The King of Torts

A story leaks to The Washington Post that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating Clay over the insider trading scandal. Through several circulated faxes, Clay learns that he is now being mocked in legal circles as the “King of Shorts.” When Paulette visits, Clay assures her that she faces no liability.

Clay attends a final settlement session with Hanna Portland Cement, but when he refuses to lower his demands, the company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

That evening, Rebecca comes to his office and admits that her marriage is failing. Clay invites her to have an affair with him. When she declines, he reiterates that he will wait for her.

Clay meets Dr. Mel Snelling, a physician who reviewed the Dyloft research for him. Snelling says that FBI agents questioned him, but he refused to help their investigation. Clay reassures him that his involvement cannot be traced.

Clay and Mulrooney fly to Arizona to watch the first trial against Goffman over Maxatil. In the courthouse, Goffman lawyers confront and taunt Clay. After Clay gives an interview to a reporter in violation of a gag order, the trial judge bans him from Arizona. He flies home, leaving Mulrooney to monitor the trial.

Following the Hanna bankruptcy, the company lays off 1,200 workers in Reedsburg, Pennsylvania. The Baltimore Press and Newsweek run harsh stories blaming Clay for the town’s suffering. The Newsweek article profiles Helen Warshaw and features one of Clay’s first Dyloft clients, the dying Ted Worley.

Shaken, Clay meets with French, who warns that Clay likely cannot deflect the malpractice claims. Clay then drives to Reedsburg in disguise to see the fallout. In a coffee shop, he listens as laid-off workers denounce him. He anonymously donates to a fund for affected families before leaving.

A caller lures Clay to a supposed meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel. As Clay walks through Georgetown, two men ambush him with sticks, beating him severely until a bystander’s scream scares them off. At the hospital, doctors treat him for multiple fractures. Jonah finds Clay’s Porsche covered with cement dust from a Hanna Portland bag and tracks him to the hospital.

Jonah and Paulette stay with Clay. Zack visits and tells him that the SEC has suspended its investigation. The police show Clay photos of three Hanna workers, but he cannot identify his attackers. Ridley visits briefly, though she shows little concern before she departs.

A few days later, Mulrooney calls from Arizona with good news: Dale Mooneyham, the plaintiff’s lawyer in the Maxatil trial, has successfully discredited a Goffman expert in cross-examination. A Goffman lawyer approaches Mulrooney and floats a possible $100,000-per-case settlement offer, a number that could rescue Clay’s finances.

Rebecca visits Clay and declares that her marriage is over. Ridley walks in on them, and the two women clash before both leave angry. Later, Mulrooney calls with a rumor that Mooneyham rejected a $10-million settlement, intending to pursue a favorable verdict.

Clay receives a memo from French: The list of ex-Dyloft clients suing him for malpractice has grown to 24. Ridley announces that she is returning to St. Barth.

Meanwhile, the Goffman CEO arrives in Arizona for the trial and, against his attorneys’ objections, decides to rest their case early. While Clay is undergoing an X-ray, the jury deliberates. Three hours later, they return a unanimous verdict favoring Goffman. Goffman’s lawyers taunt Mulrooney and vow to offer nothing to settle other Maxatil claims, sealing Clay’s financial collapse.

Once discharged, Clay begins dismantling his firm with Mulrooney and Paulette. He hires a bankruptcy expert who confirms that his liabilities are catastrophic. Ridley calls Clay, as she is alarmed when the St. Barth house goes up for sale as part of his bankruptcy proceedings. She chooses to stay there until the sale is finalized.

Paulette gives Clay a new number for Rebecca, who visits and says that her divorce is proceeding. She moves in with Clay, and he confesses the entire Tarvan story to her. They begin to clear out the past, and Rebecca stuffs Ridley’s belongings into trash bags. Rodney stops by and offers financial help, which Clay declines. Clay learns that Ted Worley has died because of his kidney tumor.

Weeks later, Clay sits for an interview with a Washington Post reporter. With Zack, Paulette, and Mulrooney present, Clay details the Tarvan conspiracy, the secret clinical trials, the resulting homicides, and his role in the cover-up, handing over documents that implicate Philo Products. Zack says that he will use the story to help the men convicted of Tarvan-related crimes seek justice.

After the interview, Paulette and Zack drive Clay and Rebecca to the airport. They board the Gulfstream for a one-way trip to London. As the jet takes off, Clay lowers the window shades, turning away from DC as he and Rebecca head toward an uncertain future.