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[Replaced_Texan]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

When I was a new GP at my last biglaw my Tier 1 auto supplier client was sold to a mega Tier 1. We also successfully settled a big plaintiff’s case. To celebrate I took the 2 in-house attorneys and the business guy who was head of the division, along with my partner to a very swank out there restaurant. It made sense as they each were going elsewhere and controlled millions in potential lawyer fees.

My partner had recently come back to Detroit from a few years working in wine country. During the course of a very liquid dinner I heard him chatting up the Sommelier, “$250 per bottle? That’s a great price for that wine.”

I thought he was just talking shop, but turns out that is what we were drinking. And it’s on my firm card. The bill was like $2000, $1250 for wine.

And I’m thinking do I tip 20%? There is no difference in work from bringing out a $50 bottle or a $250 bottle, right? But in the end I tipped 20%. And like I said, it did make sense to wine and dine those 3.

The next week our passive aggressive CEO sent out a firm wide email:

“Be wise with your firm expenses. Do you really think a client will send you work because you bought a $100 bottle of wine instead of. $50 bottle?”

I went to her office and explained that I had no idea what partner was ordering. She said she wasn’t writing about me. We had another partner that had a standing reservation each month at the most expensive restaurant around here. He’d take random people where he had some plausible reason why the person might be able to send work.

I was in awe of the gall.

This sort of thing does not happen in inhouse state agencies. At least where I am. Hell, people get fired for accepting baseball tickets from vendors.