<em>Suits</em> is an exceptional legal drama, but one aspect of the show that consistently changed was the name of the firm that the entire series revolved around. Suits first premiered in 2011, primarily following the career paths of ambitious lawyers as they sought to ascend the corporate ladder and achieve overall success. Harvey Specter, a central character throughout the series, was a partner at the Pearson Hardman law firm, but he aspired to secure a position as a named partner.
However, Specter wasn’t alone in his ambition to become a named partner; his rival and fellow partner in the firm, Louis Litt, also pursued the same title. Throughout the series, numerous power struggles unfold, and the firm experiences many leadership changes, which can be challenging to track as the story progresses. Nevertheless, the history of the firm is well documented in the show, despite being spread across Suits‘ 134 episodes over nine seasons. Each name signifies a different era of Suits, even though some share seasons.
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Gordon Schmidt Van Dyke (Partners: Stanley Gordon, Schmidt, and Charles Van Dyke)
Before Suits Season 1
To truly understand the firm, it’s important to look back at its formation where Specter and others worked. Before the show began, neither Jessica Pearson nor Daniel Hardman had their names on the wall. Prior to them, three lawyers named Stanley Gordon, Schmidt, and Charles Van Dyke led the firm. They took control from the original founder, Arthur Reeves, but soon faced consequences from future lawyers similarly.
This is illustrated in flashbacks during the show when these lawyers were ousted from their positions by Jessica Pearson and Daniel Hardman, who then took control of the firm and put their names on the wall in 2003. At that time, Harvey Specter was merely a mailroom employee while Louis Litt was an associate. Paul Porter was also a senior partner then. Little is known about the firm’s cases during this period.
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Pearson Hardman (Partners: Jessica Pearson and Daniel Hardman)
Suits Seasons 1 & 2
Jessica Pearson and Daniel Hardman enjoyed several years working together to lead the firm to new heights of success. This was how the firm appeared when Suits started, with Harvey Specter and Louis Litt as senior partners. The company established by-laws stating that only Harvard Law graduates could be hired and that a junior partner could be promoted to senior partner each year.
However, Pearson and Hardman eventually fell out when Hardman began engaging in dubious dealings like those of his predecessors. Even when Pearson managed to force Hardman out through blackmail regarding his extramarital affairs, his name remained on the wall for several more years to maintain client satisfaction and avoid unnecessary drama.
This era marked when Harvey brought Mike into the firm. Five years after Jessica ousted him, Hardman’s wife passed away, allowing him to return since there were no further issues against him. He attempted to create division to force Jessica out. This conflict concluded when Harvey Specter and Mike Ross completely ousted Hardman, allowing Jessica Pearson to take full control.
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Unofficially – Pearson (Partners: Jessica Pearson)
End Of Suits Season 2
Hardman transferred managing partner responsibilities to Pearson in 2007. However, years later when his wife died in 2012, Hardman returned to reclaim his position and attempted a hostile takeover. He briefly succeeded in regaining control from Pearson but was quickly dismissed with help from Harvey and Mike.
Hardman was removed from his position, and to prevent further issues, his name was taken off the firm’s title, leading to an unofficial renaming simply as Pearson. Despite being unofficial, it was one of the simplest titles throughout the nine seasons of Suits. However, this situation didn’t last long because Hardman retaliated against his dismissal by aiding Allison Holt and Robert Zane in filing numerous lawsuits against Pearson due to her lack of financial resources to defend against these challenges. Jessica had to seek assistance.
