Schmidt, Hammerstein & Foreman is an American law firm, built after the partnership
principle when it comes to the senior lawyers ("LA Law", anyone?).
The firm is fairly small, but has a good reputation. Its stable contains
around 16 lawyers, where 7 are senior partners. Other staff (that is, librarians,
and various short-term researchers and experts) usually number around 30.
The firm was founded in 1938, and is as such a fairly old firm. It was founded
by Harry Schmidt and Ishmael Hammerstein, both (then) recent escapees of a
gradually more oppressive Nazi-Germany. Ishmael could later thank his friend
Harry for his life, when the truth of the Jewish extermination camps became
known after WW II.
Paul Foreman did not join the firm until 1954, when he after a rather
successful time at the firm had accumulated enough money and friendship with
Ishmael and Harry to buy in as a full partner. The firm then changed its name
from Schmidt & Hammerstein to the present-day name, Schmidt, Hammerstein & Foreman.
Ishmael died in 1972, from a combination of heartbreak from his son Harry's fatal
motorcycle accident (Harry was named after his lifelong friend Harry Schmidt), and
complications in the treatment of his lymphatic cancer. He left a widow, Henrietta,
which died from grief in 1978, 6 years later.
Harry Schmidt retired to the position of a 'sleeping partner' in 1983, and is
still around. Paul Foreman is therefore senior senior partner in the firm,
though it is likely that he will soon retire to a sleeping partner position
soon because of failing health.
Harry Schmidt never got married, while Paul liked it so much he has tied the
knot three times. Paul's wives are (from first to the currently last one)
Lisa Henfield, Samantha Goldblum and Fiona Crimshaw. Paul has displayed a
tendency toward younger and younger wives - his last one, Fiona Crimshaw-Foreman
is only 28 (as opposed to Paul's 62).
Gerard Marceau, the representative for S, H & F in the board of LEI, is not
one of the seven lawyers that are full partners in the firm, but is probably
on the top of the list when the next full partner is admitted in the firm.
Gerard is a fairly small and stocky man (1.73m, 90 kg), but with a winning
(though somewhat arrogant) demeanor. He is a 3rd generation American - his
grandfather was an immigrant from Marseille a couple of years after WW I.
Gerard doesn't like his name much, and prefers to be called Greg (which sounds
more American than Gerard). It is a sort of rebellion to his father's incurable love for France.
He is thinking about changing his last name, but hasn't really gotten neither
the time nor the nerve up yet to do so.
Gerard is a sworn opponent of any sort of violence (except verbal - he's a
lawyer, after all), and has made violent cases his speciality in S, H & F.
Batterings, assault, and whatnot - he's the man to go after the culprit. In
a court of law, that is.
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