Twice in the last several weeks I've had to deal with chauvinist asshole male attorneys. Both tried to circumvent me and go straight to my boss. It didn't work out well for either of them.
Asshole 1
A couple of weeks ago, Asshole 1 left an urgent voicemail for Big Boss while he was out of the office. Big Boss forwarded the voicemail to me to handle. In fact, I am the designated attorney in charge of the case and should have been contacted in the first place. I returned Asshole 1's call promptly, only to be put into his voicemail.
Big Boss returned from his trip and had a second call from Asshole 1. "LC, I though I forwarded that vm to you?" he said. "You did, and I tried to return his call and got no response," I said.
So we both called Asshole 1. Big Boss informed him that I was the attorney in charge and that he needed to contact me. Asshole 1 tried to play it off. The next day I emailed Asshole 1. Asshole 1 gave me curt, totally nonresponsive answers.
Me: "Will you sign an agreed motion?"
Him: "I don't think we need an agreed motion?"
Me: "We want one anyway, will you sign?"
Him: no response
A week later...
Me: "Are you going to sign the agreed motion so we can wrap this up?"
Him: "We will not oppose the motion."
I tried to call him, he refused to take my call.
Me: "Not opposing is not the same as agreeing. Will you sign the agreed motion?" (Apparently this only makes sense to lawyers, DH did not get this.)
He finally agreed, but is now taking his sweet time returning it to me. I have no idea why this guy refuses to deal with me, other than he's just an asshole.
Asshole 2
Again, went directly to my boss on a matter I was exclusively handling. Told Big Boss that I had not returned his phone calls (that he never made!) and he needed answers regarding a non-party discovery request. Big Boss told him that it my case, he needed to talk to me, and if he didn't like the way I was handling this matter, he needed to take it up with the court.
Maybe these guys are just assholes and not really chauvinists. But I don't see the guys in my office having these issues, and their actions go beyond typical attorney assholery. Thankfully, they are few and far between and my partners back me up.
4 comments:
maybe there's another way to interpret - i.e. that you're too good, and they think that going over / around you will get them a better result?
Sorry you have to deal with this... grr. But I agree with anonymous above. :) You're too good for them!
I had a judge tell me the other day that when I admonish a witness to give me a yes or no answer I sound bitchy but it's okay when a male attorney does it.
Oh, and the judge was a woman.
Wow, Shan. That's totally inappropriate!
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