The Coup

In 2002 my partner, Michael Connell and I decided to open an office in Kennewick.  We were serving a number of clients from the Tri-Cities area and felt that we could easily expand our practice.  Within 6 months, we realized that we had bitten off more than we could chew.  We immediately hired a law clerk out of BYU, Christopher Childers and tasked him to help us grow the Kennewick office.  He accomplished that in spades.  What has happened in the last decade is largely attributable to Christopher's remarkable skills and talent.  We now have 46 full-time employees, over half of whom work out of the Kennewick office.  We have built a beautiful building in Kennewick and developed a staff and sense of professionalism in that office that is a direct reflection of Christopher's efforts and skills.  Several years ago we hired Mistee Verhulp, a seasoned Personal Injury litigator to work out of Kennewick office and immediately made her a partner.  This past fall we added Marcus Henry a recent graduate from Willamette Law School, who will also work out of the Kennewick office. 

Before Marcus entered onto the scene, I loved going to Kennewick. I enjoyed a spacious office that included a refrigerator (which our office manager stocked with chilled soft drinks) and a conscientious support staff that was second to none. The week that Marcus was sworn in and officially joined our firm all of that changed.  Rumor has it that it changed the week before, but I was intentionally kept out of the loop while I was on vacation.  Following his swearing in ceremony, he moved his stuff into "my office", took down my name plate on the door and restocked the fridge with soft drinks he preferred.  My stuff?  As you might have guessed, in a box in the storage room. How did this happen exactly?  One minute I was king of an empire.  The next?  I found myself one step away from what is the equivalency of homelessness in the business world.   

Now some have suggested that this might have something to do with declining production or failing legal acumen.  While that might be empirically true, instead of statistics and hard cold facts, I prefer emotions and personal bias to form the basis of all of my really important decisions in life.  (This is something to which any astute follower of Darrell's Yakimania can attest.)  What I think is really happening is that the young wolves in the pack have smelled blood. The pack is essentially taking down the "Big Dog."  Beyond power and money, I'm not exactly sure of their motives, but a coup is definitely in the offing. So, if you drive past our Kennewick office anytime soon and notice the sign has been changed to "Marcus Henry & Associates" you will know the rebellion succeeded.

Editors Note:  I am actually quite fond of Marcus and his wife Ashley and am thrilled they joined our firm. Marcus is smart, motivated and hardworking--everything one would look for in a law partner.  While it is true he commandeered my space in Kennewick, I suppose I should admit that I might have actually acquiesced to this transition in a moment of weakness.  Marcus has a very bright future ahead of him as a lawyer.  I am proud of his accomplishment in passing the bar and am looking to working with him for the next decade. 

Above is a picture of Marcus and his family immediately following his swearing in ceremony in the historic Franklin County Courthouse.