The Amazing son in law Chapter 6816
Jimmy’s visit to China was driven by his ambition to claim a portion of the shares in the Smith Law Firm.
He believed that it would be wise to pressure Paul and his mother into dividing the firm, granting him full control over the North American operations while leaving the Asian sector to Paul.
In his view, since Paul and Matilda were likely to settle in China permanently, they would struggle to manage the North American business effectively if it remained in their hands. Thus, transferring it to him would essentially return the firm to its rightful owner.
However, Jimmy was fully aware that despite the Smith Law Firm carrying the Smith name, it had been painstakingly built by Matilda and her late husband. While the elder Smith had offered some support, it did not constitute an investment by any legal or moral standards. If he pursued legal action to claim part of the firm’s shares, no judge would side with him.
When he learned of Matilda’s upcoming marriage, he thought it would be an opportune moment to create a stir. If he could manipulate the situation to extract money from Matilda and Paul to avoid a legal battle, it would be a significant win for him; after all, as an orphan and widow, they wouldn’t really need that money.
Matilda was well aware of Jimmy’s intentions. Her decision to bring Paul to China after her husband’s passing stemmed from the fact that the Smith family had always kept a watchful eye on their law firm. The Smith family believed there was nothing wrong with their entitlement to the firm’s legacy, feeling it was their family business. With the death of the elder brother, they thought it should not be controlled by a woman from a different surname or race.
Moreover, although Paul was a Smith by lineage, he chose to align himself with his mother. He was determined not to let his family’s hard work be divided among several uncles. This conviction led him and Matilda to relocate to China from the United States, even moving the law firm along with them.
Although Paul had not informed the Smith family about his mother’s engagement, the news somehow got out, and Uncle Jimmy arrived just in time.
After observing Jimmy’s antics for a while, Matilda finally addressed the incessant discussion about the equity of the Smith Law Firm. She stated coldly, “Since you can’t stop bringing up the equity of the Smith Law Firm, let’s discuss it.”
Matilda took a moment to collect her thoughts and continued, “The Smith Law Firm was founded through the hard work of my late husband and me over many decades, and the equity structure is straightforward.”
“Initially, we each held 50% of the shares. As the firm expanded, we allocated a total of 30% of the equity to reward outstanding lawyers who significantly contributed to the firm and were promoted to partners.”
“Currently, 30% of the equity is in the firm’s option pool. Beyond that, the remaining 70% is divided between my late husband and me, each holding 35%.”
“According to his will, after his passing, his shares were to be divided equally between me and my son Paul. Thus, the current equity structure of the Smith Law Firm is: the option pool holds 30%, I own 52.5%, and Paul holds 17.5%. Throughout our growth, we have never taken investments from any banks, funds, or individuals.”
“Therefore, none of these shares belong to the so-called Smith family, and how we choose to manage these shares is entirely unrelated to you or the Smith family.”