MovieChat Forums > Philadelphia (1994) Discussion > What's with the partner who testified th...

What's with the partner who testified that he suspected Andy had AIDS


and the woman who was in charge of the Paralegals? They testified against their own employer? What is their future with the firm?

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I'm assuming since Bob suspected but told no one, he wasn't fired. It's sad that actor died of AIDS only a few months after the movie came out.

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What the hell? How did I not know this?! That's terrible.

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Fortunately they took their oath to tell the truth seriously. Probably understood their employment was dodgy at best, but they did the right thing.

"You mean -- all this time ... we could have been friends....?"

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it's a very awkward position to be in to testify against an employer and still work there afterward, but getting fired is unlikely. I know this is about a firm that actually terminated someone for unjust cause, but they'd have to be insane to fire the head of the paralegal department right after she testified. The timing would look too suspicious. Any kind of problems they'd make for her (even besides termination) would leave them vulnerable to another suit.

Bob couldn't be sinply fired because he was a partner, They'd have to buy him out. Even then, he doesn't have to agree to it, and like the paralegal, they'd have no cause. As bad as these guys were, they ultimately knew testifying in court when subpoenaed wasn't "the fault" of these employees. They probably still had some honor, one with that means underatanding the importance of testifying under oath. As unflattering as the testimony was, termination would leave them with more litigation. It'd be suicidal.

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