The reporter's story ran in June. It was three thousand words, and it was careful, and it named the firm and the account and the pattern, and it quoted "a former employee familiar with the records" without naming me, because Maya had talked me into anonymity at the last minute.
That was the moment the city actually noticed.
The firm issued a statement. It was four sentences long and used the word "restructuring" twice and the word "apologize" once, in a way that apologized for nothing. Two clients terminated their contracts. The state attorney's office opened an inquiry into the Palm Beach account. The firm's general counsel resigned. In the fall, the firm announced that it was merging with a larger firm in another city, and that Charles Mercer would step down as chairman emeritus.
Juli
