Hello, boys and girls. Come sit round and let Grandpa tell you how he was put on a matter.
So this was maybe 40 years ago when Grandpa was a first year associate, mobile phones and computers didn’t exist and people did research by looking at books.
Grandpa was in the law firm library on a Saturday evening working on a matter (yes, it was like that back then, too). The phone rang on the main desk and the rule was that whoever was in the library had to pick it up.
It was Important Partner X, who was calling from a meeting with clients, and who sounded three sheets to the wind.
« Say, who is that on the line? »
« It’s [Grandpa], I said.
« Ok, Gramps. Go and look up for me what the squeeze-out percentage is in Delaware and call me back. »
So Grandpa went and did the research and found the answer in about ten minutes (no AI at the time that would have found the answer in ten seconds). He called the partner back and gave him the answer.
« Good for you. Put a unit of time down on the X matter. »
Which Grandpa happily did, for monthly billables was just as important back then.
Three months later, Grandpa gets a call from another partner.
« Say, Grandpa, I see you worked on the X matter and you are an expert on Delaware squeeze outs, that’s great, you are going to be put on a new squeeze out deal with tough deadlines and insane hours… »
And that, boys and girls, is how Grandpa became the bottom rung associate on the famous Y squeeze out matter.