"Jack, it's good to see you. How have you been?" Henry Aldridge was the lawyer who had helped on Fran's lawsuit against Jacob's negligent employer, and, as such, was probably the only lawyer Jack trusted.
"I'm good, Henry. Thanks for seeing me on such short notice," Jack replied. They were standing in the foyer of the law offices of Trimble, Norwood, Gefen, and Associates.
"Let's continue this in my office," Henry said, then turned and started walking towards the door leading to the offices of the associates. The other door in the foyer was reserved for clients meeting with one of the law firms' three partners.
As they walked towards his office Henry said, "Candice, said it was urgent, but that you refused to provide details over the phone. Is everything okay? I wasn't aware of any issues with the settlement or inheritance." Candice was one of the secretaries that handled calls for the associates.
"No, this is something new. I'd rather not talk about it until we get to your office."
"Understood."
When they reached Henry's office, he pointed at the two chairs in front of his desk and said, "Have a seat," then closed the door behind them before sitting behind his desk. "So, what can I help you with?"
"In the past you worked for Fran, and then her estate, so I'm not sure if attorney client privilege applies between us just yet. Is there something we can do to formalize that before we begin?"
Henry's eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise. "I believe you can already claim attorney client privilege, but if it would make you feel better, we can sign an engagement letter. Would that ease your mind?"
"Yes, please. I apologize for asking for this, but I think you'll understand once I tell you the reason."
"I understand." Henry turned and pulled a piece of paper out of a file cabinet behind him, then handed it to Jack, along with a pen. "This is a standard engagement letter. It's more than enough to establish attorney client privilege between you, and not just me, but the entire firm."
Jack took the page, read it, and, seeing nothing wrong, signed and dated it, then passed it back to Henry, who also signed and dated it.
"Now, how can we help you?"
"I won the lottery," Jack stated.
Henry's eyebrows climbed into his hairline. "Well, I commend you for seeking legal counsel. I always thought you had a good head on your shoulders and this proves it. Have you told anyone else?"
"No, you are the first person I've told. I want to keep this as secret as possible, for as long as possible. I want to live a normal life and the last thing I need is every Tom, Dick, and Harry pounding on my door, feeding me some sort of sob story. And I especially want to be able to believe it when a woman says she is interested in me for me. I won't be able to trust anyone's intentions if the whole world knows I'm rich."
"Yes, those are all valid concerns," Henry nodded, "If I may ask, which lottery did you win? Are you comfortable telling me the jackpot size?"
"This most recent Redball lottery. The jackpot is one point five billion credits if I take the annuity."
"Oh, shit!" Henry blurted, before covering his mouth. "Sorry, that just slipped out. I, um, I think I need to call Gefen in on this. He's our financial expert. This is probably a bit above my paygrade. If it's alright with you, I'll try to contact him now."
"Don't, not yet anyway. I know you. You are the only lawyer I trust. I'd rather work with you. If you believe you need to consult with one of the partners, I won't complain, but I want you leading this."
"Are you sure? That is a lot of money, and I don't have any experience dealing with such a large sum."
"I know. I still want you handling this. Maybe think of it as an opportunity to move up in the world?"
"Understood. I'm honored that you are willing to put so much trust in me, so I will do my best to uphold that trust. Now, if my guess is right, you already have some idea of how you want to handle this. Let's hear your plan, then we can go from there."
"You're right. I do have a plan. As far as I can determine, Puget State allows LLCs to claim lottery prizes and they do not require that the LLC be registered in Puget State. And, based on my research, New Sonora allows LLCs to keep all officers and managers private. So, my current plan is to form an LLC in New Sonora, then have someone from this law firm collect the winnings on behalf of the LLC."
"Hmm, not a bad plan. And New Sonora is an interesting choice. Most businesses register in New Dalsland, but I believe you are right that New Sonora has even lower reporting requirements. I'll need to consult with Gefen, but I don't see any problems with your plan. Have you decided if you are going to claim the annuity or the lump sum?"
"I intent to claim the lump sum. I have long-term plans that require access to more of the money than is possible if I claimed the annuity."
"Can you share any of your plans?"
"None of my long-term plans. Not yet anyway. I would like to set up a trust fund for the cashier that sold me the ticket, but only if we can do it anonymously."
"That's very kind of you. Do you know how much you want to put in the trust fund?"
"Enough so that they can pay for college and live a frugal middle class life for ten to fifteen years."
"Hmm, I can think of a couple of ways we can manage that. Do you have a name for this cashier?"
"No, but I have a phone number and e-mail address. Is that enough?"
"Yes, we have several investigative agencies we contract for work. One of them should have no problem identifying your cashier based on their phone number."
Henry paused for a moment, then continued a little hesitantly, "Do you have any immediate personal plans for your winnings, like say, a new house, a new car, fancy clothes, a vacation in the south of Aquitania, a private jet, or yacht?"
Jack grinned. "I think I can do without the private jet or the yacht, but I think I can get away with buying some new clothes, a new phone, and a new car, though nothing fancy. Nothing screams 'I'm rich' like driving around in a supercar."
"True," Henry nodded.
"As for a new house," Jack continued, "I'm actually thinking of selling the house and moving into an apartment near NSU. There's no reason for me to have a long commute, and selling the house will add credence to the degree of conspicuous living I want to maintain. There is no reason why I should live like a starving student if I don't have to."
"That's reasonable. Did you bring the ticket with you?"
"No. I put it in a safe deposit box. The idea of leaving it at home, or carrying it around with me, was just terrifying. What if the house burned down, or I got mugged?"
"Very smart," Henry said, then pulled out a legal pad. "I should have started taking notes from the beginning, but your news really stunned me."
After taking notes and asking Jack clarifying questions, he said, "Right. Let me see if Gefen is available. I'd like to make sure our plan is the best before proceeding. Is that alright with you?"
"Sure, okay."
Henry pushed a button on his desk phone, then picked up the receiver. "Hello? Yes, we have a new client whose matter requires extra care. I wish to consult with Mr. Gefen to make sure we are properly handling our client's case. Is he available for a quick consult? He is? Great. Conference room two? Understood."
Henry stood up. "We're in luck. He's available now."
Henry led Jack through a hallway that bypassed the foyer and then into a section of the offices that were much nicer. Painted walls were replaced with wood paneling and recessed lighting. The conference room was entirely glass on two walls. One facing the hallway, the other providing a spectacular view of the Puget Sound. The sunlight glistened on the distant water.
"Wait here. I'll go fetch Mr. Gefen."
In the middle of the conference room was a dark wood conference table with ten leather, high-backed swivel chairs, five on each side. Jack headed towards the wall of glass facing the waters of the Puget Sound. As he passed, he trailed his fingers across the table. Probably mahogany, or something equally expensive, he thought.
He was still admiring the view when he heard the door open behind him. Turning, he saw an older man in a double-breasted suit enter, with Henry trailing behind him. The older man, who Jack assumed was Mr. Gefen, was smiling wolfishly. He stopped on the opposite side of the conference room table and placed his hands on the back of one of the swivel chairs, but Henry stayed near the door.
The old man stared past Jack for a moment before focusing on him and saying, "Well, young man, it seems you've come into quite a bit of money recently and have wisely reached out to us for help. I assure you we will manage your new wealth most effectively. I think we can even see our way clear to provide you with a decent stipend, as thank you for bringing your fortune to us."