Some of you may already be familiar with the Anonymous Assistant . For those that aren’t, it’s the diary of a young, down-trodden solicitor, which featured for many years in The Times. Helen Bailey is a junior litigation lawyer at CWS (Craven Wiley & Sharpe) a medium sized law firm in the City of London.  She is best friends with Jane, Alex, Liz and Olivia; all of whom have the misfortune of working for the biggest bully in the Firm: The Boss; undisputed leader of the litigation department who values his assistants only for their ability to earn him money. The latest entry sees Helen defending a firm from a sacked former employee, here’s Insider Dealing :

How does one go about passing on industrial secrets?   Is there a protocol for these things?  A user’s guide to employment espionage, perhaps?

If there isn’t, there should be.   Now that I’ve made my mind up to betray my clients I have no idea how to go about doing it!   It’s not like I can just sidle up and stuff secret documents inside the Claimant’s coat; or leave them for her at a secret letter drop.

Jane thinks I should just call her and tell her what I know, but Jane has a kamikazi complex when it comes to her job.   I prefer a more subtle route to dismissal – at least leaving myself with a fighting chance to lie my way out of it if, if I can.

I decide to bide my time.   Which proves to be fortuitous, as, when we receive a draft Tribunal Application Form from her (in response to our letter brushing her off) The Boss decides to summon a “Without Prejudice” meeting.

“Stupid girl!” he thunders.  “Does she not know who she is dealing with?”

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