Did Marty Bach know about the assassinations?

I don't think he knew. If you're U North, you definitely would NOT want your legal team knowing that you're willing to commit murder to cover up some stuff related to your case.

Marty Bach certainly knew what kind of a company U North was--far from being the good guys. But he wasn't a co-conspirator for any of the movie's events. They seemed to imply that Karen was going rogue by taking matters into her own hands.

Always bothered me too, was Marty in on this? Karen Crowder does shows Marty, Memorandum #229, so, cat's OUTTA the bag. Also, when Marty pays Michael the $80K, Michael is HOLDING the memorandum in his HAND, red cover & ALL....and Marty DOESN'T notice it??

I don't think anyone was involved in the killing and attempted killing other than Crowder and the hit men. I believe the CEO, Jeffries, sees the firm that employees the hitmen as nothing more than a very high end private investigation business, that U North retains to dig up dirt on people that are a threat to U North. But the firm is much more than that, in that they'll kill people if their client gives the go ahead. Notice how Crowder gives a very assertive "no" to the hitmen, when they ask her if Jeffries needs to be involved as to their plans.

Crowder's very insecure as far as her career goes, and will go above and beyond to keep her position.

I think you raise a pretty good point. It certainly is possible.

I found it quite odd he didn't give the memorandum to Marty as soon as he walked into the office after picking it up from the copy store. And Marty doesnt ask what he's holding either. The camera also does seem to linger on Michael Clayton a few little too long as he looks down holding the check in his hand.

Maybe Marty went to so far as to assist/suggest the wire taps on Arthur? His death certainly was convenient for the firm. "They're doing it! They're going to withold 9 million dollars and fees... they'll have to sell off the furniture!"

He certainly had motive.

Just another layer to this impeccable tale.

I don't think he knew, but he did know who he was dealing with, U-North. Major player, big money, and a car bomb, who else would do that to keep 229 quiet

He suspected U-North


You don't have to stand tall, but you do have to stand up!

It's possible but not probable.

Michael Clayton was the guy who did that stuff for the firm, not Marty. In fact I think Marty might have even suspected Michael was in on Arthur's murder but this is confounded by the bugged conversations he had, which I think were fed from Karen to Marty merely as leverage.

I think asking for $80,000 raised a lot of questions about Michael's motivations -- was this extortion when the firm was vulnerable? Michael back to gambling? They came at him hard with the contract and the added supervision as I think they were worried that he did way too much stuff off the reservation and even the shadow of an idea that Marty may have had Arthur killed worried a lot of people at Kenner Bach. He knows too much and nobody wants to think that a lone wolf could gun for them anytime they stepped off the reservation.

I just watched this fine film. Wish I had sooner. I thought Sydney Pollack just nailed his brief scenes as an uber-powerful head of a giant law firm with its future hanging in the balance. I see him as a person with flexible morals, which are finding new boundaries. However, I do not think he was IN on the assassinations. I suspect it crossed his mind that UNorth had Marty killed, but his death by suicide was very plausible. And he did not want to know the specifics. And it was a fabulously convenient solution, though even Marty seemed to express some guilt that he was so relieved.

As for Michael's attempt. I definitely don't think Marty was behind it or would have supported that if he knew. For a variety of reasons, including his long-established utility and loyalty to the firm. And coming up with 80k, to the firm, that's not that much money, a bonus for a partner. As Michael stated, it was not a shakedown coming from the source and for the amount.

The private detectives/killers were Karen’s people. She’s a lawyer and they’re assassins, everybody knows not to talk about what they’re doing. Hell, Karen is so elliptical in her conversation in person with the private detectives the movie actually makes a scene out of him making her clarify what she’s even saying.

She refused to even get Don Jeffries involved and these are Don’s people and they know him. There is zero chance that Karen was willing to extend this conspiracy to Marty Bach. It makes Karen more vulnerable and she loses all the leverage she has over Kenner Bach.

Karen’s motivation is to settle the lawsuit first. With the tax benefit it costs them nothing and she looks like a genius. With Kenner Bach jammed up over Arthur’s behavior, she can get Marty to take a 50% haircut on his fees. That’s millions of dollars and after the settlement she probably gets a kickback from U North on the fee discount as a bonus, like what, $1 million for herself?