Chapter 11
With practiced speed, David Jones tapped out a message on his phone while a bevy of lawyers jostled each other as they filed into the board room.
Gershon: ‘I’ve asked Simone to set up some house parties for you. They are great fundraising opportunities. Plus you can reach more voters with your message.’
David: ‘Why? I’ve been doing fundraising events every weekend since April. A house party isn’t going to reach that many people.’
Gershon: ‘Trust me. You hired me.’
David: ‘Why did I hire you again?’
Gershon: ‘So that I can do the dirty work while you focus on sounding and looking good and staying on message.’
David: ‘That all?’
Gershon: “Oh, and raising money. Very important. And obtaining votes. More important.”
David sighed and glanced to the top right-hand corner of his phone. It was now nine o’clock. He took a deep breath and disciplined his thoughts so he could focus on the meeting. He glanced around the room at the team of junior and senior associates and legal assistants. He had hand-picked every one of them to work on one of the company’s most esteemed projects to date.
Following a brief welcome, he launched into the matter at hand.
“United Airlines has asked us to represent it in its merger and acquisition of Western Air.”
There was a perceptible buzz in the air. United Airlines was the leading airline in the country. Western Air had been floundering for some time and had laid off a large number of employees in recent months in an attempt, it would seem, to stay afloat. There had been speculation that they were looking to sell, but these had just been unsubstantiated rumors – until now.
“I don’t have to tell you that this information is highly confidential. The deal will be negotiated between the Target’s counsels and us. It is intended that following the M&A, United Airlines will remain in business and the acquired company, Western Air, will be integrated into their operations and cease to exist after the merger. As such, it is really more an acquisition than a merger. It is envisaged, though, that Western Air’s shareholders will have minor ownership and control of the combined enterprise.”
David looked around at each attentive face. He could feel the excitement. This was a big deal for Jones Law. Even the chairman had been impressed they had gotten the account. David sincerely hoped he had made the right decision with respect to the team he had handpicked, especially the project manager. The lawyers were a known quantity. She wasn’t. It was a risk but one he was willing to take. He believed in her.
He continued.
“As we commence negotiations, I always want you to be mindful of one thing. As lawyers, we are not simply working on the legal aspects of this deal. We are also helping our client minimize risk, allocate risk, and maximize shareholder value. Remember, for every action we take, whether it is an area to be investigated or a provision to be drafted, we must ask ourselves if this action will help our client do those three things better. If it won’t, then it means it’s not worth doing and we need to go back to the drawing board.”
David noted the nods. He loved this aspect of his job, guiding, coaching, imparting knowledge. That’s why he enjoyed lecturing at Chicago Law. It gave him pleasure to think that he was passing on skills to others. It didn’t matter if they were preparing to practice law or had been practicing for forty years. Anyone was capable of acquiring new skills and learning better ways of doing business.
“Associates, I am sure you will agree that we have to carefully manage this process.”
He again noted the nods around the room.
“That is where Ronnie Dickson comes in. She will be project manager for this M&A.”
There was a hush in the room. Glances were exchanged. Eyes were turned on Ronnie, some in curiosity, some in admiration, and some in hostility. He could almost feel the questions whirling through their minds. The news clearly had stunned them. What qualified this junior, in fact, the most junior legal assistant at Jones Law, to manage one of their biggest most sensitive projects?
David glanced at the lady in question. He caught her eyes and noted how she squared her shoulders and raised her chin a notch. She was trying to look brave. He wanted to give her a reassuring smile, but he restrained himself. He couldn’t give the team the impression she had been chosen for any reason other than her competence.
David turned a serious face back to the team members.
“Ronalda ‘Ronnie’ Dickson brings with her a natural instinct for managing projects and has previously worked as the executive legal assistant for a senior partner at Alistair & Kaufmann…a position that saw her researching and compiling defense for some of the toughest criminal cases in Chicago. She graduated at the top of her class at Columbia University where she majored in Business. During her final year, she led a group at the University on a project with a global financial consulting company. They were asked to deliver a strategic framework, detailed competitor analysis, and primary data findings focused on customer preferences for reward products. The emphasis was placed on building a competitive reward program for the US retail banking sector. The project was not only a rousing success but brought the school’s business department a grant from the company. Most recently, as you know, she oversaw an upgrade to Jones Law’s technical case management system, which allows us to file searches four times faster than it took previously. Ronnie’s role will factor heavily in our ability to close this deal on time and on budget. And based on what I just outlined, I think you will agree that we are in good hands.”
David paused. He met and held several gazes.
“But as important as the project manager is to this process, each team member’s contribution is critical. After all, a project manager is only as good as his or her team’s capabilities and performance. I am confident that I have the best M&A lawyers and legal assistants in Chicago working on this deal. And I’ll tell you why.”
As David went on to name the other members of the team, the areas of their responsibilities and, just as he had done with Ronnie, read a dossier on each one and how their education, skills, and experience would have played a role in their selection, faces began to relax into smiles.
He ended by assuring them of his support and cautioning them that he expected their hard work and commitment.
He looked at each of them with purposeful intensity, hoping to underscore the importance of the huge mission.
“There is no room for error, colleagues. If we mess up, it can cost millions. Failure is not an option.”
Then he allowed a slight smile.
“But this is the best M&A team in Chicago, so we don’t even know how to spell the word failure, right?”
A tittering of laughter rippled through the room.
David fielded several questions related to the case, and by the end of the meeting, he felt very satisfied. He could sense an eagerness to get down to work and surpass expectations. There seemed to be an understanding that everyone chosen had been selected based on merit alone. There seemed to be an understanding that he wanted results, not excuses. Mission accomplished.
~*~*~*~
After the meeting had adjourned, David and Ronnie returned to his office together. As they walked down the corridor leading to his door, she said, “Thanks.”
David glanced at her.
“For what?”
“For assuring everyone that I had the necessary skills to manage this project.”
“Have I convinced you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I noted you seemed a little uncomfortable at the start of the meeting when I announced you would be project manager. Were you having doubts about your ability?”
“A little, I guess. Mainly, though, I felt the hostility from some team members who probably wondered how I got the assignment. I don’t like to be disliked. I experienced that a little when I first started assisting Tracey and then in full force when I got promoted to work for her. I
t has not been the most pleasant feeling.”
He pulled up short and stared at her in surprise.
“You never told me about this.”
She shrugged helplessly.
“I can’t come running and complaining to my boss whenever another employee is mean to me. That would be childish. I just suck it up and accept it as par for the course.”
“Who has been mean and what have they been doing or saying?”
“I’d rather not say, David.”
The last thing she needed was for David to intervene. It would not stop people from thinking what they wanted to and could actually fuel the rumors more. She was also too embarrassed to tell him that Anne had mentioned that Lei was spreading rumors that Ronnie had slept with David to get promoted.
“I don’t like the thought of people gossiping in this firm.”
She gave a bark of incredulous laughter.
“How are you going to stop that, David? Gossiping is as old as time. People will say what they like. All I can do is continue to do my best, and hopefully, they will come to see the truth. If they don’t, that’s their problem. I can’t make it mine.”
“I guess not. Still, rumors can be construed as slander, and I will treat them as such if the name of whoever is doing it gets to my ears.”
That was fine with her, but that information would have to come from another source. It wouldn’t get to his ears through her.
Ronnie decided it was a good time to change the subject.
“How did you find out all that history about me?”
“I spoke to your past employer as well as a few of your professors. I had to be sure I was making the right decision.”
“I thought you were taking a chance on me. Whatever happened to all that talk about being sure I could do it and having my back and all that jazz?”
He grinned.
“Everything I said about my admiration for you and your brilliant mind is absolutely true. But I don’t operate by instinct alone. I also like to back that up with empirical evidence. While I take risks from time to time, they tend to be informed risks. I’m not likely to make hasty decisions about most things, especially important things. I like to observe, gather my research, look at things from every angle, reflect, and then make a decision.”
She tilted her head to better observe him as she asked in a teasing tone, “How do you get anything done that way?”
“Very well, actually.”
“Me? I like to fly by the seat of my pants.”
He snorted.
“How has that worked out for you so far?”
“Pretty good,” she said saucily, sticking a hand on one hip. “I got this cool job with this awesome law firm, became the assistant to their dynamic CEO, and am now the project manager for this major Merger & Acquisition of Western Air by US Airline. How do you like dem apples?”
David burst out laughing, and Ronnie’s heart warmed. It felt so good to know she had the ability to lighten his mood.
When his amusement died down, she said, “There’s something that you said in the meeting that really resonated with me.”
“What was that?”
“For every action we take on this deal we need to ask ourselves if it will help our clients minimize risk, allocate risk, or maximize shareholder value. And if it doesn’t do any of those things, then it’s a waste of time, and we need to go back to the drawing board.”
“Good to know you were paying attention,” he said wryly.
“It reminded me of my walk with Christ and how for every action I take I need to ask myself if it’s going to bring me closer to Him or take me away. If I find it’s the latter, then I shouldn’t do it because it’s a waste of my time.”
He looked at her with admiration reflected in his eyes.
“You have this amazing wisdom that’s way beyond your years, you know that?”
She blushed and looked down at her pointy-tipped purple shoes.
“I read somewhere once that knowledge comes from a book, but wisdom comes from walking with God. If you think I’m wise, then it’s my walk with Him you’re witnessing. It’s not me.”`
“I wish I were as spiritual as you. As confident about my decisions.”
“It doesn’t happen by accident, David. I have to be intentional. I made a commitment some years ago to grow in my relationship with God. There was a time in my life when my mornings were always a hurried scramble. I always went to bed too late and then overslept and was galloping to get where I needed to go on time. There was no thought to prayer or Bible study. I realized that I had developed a pattern of behavior that was having an impact on my relationship with God because it pretty much set the tone for my day. I began to set up my alarm clock. And it was tough. Many days I just turned it off and promptly went back to sleep. But then I realized I had to make myself go to bed early at night even when I wasn’t sleepy so I could get up early. I pushed through the discomfort. And you know what I discovered? I began to look forward to meeting God each morning in His Word over a cup of green tea, to talk to Him, to have Him mold me into what He wants through divine instruction. I still look forward to it. It’s sometimes tough, and I fall back into old ways occasionally, but I dust myself off and get back to it.”
He shook his head and closed his eyes tightly for a brief moment.
“I need to do that. I rush through most days myself. My life has become so hectic. My Bible has been collecting dust on my nightstand for some time.”
Ronnie resisted the urge to squeeze David’s arm in a comforting touch. But she did take a step closer to him and said gently, “David, pursuing a godly life takes discipline, purposefulness. Those are things you’re good at. Just apply your legendary discipline to that area of your life. I’m not naturally the most disciplined or organized person. If I can do it you can.”
“I never would have guessed you’re not disciplined. You seem quite organized at work.”
“I’ll have to confess that I have learned the hard way over the years. I have had to force myself to be organized. In my younger days, I wasn’t.”
“This…from a former athlete?”
She had told him some time ago that she had been a member of the Columbia Lions women’s basketball team.
“I played basketball because it was fun. I just happened to also have a natural affinity for it. If I was as disciplined as I should have been, I could have made MVP. I just didn’t work hard enough at it. All those things have taught me that if you don’t work hard, you won’t achieve the results you want. Nothing worth having comes without work. So now I use all types of means to keep me on track. Day planners, priority lists, alarm clocks, all those things.”
“And when you’ve got a super computer for a brain I guess it helps too, right?” he teased.
She smiled at his compliment but said nothing until she looked around and realized they were approaching the first portrait along the ‘Hall of Fame.' She remembered something she had meant to ask for a little while.
“Why isn’t your photo here?”
He grimaced. “There are enough Jones men up there. What difference is one more going to make?”
“Are you saying you don’t agree with the photos being here?”
“It meant a lot to my ancestors. Let’s just say it’s just not that important to me. I don’t want to be a figurehead or a nice photo on a wall. I want to make my mark by being the best leader I can possibly be.”
“Nonetheless, Mr. Jones…”
He threw her a warning glance.
“…David, I think you should have your photo up here. Your employees want to feel the assurance that you really are running things now and not your father.”
She noticed how he winced faintly at her statement as though she had struck a nerve. He waved dismissively.
“Fine, I’ll have Joan take care of it.”
“Actually, I want to take care of it.”
He glanced at her in surprise, and then a second later a corner of his mou
th lifted.
“Of course you do. My Girl Friday also wanted to undertake the technological upgrade. By all means, Ronnie, go right ahead.”
She resisted the urge to jump up and click her heels together. Ideas had already begun to form in her head.
“Your father looks fierce,” she commented as they passed the photo of Darrell Jones.
David’s smile died, and his lips thinned.
“He can be. Although his bark is usually worse than his bite that’s no comfort to the victim. Sometimes a dog’s bark can be so fierce it can give a person a heart attack.”
Ronnie noted the bitterness in David’s tone but decided not to comment just then. Instead, she pointed to the portrait of Vernon Jones.
“This is your grandfather, right?”
David nodded.
“Is he still alive?”
A smile of admiration spread across David’s face.
“Very much so. He’s 82 years old. Grandpa is a legend. He helped to move this country towards desegregation in the Sixties as head strategist for the plaintiffs in Brown vs. Board of Education.”
“And who is this?” Ronnie asked, moving to stand opposite the black and white photo of a man with light skin and sharp eyes.
“That’s my great-grandfather, Roscoe Jones. He lived to be 104. Died just three years ago. Roscoe helped propel the then law firm Jones & Jones into the area of corporate law.”
They walked all the way down the line with Ronnie asking questions and David responding. They ended with the firm’s founder, Alan Jones.
“He was the first African-American lawyer and a founding member of Howard University. He is still celebrated during Black History month each year,” David said with pride.
“How come you didn’t go to Howard?” Ronnie asked.
It took David a couple of minutes to respond.
“I was rebelling,” he said quietly.
“Most kids rebel by dropping out of school and smoking pot. You rebel by going to Columbia and Harvard, two top Ivy League schools. I like your rebellions.”
He snorted a laugh.
A Case For Love (Royals Series Book 3) Page 12