Chapter 47: The Robert Chen Connection
The coffee shop was one of those Midtown places that charged eight dollars for mediocre espresso and survived on location rather than quality. I sat in the back corner with my laptop, reviewing discovery responses, when someone approached my table.
"Scott Roden?"
I looked up. Asian guy, early thirties, expensive but understated clothes—tailored jeans, designer watch, the uniform of tech entrepreneurs who'd made their first million and were hungry for more. He held out his hand.
"Robert Chen. Eleanor Chen's son."
The name clicked. Mrs. Chen—the housing discrimination case from my first month at Pearson Hardman. Pro bono work that Louis had assigned to keep me busy, that had turned into an actual victory when the landlord's lawyer couldn't match my documentation.
"Robert. Your mom doing well?"
"She is. Thanks to you." He gestured at the empty chair. "Mind if I sit? I promise this isn't a social call."
"Please."
He sat down, ordered something complicated from the passing waiter, then pulled out his phone and showed me a website. Clean design, blue and white color scheme, logo that said "FlowPay" in modern sans-serif.
"Payment processing platform for gig economy workers. Drivers, delivery people, freelancers—anyone who gets paid in small increments and needs instant access to their money instead of waiting two weeks for direct deposit."
I scrolled through the site. Well designed. Professional. The kind of thing that could actually work if executed properly.
"You built this?"
"Me and two partners. We soft-launched six months ago. Five thousand active users, processing about two hundred thousand dollars monthly. Now we're raising Series A funding—three million from a venture capital firm in Palo Alto."
"Congratulations. But I'm guessing you didn't track me down to share good news."
Robert's expression shifted, businessman replacing grateful son. "We need legal counsel. Corporate structure, IP protection, investor agreements, employment contracts. Our current lawyer is a friend from business school who handles residential real estate. He's in over his head."
"Why me?"
"Because my mom says you fought for her when no one else would. You didn't treat her pro bono case like charity—you treated it like it mattered. I want that kind of lawyer for my company."
The waiter brought Robert's drink—some elaborate thing with foam. He ignored it, focused on me.
"What's your incorporation status right now?" I asked.
"LLC. We need to convert to C-corp before the funding closes. The investors require it for their structure."
"IP assignments from all three founders?"
"Verbal agreements. Nothing in writing."
I kept my expression neutral but internally winced. Verbal agreements were worthless when money got involved. "Employment agreements with any contractors or employees?"
"Handshake deals."
"Non-competes? Non-solicitation clauses?"
"Nothing formal."
This was worse than I thought. Three entrepreneurs building something valuable without basic legal protections. If one partner decided to walk, or if investors discovered the IP situation, the whole deal could collapse.
[ **Win Rate Calculator: Business Assessment** ]
FlowPay Legal Risk: High Series A Completion Probability (Current State): 34% With Proper Legal Structure: 78% Billable Hours Required: 60-80 Revenue Potential: $40K-60K
I closed my laptop, gave Robert my full attention. "You need immediate work. Corporate restructuring, IP assignments, founder agreements, investor documentation. Probably sixty to eighty hours of legal work before your funding closes."
"How much?"
"Depends on the firm. Pearson Hardman would charge you two-fifty to three-fifty an hour, probably bill you for a hundred hours because they'd assign a junior associate who doesn't know what they're doing. Hardman & Associates would charge less but move slower because we're understaffed."
"And you?"
I thought about that. Robert had tracked me down based on his mother's gratitude, which meant loyalty mattered more than prestige. He was offering legitimate work that could turn into a long-term client relationship if I handled it right.
"Here's what I'll do. This conversation? Free consultation. You go home, think about whether you want to work with me specifically or just want competent corporate counsel. If you want Hardman & Associates officially engaged, I'll connect you with our managing partner and we'll handle everything properly. If you want someone who'll treat your company like it matters, keep my number."
Robert studied me. "You're not pushing the sale."
"I'm giving you information to make your own decision. That's what good lawyers do."
"My mom said you were different." He picked up his drink, took a sip. "Walk me through what needs to happen. Specifically."
I spent the next forty minutes outlining the corporate restructure—Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, board structure, IP assignments that would satisfy investors, employment agreements for the two co-founders and any contractors. I sketched organizational structure on a napkin, explained Delaware C-corp versus California benefit corp, outlined the investor rights and preferences that would show up in the term sheet.
Robert took notes on his phone, asked smart questions, understood the implications faster than most entrepreneurs. By the time we finished, his drink was cold and my coffee was gone.
"Send me a formal engagement proposal," Robert said, standing up. "I want Hardman & Associates as counsel of record, but I want you as my primary contact. Not some partner who delegates everything. You."
"I can make that work."
"Good. Funding closes in six weeks. I need everything buttoned up before then."
We shook hands. He left cash on the table—enough to cover both drinks and a generous tip—and headed out. I watched him go, thinking about what this meant.
[ **Blackmail Archive: Entry Created** ]
Robert Chen - FlowPay CEO Loyalty Driver: Personal gratitude (mother's case) Decision Style: Values integrity over prestige Relationship: Direct to Scott, portable across firms Status: Long-term ally potential
This was exactly what I'd done at Pearson Hardman that had made Jessica nervous—building client relationships that followed me rather than staying with the firm. But at Hardman & Associates, with a boss who cared more about results than control, it was an asset.
I packed up my laptop, headed back to the office. Hardman was in a partner meeting but his assistant said I could wait. I sat in the small conference room, drafted an engagement proposal that positioned the work as business development from my pro bono network while ensuring Robert's communications would flow directly to me.
Twenty minutes later, Hardman emerged from his meeting, read my proposal standing up.
"Fintech startup. Series A funding. Sixty to eighty billable hours at our standard rate." He looked at me. "Where did this come from?"
"Pro bono case I did at Pearson Hardman generated goodwill. The client's son needs corporate counsel."
"And he tracked you down specifically?"
"Based on my work ethic. He wants someone who treats his company like it matters, not someone who treats him like a billable hour target."
Hardman smiled slightly. "That's portable business. You're building a client base that follows you, not the firm."
"Is that a problem?"
"At Pearson Hardman it would be. Jessica fears associates who could walk away with clients. Here?" He handed back the proposal. "Here it's proof you're thinking like a partner. Send it. Get the work. Bill aggressively but deliver quality. And Scott?" He paused at the door. "Keep building relationships like this. They're the foundation of a real practice."
After he left, I finalized the proposal and emailed it to Robert with cc to Hardman for firm records. Professional. Proper. Documented.
But the relationship was mine.
My phone buzzed. Email notification—Robert had already responded. Proposal accepted. Let's get started. When can we meet to discuss IP assignments?
I smiled and started scheduling. This was what partnership looked like from the ground up—clients who chose you personally, work that followed you anywhere, relationships built on trust rather than firm prestige.
Jessica had been right to fear it. Not because it was unethical, but because it meant I'd never need Pearson Hardman's name to succeed.
The system cataloged it all silently, but I barely noticed. This wasn't about calculations or probabilities. This was about building something that would outlast whatever firm I worked for.
One client at a time.
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