The Partnership - A Novel

De: Steven Harper

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Debut novel from the author of the true-crime award winner, "Crossing Hoffa: A Teamster's Story." "The Partnership" opens a window into a secret world. A mysterious death, illicit romantic liaisons, courtroom drama, and crises of personal conscience frame a titanic struggle at the nation’s most lucrative law firm. A twenty-first-century legal thriller with a twist, "The Partnership" reveals what happens to rich and powerful insiders as the business school mentality extends its tentacles across a once-noble profession. The themes resonate; "The Bonfire of the Vanities" still burns. Albert Knight has reached the pinnacle of power as one of the “magnificent seven”— leaders of the international legal powerhouse Michelman & Samson. Only one step remains: Knight and his archenemy Ronald Ratkin are front-runners to replace the Executive Committee’s retiring chairman. Knight and Ratkin were once best friends, but that was long ago. Despite their twenty-year animosity, each has embraced the firm’s transformation to a bottom-line business and the stunning wealth it produces. As the price of success, they endure and inflict profound personal damage along the way. When gifted trial lawyer Ronald Ratkin’s $100 million client defies protocol by interrupting the sacrosanct Executive Committee meeting, all seven attorneys are suspicious. The news, Ratkin suspects, could upset his ongoing billion-dollar trial, send stocks plummeting, and destroy his client, his law firm, and his personal wealth. But the wily Ratkin has a foolproof plan. Or will his own greed and that of his fellow partners undo him? *** Praise for "Crossing Hoffa" One of the "BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR" -- Chicago Tribune "Gripping, tender, and intriguing" -- Scott Turow "A tale of mystery and intrigue" -- Booklist "Tightly woven and gritty" -- American Lawyer "Fascinating and moving" -- Bloomberg News "Riveting eyewitness history...Bravo!" -- Charles Brandt *** About the Author Steven J. Harper is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and the author, most recently, of "The Lawyer Bubble - A Profession in Crisis" (Basic Books, 2013). His earlier non-fiction books: true-crime award winner "Crossing Hoffa: A Teamster’s Story" (Borealis, 2007) and "Straddling Worlds: The Jewish-American Journey of Professor Richard W. Leopold" (Northwestern University Press, 2008). He is also a columnist at "The American Lawyer" and a contributor to "Business Insider." Harper is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and included in numerous compilations of the best lawyers in America. For thirty years, he was a litigation attorney in a large law firm that he joined upon graduation from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude). He received combined B.A. and M.A. degrees in economics (with honors) from Northwestern. He and his wife have three adult children and live in suburban Chicago. Visit his website at: www.stevenjharper.com. He blogs at "The Belly of the Beast" (www.thelawyerbubble.com).