The Gift of Friends

On a plane from Geneva or Amsterdam a few years ago I sat next to a man and we struck up a conversation.  We seemed to hit it off well and exchanged business cards and went on our way.

Later this man’s family became involved in multi-million dollar litigation.  I got a call from his attorney and this fellow I remembered from the plane.  They needed some serious investigation. 

Soon I was sent out of state to get the skinny on the adverse party and spent a week or more doing just that.  I searched far and wide for something resembling a smoking gun for use in the courtroom.   My client’s lawyer really put a tight leash on me somewhat obstructing my areas of inquiry.   In these kinds of things the lawyer is the boss. I held my nose and obeyed him.

I turned up a bunch of things but nothing seemingly particularly exciting.  I called in my information from the field and forwarded my report later.

I was disappointed that I found nothing seemingly spectacular.  I felt they did not get the bang for the buck.  Boy was I wrong!  The documents showed that the adverse party committed perjury and the winds of fortune changed dramatically for my client.

My new client was a rare one.  He’s sane, sober, hard working and shared many of my interests.  Now my client has become a great friend and that’s the real bonus for that job.  The gift of friends is a true blessing in life. 

My new friend found at least one more friend through my friends.  Friendship is contagious.  I must say I like how this turned out.