From In The Business To On The Business To Out Of Business

I was hired by a medium-sized law firm to be the second in charge of the litigation team behind the partner to allow him to work ON the business, rather than IN the business. For four years, I was the go-to person for the team, running team meetings, approving leave and work-from-home arrangements, answering all the questions, approving bills, and consulting on team financial reports.

As well as being the team leader, I also maintained my own work, consistently being one of the top billers on the team.

For a couple of years before the global health crisis, we had a good, strong team with a high level of satisfaction and collegiality, and relatively little turnover. That changed post-crisis, but it really changed when I was asked to interview a possible new candidate. She had about the same level of experience as me, and I told my bosses that while she seemed nice, there was no place for her in our office, but she might be a good fit at one of our regional offices.

So, I was surprised when they announced just a week or two later that she was joining the firm and would be in the office next to mine.

Within weeks, the lawyer next most senior to me realised there was nowhere for her to progress, and she resigned to move to another firm. A few months after that, the next most senior lawyer in the team also decided to leave.

In the meantime, my management functions were slowly being taken away from me; the team meetings, leave, and bills were all gradually making their way over to the new senior lawyer. She also talked a lot about networking and marketing and about all the contacts she had. Management fell for it hook, line, and sinker — although I never saw a single client come into the firm as a result of all this talk.

Despite all the signs, I was pretty oblivious to it all, just keeping my head down and doing my work. That is, until one day my boss came into my office and announced that they were going to promote the new person to Managing Associate of the team.

Boss: “How do you feel about that?”

Me: “Well, it feels a lot like a slap in the face. You’ve passed me over for promotion.”

Boss: “It’s not like that! I swear!”

Me: “Of course it is.”

Boss: “Do you even want the role?”

Me: “That question is pointless unless you are willing to take the role away from [New Girl].”

He clearly was not willing to do that.

That was the end for me. I immediately started looking for a new job and handed in my resignation a couple of months later.

Four weeks after I resigned, I was contacted by a former colleague from the firm who asked me if I had checked out the firm’s website. I said no, and then I went and looked.

[New Girl]’s picture was no longer on the website. After making some inquiries, I found out that the day after I left, she handed in her own notice, moving to a new firm four weeks later.

So, as a result of taking the new girl on, they lost two senior lawyers, promoting her cost them their most senior lawyer, and she abandoned them immediately after I left.

Note to employers: if you are going to screw over staff, make sure the person you are screwing them over for isn’t also heading out the door.