Golden Years in the World of Film and Television

Han Tao rubbed his temples and said, "Wendy, thank you!"

"I told you to be polite. I'm your secretary, and it's my job to help you solve your problems!"

After saying that, Wendy smiled slightly, placed a folder in her hand on Han Tao's desk, and continued:

"Boss, the project at Daishan Nursing Home has been inspected. You still need to come over when you have time. Once it's finalized, we can proceed to the next step.

As for Shengxuan, we are already negotiating with them. Such large companies are all owned by owners. If it weren’t for the change of legal affairs, we would have no chance at all, so you should pay attention to it.

I got the news that their CEO, Mr. Tan, is going to inspect the company today, so I’ve made an appointment for you to have lunch together at a restaurant near the CBD.

"Okay, I get it. Great job. Just remind me when it's almost time for lunch with Mr. Tan.

As for Daishan, I'd like to go there this Friday or Saturday. The specific time is still to be determined. Is there anything else?"

“There’s nothing else, because I’ve already dealt with most of them, so just sign them.

After saying that, Wendy sat down on the chair in front of the desk, opened the folders on Han Tao's desk one by one, and began to report the basic situation of Group 2, as well as the things Han Tao needed to deal with in the morning and the schedule for the afternoon.

It was not until an hour later that Wendy finished reporting the details of each task.

…………

Just after Wendy finished her report, Luo Yun ran into the office with a nervous look on his face and said, "Master, something bad has happened!"

"What's wrong? Why are you so flustered?"

Seeing Luo Yun come in in a fuss, with gossip written all over his face, Wendy hurriedly asked.

Luo Yun closed the glass door and whispered, "I just went to see Director Tang and heard her and Director Li had a big argument. Director Li then returned to the office looking very unhappy. But I vaguely heard Director Li mention you and Lawyer Chen."

"Fight?" Han Tao was stunned and asked, "Do you know why?

Why are Director Li and Director Tang arguing? Is there something going on in the law firm these days that I don't know about?"

"I heard from others that it seems to be due to the increase in the number of partners and the source of cases, but I don't know the details!"

Hearing this, Wendy looked at Luo Yun and said to Han Tao, "I know a little bit about the situation. Because of Director Chen's incident, many senior lawyers and two senior partners left the law firm.

When they left, they not only withdrew their capital, but also took away their major clients. Although you joined later, the law firm is still seriously short of main lawyers and funds.

Therefore, Director Li intends to bring in external assistance and add senior partners. The most qualified people internally are Director Tang’s favorite disciple, Lawyer Bai Ning, Lawyer Jiang from Group 3, and the last one is Lawyer Chen Ran from our group.

The main content of the senior partners' meeting in the afternoon was to discuss this matter, but in such a evenly matched competition, the battle is all about performance, so Lawyer Bai believed that Director Li favored Lawyer Chen.

"That being said, there is indeed a problem. I don't know what Director Li was thinking, but this morning he assigned several cases to our second team, and two of the bigger ones went straight to Lawyer Chen. So, Director Tang must have stood up for Lawyer Bai and went to Director Li to argue."

Han Tao nodded without saying anything. He knew that the plot was progressing according to the original rules and it was the general trend.

This was the beginning of Li Gongming's repeated stupid moves. The old fox made such a low-level mistake that Han Tao even wondered if a brain tumor was pressing on that nerve of his.

First of all, in the election for senior partner, he stubbornly supported Chen Ran, believing that Chen Ran was Chen Wenguang's daughter and could better understand Mingtang's philosophy, so he did not hesitate to provide help secretly and handed over the cases in his hands to Chen Ran to help the other party improve her performance.

It seems that today's case is the beginning, but his behavior undoubtedly violated the principle of fair competition. There is no wall that is impenetrable. His actions made Bai Ning dissatisfied and also destroyed internal unity.

In fact, as lawyer Jiang Qiong from Group 3 said, no matter who wins and becomes a senior partner, he or she will have to lead the colleagues who participated in the election. If it is not the result of fair competition, it will be difficult to convince the public in the future, which will be detrimental to the development of work.

Han Tao believed this statement made sense; after all, a law firm's most important asset was its people. But that wasn't the worst part; the next move was the real culprit.

Because in the original plot, he contacted Qingmu Law Firm to discuss mergers and acquisitions without consulting another senior partner, Tang Ying.

Although inviting a white knight is the best option to deal with Chengtai's hostile takeover, they are not philanthropists and will not provide free blood transfusions. They always ask for something in return.

Tang Ying is also one of the senior partners of Mingtang. Li Gongming did not communicate with her about whether Qingmu's request was in line with her interests. Li Gongming acted first and reported later and refused to discuss afterwards. Such arbitrary behavior was really inappropriate and seriously hurt Tang Ying's feelings.

The result of his actions was that Tang Ying finally left Mingtang with his clients and joined Chengtai, making Mingtang's situation even more precarious.

But these are not problems for Han Tao. With him around, Chen Ran doesn't need Li Gongming's help. He is already too busy with all the clients he has.

When the time comes for a merger and acquisition, Han Tao can completely take on the responsibility himself, which means he can retain Tang Ying, replace Li Gongming, and build his own team.

Seeing that Han Tao just nodded but didn't say anything, Wendy asked curiously, "Boss, are you just going to watch and not do anything?"

Hearing this, Han Tao shook his head, glanced at Wendy and Luo Yun, and said, "No need to ask for anything else. Just return the case assigned to you by Director Li. But be careful about the situation. Just say that Team 2 is already overwhelmed with cases, and I suggest that we split it equally among the roommates.

As for Chen Ran, I understand that he is concerned about Director Chen, but there is no need to do so. Group 1 has no shortage of big clients or case sources.

"Attorney Chen is currently in charge of Jingyan, which generates at least 100 million yuan in revenue annually, and will have more clients in the future. There's no need to seek far-flung clients and give them something to criticize."

"I understand. Leave this to me. I'll do it now while the impact isn't too great!"

Wendy nodded, then pulled Luo Yun out of Han Tao's office and reminded her that she still had to find Director Tang to finish what she had not done just now, and not to disturb Han Tao with some gossip.

…………

Chapter 234: Case from Handong

Just as Han Tao was looking at the documents carefully, the landline phone on his desk rang.

Seeing that the caller ID showed that it was from Director Tang's office, Han Tao picked up the phone without hesitation.

"Hello, Director Tang, do you have any instructions?"

"It's not that serious. You're too polite. Internal competition is a good thing. With so many people in the law firm, competition is what motivates us. But fairness and justice are the most basic principles, and no one can be exempted!"

"Okay, I understand. While the winning rate is high, we also need to ensure a good review rate. Please have someone bring them here, and I'll take care of it!"

"No problem, you are my senior, and I still have a lot to learn. Please don't be so polite."

"Okay Director Tang, see you later!"

After hanging up the phone with Tang Ying, Han Tao smiled slightly. He didn't expect that she would be so humble. It seemed that she had noticed Li Gongming's intention and started looking for allies.

Just as Han Tao was lost in thought, Wendy knocked on the office door a few times and walked in with two women.

"Director, these two are Ms. Lin and Ms. Chen. They just came from Director Tang's place."

After that, he extended his hand to the two of them and introduced them, "Ms. Chen, Ms. Lin, this is Attorney Han Tao, the deputy director of our Mingtang Law Firm."

"Hello, Director Han, I'm Chen Xi, and she's my cousin Lin Fangfang!"

"Hello Ms. Chen, this is Han Tao!"

Seeing that Lin Fangfang was a little reserved, she followed her cousin after entering the room without saying a word. Han Tao smiled and shook hands with Chen Xi, then politely asked them to sit down.

After Wendy poured a glass of water for Chen Xi and Lin Fangfang, she left the office and returned to her own desk in the outer room.

But his eyes did not leave the inner room, but were always ready.

“I’m sorry, Director Han, we’ve contacted many law firms, but none of them are willing to take this case.

Later, someone introduced you to me and said that you are very capable and used to work in Handong. That’s why I came here for some reason. But I haven’t seen you before, so I’m a little anxious and sorry to have caused you trouble!

We have no other choice but to resort to this assistance channel. I can guarantee that regardless of whether we win or lose this case, we will pay the legal fees. We just hope you can help us."

Chen Xi also knew that he was asking for help but ended up filing a complaint against the person responsible, and that it was free legal aid, so he apologized right away and promised to pay the fees.

In fact, she didn't want to do this. It was because Handong kept putting pressure on her aunt and the others. She was afraid that things would get worse if time went on, so she was so anxious.

Han Tao waved his hand and smiled slightly, saying, "It's okay. The victim desperately wants to seek help, so it's understandable that he's overly emotional.

It doesn’t matter whether it is an aid channel or commissioned consultation. Legal aid is a public welfare activity that the law firm and the lawyers have been insisting on.

Now that we have taken on this case, we will do our best to help you and strive for a satisfactory result."

After that, Han Tao turned on the recorder, looked at the two of them, and continued, "I've only briefly understood your demands. Since you two trust Mingtang Law Firm and me so much, please tell me the details!"

After hearing Han Tao's answer, Chen Xi and Lin Fangfang both breathed a sigh of relief and felt much more relaxed.

A kind lawyer gave Lin Fangfang a copy of Han Tao's personal profile when she was in Handong. This was also the reason why she came to Shanghai to ask her cousin for help, so subjectively, she still trusted him.

However, after they came here that day, they felt very nervous. Working in a large law firm with hundreds of people in such a high-end place really put a lot of pressure on them.

Originally, Han Tao's delay in receiving them was indeed quite torturous, but now that they were face to face, Chen Xi relaxed instead. She organized her words and began to recount what had happened to her cousin Lin Fangfang.

It turned out that Lin Fangfang attended a close friend's birthday party on the 26th of last month, during which she drank a lot of beer. Later, the group felt unsatisfied and went to the bar to play again.

After arriving at the bar, everyone drank a lot of foreign liquor and beer. By the time the party reached late at night, Lin Fangfang was obviously drunk and had lost the basic ability to move and protect herself.

When the party was over, one of the men, Wang Xin, who had been drinking with them and had a good chat with Lin Fangfang, said he wanted to take her home, and brought his friend with him. The two of them helped Lin Fangfang separate from the crowd.

That night, Lin Fangfang was raped in the man's rental house. After the incident, the man fell asleep beside her.

Afterwards, another man entered the room at some point and prepared to assault Lin Fangfang.

But Lin Fangfang, who had been hurt, gradually regained consciousness. After seeing the other person, she quickly lied and said that she had called the police. When the man heard this, he was completely panicked and ran out of the room in a hurry.

Wang Xin, the man who was awakened by the argument between the two, saw Lin Fangfang was about to call the police, and hurriedly said that he was also drunk and had no idea what was going on.

After Lin Fangfang confirmed that the man who later entered the room had left and that Wang Xin, the man who assaulted her, had not hurt her, she called her mother in fear, and then her parents and brother arrived.

Seeing his sister being bullied, Lin Fangfang's brother angrily beat up Wang Xin, the man who had had sex with her.

Wang Xin did not fight back because he felt guilty. However, after his defense failed, he took the initiative to call the police. Within a few minutes, the police arrived at the scene, briefly inquired about the situation, and took everyone back to the police station.

Afterwards, based on the information provided by Wang Xin, the police arrested the man who planned to assault Lin Fangfang. However, when facing police interrogation, the two believed that their actions did not constitute a crime.

Wang Xin, who had a relationship with Lin Fangfang, said that she did not resist his behavior at the time of the incident.

And they insist that the legal definition of assault is a crime committed by forcing the victim against his or her will by using violence, threats, harm or other means.

And I did not use violence, coercion, threats or harm, nor did I force Lin Fangfang.

The man who failed in his planned crime also stated that he only entered the room and did not commit any offense against Lin Fangfang, nor did he violate her subjective will.

In the end, both parties held their own opinions. Because many of the violations that occurred at gatherings like this were unclear, and it was even unclear whether they were voluntary, the police asked both parties to negotiate a solution. If the solution could not be resolved, they would go directly to court.

In the end, Wang Xin, who had a relationship with Lin Fangfang, proposed a solution. The other party said that he accepted his bad luck and did have a relationship with Lin Fangfang, so he was willing to compensate Lin Fangfang with 10 yuan and did not care about her brother's intentional injury as a condition, that is, he wanted to settle the matter privately.

However, Lin Fangfang did not want his compensation and only wanted to bring him to justice. Finally, they were in a stalemate again. The other party also found someone to mediate.

After saying that, Chen Xi comforted his cousin beside him. After she calmed down, Chen Xi looked at Han Tao again, this time with a look of indignation and anger on his face.

"Lawyer Han, do you think this lawsuit can be won? In your opinion, what should we do?"

Han Tao nodded and continued, "Ms. Chen, I'd like to ask, what exactly are your thoughts? Do you want to agree to a settlement and increase compensation, or do you insist on pursuing the legal process?"

"I don't want money, I just want an explanation and for the other party to receive the punishment they deserve."

This was the first time that Lin Fangfang had spoken out about her attitude since she came in, and her cousin Chen Xi quickly responded:

"Yes, we don't want compensation, and we don't need that little money. We just want the other party to go to jail."

Han Tao nodded again and responded, "Ms. Chen, I understand your feelings and your demands.

If the case is indeed as Ms. Lin described, I can promise you that I will definitely seek justice for you.

Although the other party did not use violence, coercion, threats or harm, nor did they force you, the assault process included getting the woman drunk or anesthetized with drugs, assaulting the woman, or taking advantage of her deep sleep to commit illegal acts.

In short, as long as a woman is unaware of or dares not to resist, the act of assaulting her can be considered against her will. It does not necessarily require the use of violence or force to constitute a crime of assault.

As for the other person, no matter how he argues, he cannot deny his criminal facts. If he had no subjective intention, how could he enter the room and why did he follow in the first place.

If Ms. Lin had not told him that she had called the police and scared him away, the other party might have succeeded, so his behavior constituted attempted assault.

Then, according to Article 236 of my country's Criminal Law: Anyone who violates a woman by violence, coercion or other means shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years.

As for attempted crimes, according to Article 23 of the Criminal Law: "A crime is considered attempted if it has been initiated but not completed due to reasons beyond the criminal's control." For attempted crimes, the punishment may be mitigated or reduced in the same manner as for completed crimes.

But I want to emphasize again that all of this is based on the premise that you have nothing to hide.

Since you have chosen Mingtang and chosen me as your attorney, you must trust my professionalism.

If a client hides something from his or her lawyer, it will cause the lawyer to misjudge the facts and make the wrong decision.

Therefore, it is best not to conceal any facts or exaggerate the facts of the case. The key facts of the case and the purpose of the lawsuit should be fully explained.

Of course, we also have a legal obligation to maintain confidentiality and professional ethics. No matter what the case is, it must be pre-judged by a professional lawyer. We must first understand the ins and outs of the case so that we can discern and formulate litigation strategies in advance."

"Don't worry, Lawyer Han. We know this. I work in the design industry and I often get into disputes. Our company also has legal staff, so we understand the process. We trust you. I understand the principle of not employing people you doubt, and trusting people you employ."

"Ms. Chen, thank you and Ms. Lin for your understanding. After all, litigation itself is a game of negotiation between the plaintiff and the defendant. If the client's lawyer doesn't have a complete understanding of the facts, or if the client intentionally conceals or exaggerates the facts, how can we even talk about negotiation, or even winning the case?"

After saying that, Han Tao looked at Lin Fangfang, who was in a particularly bad mental state. Such a thing would cause great damage to a girl both physically and mentally.

But then again, girls still have to learn to protect themselves. The world is dangerous, and safety issues cannot be overemphasized. We must learn more about safety knowledge and always maintain a sense of propriety.

Chapter 235 The Third Group in Handong

Seeing Han Tao looking at the two of them seriously, Chen Xi nodded affirmatively and said, "Lawyer Han, don't worry, my statement just now is absolutely not untrue or exaggerated.

But we are not professionals after all. If there are any details that are not clear or key points that are not expressed, please feel free to ask! "

"Okay, your cooperation will help me figure things out as quickly as possible!"