Page 5 of Ask for Moore
“He’s not my client.”
I rolled my eyes at how he was splitting hairs. “Your firm’s then.”
“Not even that,” he corrected. “We’re no longer representing Burkhart Development in this matter.”
I had originally hoped to leverage my relationship with Mike to help guide our clients toward a settlement that would allow Marty to return to Florida without taking too much of a financial hit. Unfortunately, that option was now out the window. “Since when?”
“I was informed on Monday afternoon that Roger Burkhart decided he’d be better off with a Chicago firm for this matter.”
Mike’s tone held a degree of bitterness that could only mean one thing. “You represented him in the original deal?”
“Yup,” he confirmed.
Due to attorney-client privilege, he couldn’t share much of anything with me, so I didn’t bother asking about the case. “Do you know who he hired to take over for you?”
“Arnoult, Bamford, and Ford.”
They were one of the biggest law firms in Chicago, and their real estate law division had a hell of a reputation. Pulling my glasses off, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Burkhart is bringing in the big guns.”
“And I just met with their ice queen this morning. She stopped off to pick up his files on her way down there.”
My brows drew together. “Ice queen?”
“Waverly Duncan.”
I shook my head with a sigh. “I’ve never heard of her.”
“I did some asking around when I found out I’d been replaced. She’s a fourth-year associate licensed in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. The lawyer I talked to said that the guys in her own firm even call her that. She’s drop-dead gorgeous but freezes everyone out, even the other women at Arnoult, Bamford, and Ford.”
Petty gossip didn’t hold much weight with me. I was more interested in facts, such as opposing counsel only being a fourth-year associate. I wasn’t sure how many lawyers at Arnoult, Bamford, and Ford had a license to practice in Indiana, but Waverly Duncan couldn’t be the only one with land use experience they could have chosen to send down here to take care of Burkhart’s cases against the county and my client.
The firm was too big for her to have been the only option, so I couldn’t underestimate her abilities. But at least from the research I had done so far, Marty’s should be a slam dunk—for me. It would take some ingenious lawyering on Miss Duncan’s part to win. “Thanks for the warning.”
“No worries, man. Things aren’t the same around here without you. Do you ever think about returning to the big leagues?”
“Not at all. I’m quite happy with my little practice in Mooreville,” I drawled. My lips curved into a smirk as I added, “Which you would have been able to see for yourself if you hadn’t been replaced by the ice queen from the even bigger law firm in Chicago.”
“You don’t have to be an ass about it,” he grumbled, acting as though he hadn’t just been one himself. “Don’t call me the next time you need help.”
“A minor point of clarification, Mike…I didn’t call for help,” I corrected. “I reached out to the lawyer who I believed to be representing the plaintiff in a suit that’s about to be filed against my client, hoping to schedule an appointment to discuss a potential settlement.”
I probably should have felt bad when he hung up on me in a huff, but I was sick and tired of former colleagues throwing shade on my decision to return to my hometown whenever I talked to them. If I burned a bridge because I took up for myself, I was fine with that. And it wasn’t as though I faced off against lawyers from my old firm on a regular basis. Or even kept in touch with them much.
After I slammed my phone down harder than I should have, my assistant poked her head into my office. “Everything okay, boss?”
“Mike finally returned my call.”
Ivy’s gaze darted toward my cell as she tilted her head to the side. “Did he already file the lawsuit against Marty?”
“Nope, he’s not even representing Burkhart anymore.”
“Dang.” She let out a low whistle. “I get why you’re pissed. The least he could’ve done was send you a text two days ago to let you know. It only would have taken a minute. I get that lawyers have to be cutthroat, but some friend he turned out to be.”
I shook my head, my lips curving into a grin. “If he did before, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t consider us friends anymore.”
“Pfft. His loss.”
Ivy had been the last applicant I interviewed for my assistant position when I was getting ready to open my firm. On paper, she hadn’t been the most qualified for the position. She’d just gotten her two-year degree from a nearby community college and had no experience working in an office. I had even considered canceling her appointment, but then I decided she could at least use the experience of doing the interview. It turned out to be a good thing that I’d paid attention to the good manners my mom had drilled into my head growing up because Ivy had impressed me enough when she came in that I changed my mind and hired her instead.
