It has been a busy week. I have been consumed by this matter I am working on with Ben. The matter Peters asked me to call his friend about after the pro bono breakfast the other week.
It turns out Peters' friend is in a bind. Not a Tony-Mokbel-international-scandal bind but nonetheless a bind of a criminal nature.
The story goes like this...
Peters' friend is a long standing client of the firm. It is unclear whether he was a mate or a client first but he gives BCF millions of dollars of work from his construction business each year so now he is a mate, a very good mate (VGM).
The day before Peters and I had breakfast VGM called Peters about a construction matter BCF is handling for him. During the course of the conversation, VGM subtly integrated the fact that he and his wife has separated. Peters was sympathetic and supportive and insisted on taking VGM out for lunch.
Over the set lunch menu at Vue de Monde, VGM told Peters the whole story. He and his wife had married young. They have been married for 18 years now. It all started beautifully, he built her the house of her dreams and she played the part of dutiful and beautiful wife for him. Slowly, as he started to work more and she became lonely, abandoned in the big house, things began to come unstuck. He claims she has a substance abuse problem (a Toorak house wife who likes her cocoa puffs). She claims he beat her a number of times over the course of the marriage. He denies he beat her; she denies the substance abuse.
The wife has successfully taken out an interim intervention order against VGM and is seeking a full intervention order at the hearing next week. She has also provided police with a damning statement which forms the basis of an assault charge against VGM.
VGM has instructed us to defend the charge at all costs and Ben and I are preparing for the contest in a couple of weeks. I must say it doesn't look good.
Time to do some digging on VGM and, more importantly, his wife.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
- Trixie Allan
- Melbourne, VIC, Australia
So Far...
I was a criminal lawyer slumming it in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne (Broadmeadows), defending crims and doing a bit of law reform lobbying.
Now I've sold my soul to a big city firm (BCF) for a fat pay packet and a billable hours target of 6.5 hours every day. My Uncle (a BCF partner) seduced me with a corporate salary and I was temporarily blinded by dollar signs.
My first task was a pro bono secondment at a community legal centre where I stupidly shagged Paul the graduate and was haunted by the ghost of 'Ben' (Mr Perfect).
On returning to the Collins St BCF I discovered that a couple of years doing criminal law in a Magistrates' Court does not make me a compentent litigation lawyer. I stuff up big time, have my self respect taken away and then find out that BCF is merging with ABC Laywers and I am going to have to work with dreaded Ben.
So, disillusioned, I continue, fighting my way through the mysteries of BCF life...
Now I've sold my soul to a big city firm (BCF) for a fat pay packet and a billable hours target of 6.5 hours every day. My Uncle (a BCF partner) seduced me with a corporate salary and I was temporarily blinded by dollar signs.
My first task was a pro bono secondment at a community legal centre where I stupidly shagged Paul the graduate and was haunted by the ghost of 'Ben' (Mr Perfect).
On returning to the Collins St BCF I discovered that a couple of years doing criminal law in a Magistrates' Court does not make me a compentent litigation lawyer. I stuff up big time, have my self respect taken away and then find out that BCF is merging with ABC Laywers and I am going to have to work with dreaded Ben.
So, disillusioned, I continue, fighting my way through the mysteries of BCF life...
2 comments:
Hey Trix,
Fantastic Read!
I've just graduated but am going bush for articles and hope that billable hours don't suck the life from my soul as a consequence.
Keep it up!
Ooohhhh the country. I often wonder if I would survive a life in the country. Unfortunately, I think the biallable hours pressure at BCFs would be substituted by fixed fee pressure in the country, ie how many conveyances and wills can you do in one day.... you can never escape the need to make money for the man!
good luck!
Post a Comment