis's eyes lit up, and he immediately opened his computer to start preparing.

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Meanwhile, Rachel walked into Martin's office to clean up the remnants on the coffee table.

Martin sat back at his desk, resting his head on his right hand, openly admiring the exaggerated curves of his secretary as she bent over.

"You said you didn't trust Louis. Why are you willing to collaborate with him now?"

Rachel suddenly turned around to meet Martin's somewhat mischievous gaze.

"Mutual benefit is the only shortcut to success." Martin showed no sign of embarrassment. "Louis gave me his promise, and I'm willing to temporarily trust him."

"I suddenly see a very naive side of you." Rachel picked up the glasses and ice bucket. "Honestly, I thought you'd support Harvey, given that you know his secret and can ensure he won't betray you."

"You mean Mike Ross, the guy who never attended Harvard Law School but got into the firm?"

Martin chuckled and shook his head. "If Harvey thought Mike would be trouble, he wouldn't have hired him in the first place."

"Whatever works." Rachel shrugged indifferently. "But I still have to remind you that from the moment you agreed to collaborate with Louis, everyone will think you're on his side—including Harvey and Jessica."

"That's just gossip among secretaries."

Martin stood up and stretched lazily. "Harvey is too proud. Even if he knows about my collaboration with Louis, he won't come to me. As for Jessica, she'll understand that my move is just a gesture of goodwill toward her."

"Just wait. The senior partner position will definitely go to Harvey. Louis doesn't stand a chance."

Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned back, surprised. "Why?"

Martin made an exaggerated helpless gesture.

"It's a world that judges by appearances, and Harvey is way more handsome than Louis ."

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(End of Chapter)