I didn't scroll through the boards to see if there was an answer to this yet, because I have just started the series and I didn't want to read any spoilers.
I want to know who Lewiston is in the firm, and why he seems to be in charge of everyone, including Denny Crane.
...don't just laugh. Answer the pepperoni.
[deleted]
After I wrote that, there was an episode where he was ordering Schmidt around too. I just think he had a lot of nerve speaking to the name partners like that, no matter how long he had been there, or how much responsibility he had.
...don't just laugh. Answer the pepperoni.
Until recently, I thought that Paul is Poole (Pool?) - the third name partner, so I was not surprised, he was ordering people around. I never watched the very first episode. Now I watched it, and it´s clear, that Edwin who went mad is the third name partner, I ask the same question, why was he in the position to ordering people around, or sell the firm to the chinese?
shareAt such a large firm there are tens of partners (those with varying levels of ownership stake in the firm).Crane, Poole, and Schmidt are named partners but even the CEO of Coca Cola has to obey the decisions of the board of directors.
Paul Lewiston has a role that is more related to administration and organization. He is often acting as a representative of the other senior partners to the more eccentric stars of the show. He's the voice of reason (for a more meta explanation).
you are right, Lewiston is a voice of reason in the serial, and he can represent a dominant partner from the normal business view
but, it was never explained in the serial, why he is so important, so maybe that is the reason some of us are confused over his influence
(Even if Lewiston is a voice of reason, I still love danny and alan more) but this is not the question of this topic:)
He is an executive senior partner in the firm. Just because he is not one of the "name" partners of Crane, Poole & Schmidt doesn't mean he can't have the power he does.
shareWhat Crxx says. The ironic thing is Edwin Poole turns out to be the most incompetant of the lawyers, Denny actually finishing the series still undefeated in spite of his diminishing condition, yet Edwin's name stays on even after the Chinese buy the firm. One ep does establish Shirley's asked Paul at a prior point if he wants to be a named Partner and does so again when it looks like he's devoting more time to his grand-daughter, but he declines.
Superman & The [Red-Blue] Blur = The Man of Steel
Lewiston is what is known as a managing partner. He keeps track of the hours, the money, the relationship of the firm to its most important clients, and all the bothersome stuff that it takes to run a business, and may do some legal work in addition. That includes as hiring and firing, thus he can boss people around a bit.
CB
Good Times, Noodle Salad