Exclusive: Maclay Murray & Spens secretary tells client to f*ck off

A secretary at Maclay Murray & Spens' Glasgow office is going through a disciplinary process after sending a foul-mouthed letter to a client.

The secretary worked for a partner in the firm's Private Client department, and has apparently been at the firm for nearly 30 years. So, overall, she should probably have known better than to end her missive with: "I hope you're OK (but we don't really give a f*ck)".

Needless to say it wasn't asterisked, the client wasn't impressed and the secretary is now going through a disciplinary process and could face dismissal. Insiders suggest that the situation was made worse by the partner having signed the offending letter.

Some MMS secretaries yesterday

The reason for the outburst is unknown. Maybe the office held an early Christmas lunch and the Tennents got the better of her. Or maybe she was just having a really bad day. Whatever the explanation, the firm is embarrassed, the client is furious and the secretary could finish up losing her job. Always think before pressing "send"...

A spokesman for the firm said "the matter is subject to an ongoing disciplinary process and it would, therefore, be inappropriate to comment any further".

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Comments

Why would you "Always think before pressing "send".." if it was a signed letter?

I had a diminutive overseas client who was very conscious of his height. In retrospect it was a mistake to end my letter regarding his visit to town with "see you shortly" and leave it to my secretary to sign and send. Yes, she wrote (innocently) "See you shorty". He wasn't pleased.

You've used the wrong photograph - that was the turnout at the 2014 MMS partners' conference. Tramps.

If the partner dictated and signed the letter as per the story above, then why is the secretary rather than the partner going through the disciplinary process? A flight away from the quality of the past.

Poor MMS. Mismanaged into mediocrity over the last decade.

"Very Smart People"

Time for a review!

Set up to get rid of someone they no longer wanted perhaps. Typical MMS.

HR Advisor

Did the partner cry? Crocodile tears ? Did the laugh set in a few hours later? Thought so.

Management non-existent!
So called Seniors just gossip all over the place and that includes under desks.

Very quick to blame support staff, was this not a team effort?

This Partner will be laughing all the way to the Porsche garage.

Dear anonymous commenter who pops up every week to take a position in favour of support staff:

Your chippiness is perplexing. Most of us lawyers value our support staff. You clearly feel undervalued, but ROF probably isn't the place to articulate that unless you want to add some real detail.

Here, this is clearly not a team effort, if the story is correct and the abusive language was inserted by the PA alone. Can't see how you get to "very quick to blame support staff".

That said, if the other comments are correct and the partner signed off on the letter without checking it, he/she is a fool and deserves never to work again. None of that exonerates whoever wrote the offensive sections.

VW garage certainly, maybe BMW for a chosen few, but Porsche? Your 'avin a laugh!

I used to work at MMS and found them to be amongst the most delightful people you could ask to meet. That said, they did have to fire a secretary after he told a partner to go f#ck herself. It's heartwarming to see the internal strife has seemingly given way to a partner-secretary collaboration against the real enemy. Onwards and upwards!

Try a SKODA

Typical lawyers think they are above the law! Do what the F they like and HR sit back and let them!