The end of John K. Weir's career at Holland & Knight arrived on his Connecticut doorstep the Saturday morning of Nov. 16, 2002, in an express mail envelope.
The enclosed memo from firm General Counsel L. Kinder Cannon stated that Weir, a partner at Holland & Knight and its New York predecessor for over 20 years, was expelled from the firm retroactive to Nov. 4, 2002. He was instructed to never again return to the Manhattan office he had left the evening before at 6 p.m.
Weir says he left behind active client files as well as a desk, chairs and lamps given to him by his late mother. He says he later found out his office furniture was distributed among other lawyers at the firm.
"I wouldn't say it had great monetary value," he said in an interview, "but in terms of sentimental value to me, it was priceless."