Episode 2: Big Coal

Following Clay Simms’ successful defense in a criminal prosecution resulting from the death of a boy who fell into an unsecured mineshaft, Nick convinces Phil Hostetler to let Fallin & Fallin represent his coal company in seeking property damage waivers from homeowners whose houses are being threatened by a nearby mine fire. After Simms asks him to use lawyer Sadie Harper, a young, African-American associate with whom he has been having an affair, Nick agrees, but only after asking her to sign an agreement which absolves the firm of any liability stemming from the liaison. With the local knowledge Sadie developed though working with Simms, Nick sets out to get the waivers. But as miner Paul Nystrom puts off signing in order to tend to his ailing 14-year-old daughter, Petra, Sadie is unable to get a waiver from Ezra Pence, the grandfather of the boy who died in the Hostetler Coal Company’s mine. Meanwhile, as a dinner together lands Lulu and Nick in bed, rather than signing the agreement, Sadie chooses to end her affair with Simms.

In an effort to secure Nystrom’s signature, Nick increases his offer and then takes Petra to a specialist who diagnoses the pregnant teenager with a cancer that was most likely caused by the coal fire. Unable to use conventional chemotherapy, Dr Wasserman wants to start Petra on an experimental treatment that will mean aborting the baby. And when the Nystrom’s health insurance company objects, Nick ignores his dad’s warnings about going against the interests of their client – Hostetler Coal – as he sets out to get them to pay.

Knowing that his involvement with Hostetler will make it impossible to appeal the health insurer’s decision, Nick enlists Lulu to represent the Nystroms. However, after Nick gets Hostetler to agree to pay up to half a million dollars in exchange for Nystrom’s promise not to sue, Nick discovers that Burton has already pushed Sadie to get Paul to sign away his rights for a mere twenty thousand dollars. Finally, as Pence decides that what he really wants is a personal apology and Hostetler hires Fallin & Fallin for all their legal work, Lulu fails to convince a judge to order the insurance company to pay for Petra’s treatments.