“Who are you?”
When Missouri first authorized riverboat gambling, Martin Green represented a number of clients interested in competing for a gaming license. His clients included several well-known Las Vegas gaming companies, less famous but established operators, and even entrepreneurs who wanted to break into the business.
One day Martin received a telephone call from the general counsel of an established but relatively unknown company that ran casinos for several Indian tribes in the East. The general counsel wanted to interview Martin to see whether his company would want to retain us as their lawyers. The general counsel flew in and met with Martin and a couple of the other lawyers. Martin then took the general counsel out for dinner at Tony’s, a fine restaurant in downtown St. Louis.
At dinner, the general counsel told the story about how he had come to call Martin as a possible lawyer for his company. He explained: “I don’t know anybody in St. Louis, so I called some lawyers I know for recommendations. First I called a lawyer I know in New York who used to practice in St. Louis, and he told me that the only lawyer for me was Martin Green. Then I called the head of litigation at the biggest law firm in Chicago and he told me Martin Green. And then I called a lawyer in Washington, D.C., a guy I went to law school with, and he told me ‘you must hire Martin Green.’ Three calls, three recommendations, and all for the same guy. So I tell myself, I have got to meet this guy.”
As the general counsel is telling Martin and the other lawyers at the table this story, the then-governor of Missouri, Mel Carnahan, comes into Tony’s. People are going up to Governor Carnahan to shake his hand and greet him, but he spots Martin from across the restaurant and makes a beeline for him. Martin introduces the governor to the general counsel and the three men enjoy a little small talk. And before the governor leaves the table, he tells the general counsel that his company needs to hire Martin: “You won’t find a better lawyer in Missouri.”
The general counsel sat there in stunned silence for a minute or more. Then he turns to Martin and says: “Who are you? Who are you? What’s wrong with me — why hadn’t I heard of you until last week? And will you please consider representing us?”
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Some additional facts behind the story:
The lawyer in New York who strongly recommended Martin was Howard Kanefield, of counsel to our firm. The lawyer in Chicago had had several cases against Martin, and had made it his firm’s practice to hire Martin as co-counsel in any significant litigation in the St. Louis area. And the lawyer in Washington? Martin had never heard of that lawyer, so that one remains a mystery.
As for Governor Carnahan? Martin was one of Mel Carnahan’s earliest supporters when Mel first decided to run for governor, supporting him in the primary against the “establishment favorite,” the then-mayor of the City of St. Louis. The law firm lent Mel an office to use to make his St. Louis-area fundraising calls for both of his gubernatorial campaigns as well as for his campaign for the United States Senate. And Mel also filmed the “talking head” portions of many of his campaign commercials in the firm’s main conference room. Most importantly, however, Martin was one of the people Mel trusted and relied on for opinions and advice about how to improve the laws and judicial system in Missouri.