The Legend of Nathan Sterling​

The next morning at the office, Elena's colleagues descended upon her like mourners at a wake.

"Don't take it personally if you lose," Marcus Wright patted her shoulder. "Everyone loses to Nathan Sterling."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Why would I lose?"

"Because Sterling always wins." Marcus's expression turned grim. "Eight cases. Eight losses. One month."

As Elena dug deeper, Nathan Sterling's mythos unfolded:

• Hourly Rate: Double Daniel Reeves's, despite being new to the local market

• Signature Move: Reducing a $5Mseverancepackageto$1M for an international factory closure

• Reputation: Ruthless efficiency paired with an uncanny ability to exploit legal loopholes

"What I don't get," Elena mused, "is why someone doing high-end M&A abroad would switch to labor law here."