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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781982201685 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Balboa Press |
| Publication date: | 07/19/2018 |
| Pages: | 312 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Auditorium, Renard Building
Wilmington, Delaware
Honesty for the universal good of humankind is timeless, her father and mother had stated. Bernadetta DeVittoria — Bernie — always did the right thing for humanity in every aspect. Her parents' memories of her childhood were of Bernie filling her mind with assured courage, empathy, and acts of kindness time after time. She studied, reflected, and valued fearlessness in others. Her daily courageousness had the essentials of faith in God, eagerness, backbone, and endurance, which enabled her to assist life's oppressed victims. This significant, uncommon, duty-bound trait of helpfulness sprouted in Bernie's childhood and remained with her throughout her life. That was then, and this was now.
On the one hand, the interview for a job with her previous employer was excellently timed; she hoped and prayed it would turn out to be a lucky twist of fate. Bernie took into consideration that her job interview today was exclusively tied to a global legal predicament that was now taking the form of a fiery, colossal, gaping hole of a disaster. Local and national newspaper headlines broadcast claims such as, "Chicken Little's Fellowship: The Sky Is Falling for Renard Chemical," "Victims Rocking Renard Chemical's Boat: Why Did It Take So Long?", "Victims Shattered and Fighting Back," "A Rocky Road for Renard," and "One Crisis after Another: Renard Is on the Brink."
The question that plagued her was: What if she'd turned away? Why didn't I cross that bridge and take the opportunity to help Renard Chemical during their multiple legal disappointments? She tried to encourage herself with some positive self-talk. She had always been a capable, trustworthy, and dedicated employee, so she should step up to the challenge to aid Renard now. In addition, that's what women did: assist others in their hours of need in a nurturing, helpful, and caring manner. Also, the gainful employment path with Renard was the one she should be on, technically speaking, that's.
En route to her interview, she noticed the remaining scattered snow mounds were melting away. Welcoming spring hues and tones, she found the drive into the city on this Tuesday morning rewarding. The scattered flora were golden, and she took pleasure in the breathtaking blooming gardens everywhere in this enchanting almost-springtime wonderland. Azalea trails arose near splashes of yellow forsythias. Clusters of daffodils were budding, cherry trees peeked out, and dogwoods showed off. And her church's bells rang in the not-so-far distance as she waited for the light to turn green.
Bernadetta DeVittoria was content with herself today. Her business suit was pressed and buttoned properly. She just wished she could use the pause button to make special moments last a lifetime. Everything being equal, it was the little things in life that mattered.
Bernie lucked out, finding an ideal parking spot that would allow her to bolt from the job interview, and for now, the weather was flawless. She took her attaché case from the passenger seat, checked for the fresh printout of her résumé, and walked in the direction of her interview. She'd sold real estate full time in a down market with 16 to 20 percent mortgage interest rates for the past four years. She looked forward to regaining steady employment with her previous employer, Renard Chemical Company. She'd wanted the spot for several reasons, but paying the bills was top on her list right now, since she'd just filed for divorce. So far, so good, she thought, until she turned the corner and saw all the TV trucks and news media positioned at the Renard theater entryway. She doubled back and went in a side entrance she'd used when she had been an employee. After she emerged from the long hallway straddled by in-house security personnel, she could see the interview process was well marked. Sign-in sheets and documents explained the employment position and its details for Renard Chemical's legal department.
As she turned another corner, Bernie saw many Renard security guards directing potential employees to three lines: one for individuals who worked for Renard previously, one for those with previous legal experience, and one for all others. They were telling applicants to have their résumés out and to move to the designated area in the auditorium.
Bernie followed the instructions and headed down the hall. When she entered the auditorium, she knew the newspaper headlines were accurate in their description of legal disaster for Renard Chemical with this many people applying for jobs. There had to be more than a thousand people in the enormous room; it was standing room only. Bernie had received notice about this job opportunity from a friend, Mary Morgan, who was so excited for her to come back to Renard because she knew of Bernie's present home-life situation. Bernie had enjoyed her former job at Renard Chemical, and she leaped at the opportunity. Glynn Ryan and Anthony Cavalli eventually kicked off the meeting. They displayed a magnitude of professionalism, along with candor, and they were dressed impeccably. Glynn wore what looked like a Jones of New York celery- green pantsuit with a gorgeous scarf. Anthony wore an Armani navy-blue pinstripe with white shirt and red tie. They both appeared to be in their late thirties or early forties. They said they were attorneys who had worked for the Renard Chemical Company for the past fourteen years. Their style was informative, relaxing to watch, and exceedingly easy to listen to. They exhibited all the right efforts to make a positive first impression. They also introduced others on the team, including lawyers, paralegals, and administrative support staff from Renard's internal legal department.
Glynn stated, "The job positions are for litigation support staff for one of the largest global lawsuits brought against the Renard Chemical Company in history. Maybe you've read about these lawsuits in the newspapers, referencing KBCTG. Our task will be to retrieve responsive documents for Renard. These valuable retrieval tasks for the Renard Chemical Company and its shareholders are imperative. I'll now quote a great Supreme Court justice when he was trying to show the value of concentration and how it helped him achieve such a high place in the legal world. He said, 'The law is a jealous mistress. It tolerates no competition. The law says to its devotees, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Success in any field says just about the same thing.'"
Glynn attempted to make eye contact with the audience and continued. "You will hear our legal management staff and me often tell you to stay focused, concentrate, look, and watch. It's vital to listen. Keep your eye on the ball; become the ball. Take this job extremely seriously, and you will do well."
Bernadetta felt like such an idiot not to have read more into the newspaper articles she'd seen. She'd read about these lawsuits and how they were being moved out of the Delaware court system and to other states, owing to conflict of interest and favoritism toward Renard. She was surprised, as it wasn't how she remembered Renard and its company policies. Even though she'd never worked in the legal department, she was familiar with it from her previous positions in Renard's product lines and her interaction with their legal teams.
Anthony Cavalli stood, rubbing his forehead and breaking into a full grin. "Thank you, Glynn. No time for more background accounts of these pending lawsuits for enlightenment or instruction to the group. This will be an out-of- the-gate, get-you-up-to-speed process. Right, Glynn?"
"That's about it, Anthony. Now tell them the good news."
"Okay. The fact is, we'll probably hire many if not all of you here immediately. You will be tested on your ability to review documents; find responsive documents, phrases, and words the lawyers will assign to each team; and flag each responsive document with our color-coding system. You will also need to pass a drug screening and background check. Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you: the pay is well above average, there will be a lot of travel involved, and overtime will be mandatory for this group of litigation-support-staff specialists. When you're sent your confirmation of employment agreement, and if you're still interested, you will also notice an application for an American Express card. Please fill out this information ASAP, so we can have the AmEx cards printed for your travel and business needs. You will also be responsible for filling out your travel expense reports. But if needed, there will be in-house staff to assist with that task. If you aren't able to travel or work overtime, please let us know immediately. As things go, we'll probably have a second round of hiring to fill positions here in Wilmington to code, catalog, and input all the responsive documents retrieved by the legal staff out in the field. There's an abundance of disciplined legal undertakings here to be accomplished in a very small window of time."
Anthony pointed his finger in the overall direction of the audience. "Each of you in particular. As insight, these newly assigned out-of-state courts have us on extremely tight deadlines for producing responsive documents for opposing counsel. Or we'll be heavily fined and sanctioned." He looked over at Glynn for a nod of approval and then handed the podium over to Linda Stone.
She was around five foot eight, extremely thin, blond, and apparently terribly cold as she wore two sweaters. She looked scared to death to speak to the audience.
She said, "I'll be the contact for all litigation-support-staff specialists." She displayed a slide with her name, office and cell phone numbers, and room number. "Please write my information down. After you're hired on the legal department, contact me with any questions or concerns about your duties and responsibilities. Thank you. I'm here to help each of you."
Bernie thought, Wonder why Linda is so scared and trembling. Is she just afraid of public speaking, or is she displaying the sacrificial lamb stance and fear of the unknown? She looked around the room. Then again, if Linda Stone was the only contact for more than a thousand people, that may be the reason for the fear in her eyes. Bernie was concerned about the unusual first impression from Ms. Stone.
Everything was happening quickly. Bernie listened to the people around her. They started to whisper, and then excitement made them speak out loud. "I wonder how much the pay is. I heard fifty to sixty-five dollars per hour. How long will we be traveling for — a week, or two? Or what? Will we be Renard employees? What other benefits are there?"
On one side of Bernie was a woman who said she'd never worked for Renard before, and on the other side of her was an older gentleman who said his name was Alfred and that he had previously worked for Renard for thirty-five years.
Bernie said, "Well, you have me beat. I only have twenty-five years of service with Renard. I never worked in legal before either."
Alfred replied, "Well, I'm an attorney, and I did work in Renard's legal department, but I hope they have a position close by without much traveling. I've done my tour of traveling."
Glynn Ryan was at the podium again, calling out loudly, "Quiet, quiet. Ooyee, focus!"
All the meeting attendees looked up and listened.
Glynn said, "If you have previously worked for Renard, please move to the right side of the auditorium, and if you've never worked for Renard, please move to the left side of the auditorium. If you're a student from one of the many East Coast law schools that we contacted, please sit in the center sections, first several rows. Okay, take your places."
The attendees shuffled to the indicated places. Glynn spoke with the individuals that had not worked for Renard before, and Anthony Cavalli spoke to those previously employed with Renard.
Anthony said, "It's so wonderful to see such a large turnout. Thank you. I believe that if you decide to join the Renard legal team, you will have a rewarding experience. I've just learned that if you were sent a letter for this meeting today and Renard previously employed you, we're permitted to make you an offer of employment today. Hopefully, that's good news for everyone. You don't have to fill out another employment application if you have not been gone for more than five years; just give HR an update of your interim employment, while we've already done a successful background check on you. As you can see, time is of the essence. We'll need you to be in contact with us from today until next Monday when you will begin your orientation and start your new positions. I know you have questions, but if you will look up on the stage, you will see Renard employees positioned to field and answer your questions and sign documents, and they're categorized in alphabetic order by last name. So please, go and speak with your legal associate, and remember we're here for the good of the cause and to provide ethical legal services for our company. Thank you very much. It will be great working with each of you."
Bernie waited in line. Now the buzz had turned into exhilaration and good feelings for everyone, yet she was still concerned. Maybe that was because she was going through so many life experiences right now. Plus, this seemed too good to be true. It was happening so quickly.
For some reason, Alfred Wilson was in Bernie's alphabetic line, one person behind her. He was a dry-witted comedian, similar to Bob Newhart, saying, "Well, I didn't expect to be hired today. Hurry up and pinch me. Have they seen my CAT scan? Can this be true? Or is this now such a disaster that Renard has to divide and conquer to have any chance of passing by the guillotine of doom from these plaintiffs, a.k.a. the exotic gardeners? Perhaps they're thinking like this: 'I wrote this mournful little verse to make a point, however terse. If worldly woes get any worse, a pleasure car will be their hearse!'" Many laughed, and Alfred thanked all who heard his little poem. He said, "I'm just an Irishman having a little fun."
Bernie finally reached the front of the line. It was now her turn to be interviewed. The woman's name tag said, "Hello. My Name Is: Anna Foley." After Bernie introduced herself, Anna looked up her information and said, "Thank goodness you're here. I was reading about you and your previous employment history. We're so pleased to have someone so highly thought of. Apparently you have the best organizational skills that the Polymers and Corporate Plans Departments had seen in years. Excellent reviews from your previous supervisors. So sorry to hear about your pending divorce, but we'll be able to accommodate you with a job, and you can start to contribute back to your Renard pension again. Therefore, life is good — or getting better. Correct?" When you're a lifelong resident of the state of Delaware, everyone knows your personal business. Bernie smiled and listened to Anna and didn't discuss or dispute Anna's ramblings. What's the use of trying to put the record straight when we all have or had mountains to climb in our own lives?
Bernie smiled gently. Maybe the job was too good to be true, and she remembered her father always saying, "Trust your gut." Yet the facts were that she did need a job and benefits; she couldn't live on her real estate commissions any longer. So Anna's words were music to her ears.
"Anna, would you be able to tell me a little bit more about my position and my pay scale, please? Will I instantly get my benefits, and approximately how many hours will I be required to work monthly?"
Anna took a sip of her coffee. "Good news all around for you. The start-off pay is seventy dollars per hour, flat rate. You will more than likely, from what I can guess, be a team leader, where you will be responsible for the responsive- document retrievals and quality control regulations, but you will be trained and have assistants to help you. Don't worry. You've done similar work like this in the past with Corporate Plans.
"You will travel to assigned Renard plants and start off with reviewing offices of designated custodians of that office. If you don't already realize it, this is an altogether touchy and sensitive arena you will be walking into. Therefore, your positive, upbeat personality will have to be shown at all times toward the employees of these offices. Everything except the selected employees — or, as we legally call them, 'custodians' of those offices — personal items from home are Renard's property, to be reviewed, retrieved, and examined as we see fit."
"It may become constructive knowledge to you that, after you review emails of a selected custodian, if they're corresponding to or with other Renard employees, Renard contractors, or outside individuals, those employees will need to be interviewed also. The domino effect. At next Monday's orientation meeting, we'll go over your responsibilities in further detail.
"I'll be your direct supervisor, then following up to Anthony and then Glynn. Bernadetta, I hope you'll decide to sign up with us. I've heard nothing but outstanding reviews about you and your organizational skills and previous work experience. You'll be such an asset to Renard in this effort," Anna Foley excitedly said.
"What can I say? I'm ready. I feel like I'm the lucky one. Thanks," Bernie replied. But Bernie felt that this was happening so quickly for her.
Anna must have sensed her trepidation.
"Bernadetta, I know this is so much to absorb, but I'll be available to you the entire time. Okay, to continue on, you'll need to keep the peace, seeing that the custodians of these offices at Renard's plant sites will look at the litigation support staff as possibly the enemy.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Secrets, Lies & Chemical Compounds"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Sophia DeNapoli.
Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
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