Chapter: 6430

As soon as Jimmy heard these words, he looked somewhat flustered and said: "Sister-in-law, didn't you need to inform us before getting the certificate? You have the right to self-determination in your marriage, but don't forget that you still own half of Smith Law Firm's shares! If this old man is indeed a soft rice eater, worrying about your half-ownership is how will you handle it?"

Jimmy's purpose for coming to Hua Xia this time was to claim a portion of the shares in Smith Law Firm.

It would be best to force Paul and his mother to divide the firm into two, with all North American business going to him and Asian business remaining with Paul. In his view, regardless of whether Paul and his mother settle in Hua Xia later on, it's impossible to manage North American business remotely while keeping it under one's control. It would be like putting a piece of property back in its original owner's hands.

Of course, he was also very clear that Smith Law Firm, although bearing the name of the Smith family, was indeed built by Paul and his mother from scratch, with some help from their father. However, this level of support is far from being equivalent to investment. If he were to genuinely sue for a portion of the shares in Smith Law Firm, every judge in the world would not support him.

So, after learning that Mei Qing was getting married, he thought it would be better to create trouble in Hua Xia at this moment, hoping to bankrupt her and Paul if possible. This way, he could get what he wanted without having to put in any effort.

Mei Qing naturally knew his intentions, which was actually the reason she chose to bring Paul to Hua Xia after her husband's passing. The members of the Smith family didn't think there was anything wrong with their own attitude towards inheritance. They believed that the business they had built themselves should not be taken away by someone from outside, even if it were a woman.

What's more crucial is that Paul, as a descendant of the Smith family, chose to stand with his mother instead of following in his father's footsteps. He didn't want to see their hard-earned foundation being divided among a few uncles and distributed randomly. That's why he decided to move to Hua Xia with his mother, even taking the law firm with them.

When Mei Qing learned about his plans, she didn't tell anyone from the Smith family, but somehow the news leaked out, and Uncle Jimmy ended up flying over.

Mei Qing saw him stirring trouble for a while before finally bringing up the topic of Smith Law Firm's shares. With a cold expression, she said, "Since you're not willing to talk about anything else except Smith Law Firm's shares, let's have a thorough discussion about this issue;"

At this point, Mei Qing cleared her throat and continued, "Smith Law Firm is something that my late husband and I spent many years building up. The share structure is very simple."

"We held equal shares of 50% at first, and then the law firm grew larger, and many lawyers joined in. As a result, we issued a total of 30% equity to motivate excellent lawyers who made significant contributions and rose to partnership level within the firm;"

"Currently, that 30% equity is in the firm's pool, aside from that 30%, I and my late husband each hold 35%. According to his last will, after he passed away, his share was inherited by me and our son Paul, with a 50:50 split. So, the current structure of Smith Law Firm shares is as follows: the pool has 30%, I hold 52.5%, Paul holds 17.5%, and we have developed steadily to this day without receiving any investment from any financial institution or individual;"

"Therefore, there is no equity belonging to so-called Smith family, and how to handle these shares has nothing to do with you or the so-called Smith family either."

Jimmy didn't expect Mei Qing to say it so detailedly, and he immediately shouted loudly, "Sister-in-law, you're saying this just too shamelessly! You and my big brother started the business together, and our father gave you a million US dollars as an investment, with the agreement that it would be used for family equity, which wouldn't affect your decision-making power. This one million dollar only accounts for 49% of Smith Law Firm's shares, and you can't deny this, right?"

Mei Qing heard these words and suddenly felt angry from her heart, coldly scolding him, "Jimmy, you're completely talking nonsense! That one million dollars was originally borrowed by my big brother from your father, with a three-year repayment period, but he only repaid it within a year. I'm afraid this matter will lead to jealousy among the few brothers, and specifically, letting my big brother pay back the one million cash in front of everyone; how can that become an investment?"

Jimmy immediately said, "Sister-in-law, you're saying my big brother repaid that one million dollars? Do you have any evidence? The whole family can testify that this money never came back!"

Mei Qing coldly laughed, "Starting to act shamelessly now? When my big brother took out the one million dollars, he didn't leave a loan agreement, and when he repaid it, he also didn't leave a repayment agreement. He just wanted everyone to think of us as family, borrowing and repaying in front of everyone, naturally clearing his conscience. Who would have thought you'd do something so low?"

Jimmy spoke calmly, "Sister-in-law, let's talk about the facts, I hope you won't escalate this into personal attacks. That one million dollars hasn't been repaid, and Smith family members can all testify. If you want to deny it, we can take it to court; even if we lose, it's not a big deal. After all, in the past, we were all just one family. If you don't want to come back, consider it our new wedding gift to you."

He also knew that Mei Qing was an expert in law, one glance could tell she had no chance of winning this case, so he specially flew over from America to stage a public scene, aiming to force Mei Qing to give up some benefits in exchange for his concession.

A few days ago, another top-notch law firm in the United States approached him, proposing to directly buy out Smith Law Firm's entire business and team in the US for $800 million cash. They wanted to do so because they knew that Paul had already moved the law firm to Hua Xia, hoping to take advantage of this opportunity to become the most powerful law firm in the country.

But when this offer was sent to Paul, he refused it.

The other party could only find another breakthrough point and found other members of the Smith family, hoping they could persuade Paul to agree. If Paul did not agree, the Smith family would definitely be moved by such a large sum of money and would actively try to get back their law firm, then sell it to themselves.

In order to get a share from $800 million, Jimmy was ready to play hardball to the end, grabbing as much as possible.

Mei Qing also guessed his tactics, but he clearly misjudged his character. Even if he continued to cause trouble for a lifetime, he would never compromise an inch on his own behalf.

So she firmly said, "Jimmy, since you've said we'll see each other in court, I don't think there's any need for us to communicate here. Any disputes can be settled before the judge." JrNovels.com