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"My dedication to this firm knows no limits. And what I ask in return, all I ask in return, is to be valued. For someone to make me believe that they think that I'm great at what I do."
— Louis Litt

Louis Marlowe Litt, M.B.A.[citation needed], J.D., Esq. is a corporate attorney and the managing and name partner of Litt Wheeler Williams Bennett. He was promoted to the position of senior partner at Pearson Hardman by Daniel Hardman prior to the latter's second dismissal from the firm and was also the quartermaster of Pearson Darby.

Louis initially resigned from Pearson Specter to prevent Jessica Pearson or Harvey Specter from firing him after he embezzled money for Charles Forstman, but after discovering that Mike Ross was a fraud and that the others covered it up, he used that information to blackmail Jessica into making him a name partner, thus forming Pearson Specter Litt.

Background

Louis was born and raised in Scarsdale, New York. Louis did not have any friends as a child and was bullied in school. He was also home-schooled until he was 10 years old. During high school, he was Captain of the Glee club and was heavily involved in Dungeons & Dragons. He graduated from Harvard University, achieving the Order of the Coif. He is an expert in Corporate Finance and is well known for his superb training of the associates.

Louis was a senior associate when Harvey Specter joined the firm in 2003, after leaving the District Attorney's Office. When Fairchild, a former senior partner, had passed away, Louis came up with the idea that instead of having Daniel Hardman promote another junior partner to the position of senior partner, he promotes Harvey & himself from senior associates to junior partners, and that one day the firm might be called "Pearson Hardman Specter Litt". Hardman agreed on the condition that whoever got McKernon Motors would be considered for partnership. Harvey manages to convince Avery McKernon to let him represent him, telling him that he is loyal and that he would never drop them, but Hardman tells Harvey to drop him since another automotive company triple the size of McKernon wanted the firm to represent them. When Harvey refuses to drop them, he ends up losing a court battle on McKernon's behalf when the opposing counsel manages to counter him at every turn. Although Harvey initially suspects Hardman leaked his game plan, he later finds out it was Louis, who did it to gain a junior partnership with Hardman. This incident is what causes the rivalry between the two lawyers.

Louis is Jewish and has made references multiple times, like sharing his senior partnership news with his Rabbi, and asking Jessica for time off during Rosh Hashanah, and referring to his therapist Dr. Lipschitz as a Nazi because of his German accent.

As a junior partner, Norma was made his secretary, something that Louis initially disliked. His position at the firm was put under threat, however, when Harvey, under orders from Jessica, discovered evidence that seemed to suggest that Louis had been stealing from the company. It was later revealed, however, through Louis' indirect assistance, that it was Daniel that had been stealing money, and he had set Louis up to take the blame for his misdeeds.

History

Season 1

The show begins with Louis Litt, a junior partner at Pearson Hardman, telling Jessica that there is a problem with Gerald Tate, and her telling him to get Harvey. On the first day of Mike's job, Louis fires an associate (in reality a mailroom worker) in front of Mike, sending the message that Mike should be afraid of Louis. 

Louis takes Mike to the tennis club and forces Mike to get stoned with Tom Keller, who doesn't want to be Louis' client due to the fact that he finds Louis a tad eerie. Louis then blackmails Mike with a fake drug test.

Louis tries to be like Harvey and works to have a friendship with Donna. His relationship with Donna is backed by the fact that in season 3, Donna rushes to the hospital to be with him after he has a heart attack in court. 

Season 2

Louis Litt - Senior Partner

Daniel gave Louis the one thing Jessica didn't - senior partnership

Upon Daniel's return to the firm, Louis is unsure who to work for, claiming he needs to follow a chain of command. Jessica tells him that he responds to her, but as she clearly favors Harvey over him, Daniel uses that to his advantage, building a rapport with Louis. In return, Louis begins to work for him and even screws Harvey, Mike, and Jessica over. In order to usurp control once more, Daniel needs to be voted in as the new managing partner and decides to get Louis' vote by promoting him to senior partner, something Jessica never did.

Louis becomes loyal to Daniel, and so Harvey tries to make Louis realize that Daniel is simply buying his vote by proving to him that when Daniel stole from the firm, he set up Louis to take the fall. Louis rejects Harvey's attempts to make him vote for Jessica instead, and when Harvey realizes he wants Jessica to tell him he deserves his promotion as well as realize his value in the firm, he offers his office up. Louis, however, snaps at Jessica as well, although not before storming into Daniel's office and demanding why Daniel would set him up as a patsy. When Daniel tells him that he did it because Louis seemed like the perfect fall guy, with his financial expertise, as well as adding that he wouldn't care if Louis had his legal career ruined or even went to jail, along with the fact that he'd do it again, their relationship sours a bit. Louis ends up voting for Daniel anyways, and Daniel regains control of the firm.

Daniel asks Louis for a way to fire Harvey, and after Louis tries snooping in Harvey's office for dirt, he is caught and nearly punched by Harvey, who happens to be stoned. Louis, smelling the weed, has Daniel Hardman initiate a drug policy for partners, knowing that Harvey would either have to take the drug test and fail, or refuse to take the test overall, both of which carry grounds for dismissal. Harvey, however, adds that the by-laws state that he can call a partners meeting to discuss the policy pursuant to his rights as a senior partner.

Hardman is ousted

Every senior partner votes for Daniel's dismissal, Louis included.

During the partner's meeting, Daniel attempts to have Harvey dismissed for taking drugs, but Harvey counters that he got high because he had to work for Daniel. When it comes to a vote, however, only 3 people vote that Harvey should be fired, Louis choosing not to vote, and so Harvey stays. Jessica and Harvey bring up the fact that the CM memo settlement they were all fighting for was in fact orchestrated by Daniel Hardman in a ploy to get rid of Harvey as well as make Jessica surrender her leadership position, a fact Louis was unaware of. When Jessica tells Daniel that fraudulently suing his own firm is a violation of their by-laws and therefore grounds for dismissal, every senior partner votes for Daniel to be kicked out, Louis included.

Season 3

While proving that he loves Sheila Sazs, he finds her in the Harvard file room and when she leaves him alone to call her mother to tell her mother that Louis stopped being such a "pussy", Louis looks through the files, after being expressly told not to. Louis finds first Harvey's Harvard file and then looks for Mike Ross', dismayed when he realizes it's not there and that he can't tell Sheila about it because then he would have admitted to breaking her trust in the first place. Louis has a heart attack during a court proceeding and is rushed to the hospital, surviving the minor heart attack. Donna rushes to his side, telling him that everything would fall apart without him working at the firm, therefore he is not 'allowed' to die. While in the hospital, Louis is writing vows to Sheila and she gets upset with him for 'working' when he is supposed to be resting and then Louis explains that he wasn't working on work, but on something for her and he proposes to her right then and there in the hospital room and she accepts. It isn't until later after he's been released from the hospital and is back at work and has asked Harvey to be his best man, that he finds out that he and Sheila want separate things in their lives and they end up calling the engagement off.

Season 4

This section requires expansion

Louis resigned from Pearson Specter because he didn't want to put Harvey or anyone else in a position to fire him. It started when he unwound the Wexler stock purchase, despite Jessica telling him to tell Harvey first. Then, he made an illegal deal with Forstman in which he wired the money overseas to avoid paying taxes and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was about to find that out since Pearson Specter was ordered to release all of the documents regarding the Gillis Industries takeover.

In the episode "This Is Rome", events take a shocking turn since Louis figures out for certain that Mike Ross never went to Harvard. He found out because he failed to recognize a golden key that every Harvard graduate who achieves "Order of the Coif" gets. Since Mike's transcript showed that he graduated magna cum laude, he achieved the Order of the Coif, so he should have recognized it if he really were a Harvard graduate and got one of them. Louis also checked his credit reports and found that he was based in New York during his supposed years at Harvard Law, and he also was not in the Harvard yearbook.

PSL Louis Litt card

Louis then loses his composure and becomes very angry toward Donna & Jessica. He was yelling at Donna because he found out that she had been lying to him about Mike ever since he arrived. He was in absolute full rage when he shouted at Jessica, because she covered up Mike being a fraud, while when she did not cover up Louis's dirty deal with Forstman, The very last line, he says he can now have "Pearson Specter Litt", which is name partner.

Louis's suspicion about Mike not going to Harvard Law started last year when he noticed that Mike Ross did not have a file in the Harvard file room, and when he ordered a copy of his transcript, his suspicions grew as he noticed he received an "A+" in Professor Gerard's class, which historically no one has ever received taking his class.

After Season 4 returns, Harvey is seen driving back to the firm and once he enters Jessica's office, she reveals to that Louis knows, and that he's using the secret to be a name partner. Harvey tells Louis that Jessica will have to wait to put his name up on the wall since he resigned just recently, however, Louis goes around telling people, such as Katrina Bennett and Robert Zane, that he is now a name partner, and also has Jessica have a ceremony set for him. Jessica tells Louis that he will only be a name partner if he signs an affidavit that states that he is a co-conspirator in hiring a fraud. Louis refuses to sign it, but Jessica brings up the fact that Louis went around telling people that he is now a name partner and even had the partners gather around the lobby for a ceremony. Knowing how much he wants to retain his name partnership, Louis reluctantly agrees and signs it. Jessica admitted to Harvey that she planned this whole thing only seconds after Donna told Jessica that Louis knew.

It's later revealed that Louis' actions towards Mike are out of a genuine hurt that Mike had lied to him and didn't trust Louis enough to tell him the truth. The two are forced to confront their issues with each other by Harvey while on a road trip. Mike opened up to Louis about his reasons for not going to law school and Louis showed him compassion and understanding. Louis told Mike that he's not a fraud, he just never went to law school. Harvey subsequently made them co-counsels for McKernon Motors.

Season 5

To be added

Season 6

With Mike arrested and the firm in shambles, Louis is one of the only remaining employees apart of Pearson Specter Litt. He and Harvey make amends and work tirelessly to restore the firm. He also works to ensure Mike's release even when that means setting aside firm work or even means that the firm would suffer.

Season 7

To be added

Season 8

With Jessica's departure from the firm Louis and Harvey are left to hold the firm together after it's taken another PR hit. They come up with a plan to bring Robert Zane as a name partner, along with as many partners and associates from Rand, Kaldor, Zane as he can. Robert uses his leverage to negotiate his assuming leadership in the firm as the managing partner. After a power struggle between Harvey and Robert, everyone eventually agrees to hand over the reins to Robert.

Meanwhile, Louis and Sheila receive a false positive on a pregnancy test. After Sheila learns she's not actually pregnant, they visit a fertility doctor whom Louis recognizes as his high school bully. He carefully navigates their visits, on several occasions imagining that he lashes out to humiliate Chuck. After discussing the matter with Dr. Lipschitz, Louis learns to let the situation go.

When tensions in the firm continue to rise due to Samantha Wheeler's rivalry with Alex Williams, and their respective pursuits of being the next name partner at the firm, Harvey and Robert make a friendly wager to pit the two senior partners against each other in a new case. Both Alex and Samantha obtain evidence unethically to undermine the other's case, though Alex gains the upper hand and declares his victory of Samantha. Angry, Samantha goes to Robert and tells him to uphold his promise to her and make her name partner over Alex anyway. When Harvey learns Robert was using his authority as managing partner to break the deal between the two sides, Donna approaches Louis and tells him he needs to assume the role of managing partner and take control of the firm to save it. Louis reluctantly agrees and, knowing that Robert and Harvey would vote for themselves ending in a 2-1-1 Louis majority, he wins and becomes managing partner of Zane, Specter, Litt. His first act as managing partner after that is to promote both Samantha and Alex at the same time, an offer which they originally reject believing it dilutes the value of the promotion, but Louis orders Harvey and Robert to convince them to take the deal or he'll fire them both.

Season 9

The day after Robert Zane's disbarment, Louis drafts a statement that condemns Robert's actions while signifying that the firm is still supporting him. He heads to Harvey's apartment, but gaining no response he pays a visit to Donna's apartment, where he sees that Harvey is there as well, wearing the same clothes he wore the day before. Louis sees the two and assumes that they were working alan l night to handle the Robert situation, which both Harvey and Donna play along with, while making sexual innuendos the whole time. Louis informs them that they need to issue a press release and presents the statement he had written. Before he leaves, Louis tells Harvey that he needs to work witLawamantha and sign all of Robert's clients before they find legal representation elsewhere.

While in the bathroom, Louis is accosted by Alex, who informs him that Thomas Kessler has dropped them and that the Bar is attempting to forcibly remove Robert's name. Louis accepts that Thomas has left them but claims that the New York State Bar does not have the authority to remove Robert's name, and asks Alex to check whether they truly can while he goes to check on the firm's reputation. Louis heads home to see Sheila Sazs make one of his favorite dishes. Realizing that she is making it because she wishes to comfort him from something bad, he asks her about the firm's reputation, and she divulges that the applicants who had shown interest in working there removed their résumés; additionally, she discloses that she overheard some of them talking and that they believed that the firm did not value their reputation if they were unwilling to remove the name of a disbarred partner. Sheila asks Louis why they wouldn't remove Robert's name when they removed Jessica's, to which Louis responds that it was because Jessica was guilty as she knew about Mike whereas Robert was not. He then informs her that what he is about to say stays between them, and reveals that it wasn't Robert who broke privilege, but Harvey and Donna, and that he does not wish to remove Robert's name as Robert sacrificed greatly on their behalf. Sheila replies that regardless of who did it, the world thinks it was Robert and therefore they do not have a choice, and while Louis replies that he values character of self over the reputation of his firm, Sheila retorts that had she not known him personally, she would have agreed with the applicants.

In the aftermath of his conversation with Sheila, Louis calls Henry Gerard and explains that he wishes for Henry to help sway candidates their way since Zane Specter Litt Wheeler Williams does not have a single applicant from the top ten law schools in the country. Louis suggests that Henry make him the keynote speaker at the upcoming ethics conference, although Henry adds that Harvard Law School would have to approve of it first. Henry then adds that he does not believe that Robert broke privilege just to stick it to him and Harvey, and realizes it was because of Harvey. While he admonishes Louis for allowing such a crime on his watch, Louis retorts that Henry did worse things and the firm covered it up on his behalf, and tells Henry to have him be the keynote speaker by the end of the week.

Louis heads to Samantha's office, reminding her that they need to retain Robert's top clients in order to send a message that their firm can still be trusted. Samantha explains that she has been trying hard to do so but that she cannot get in touch with Harvey, wondering if Harvey is taking the matter seriously, only for Louis to reply that Harvey had spent all night with Donna the night Robert was disbarred trying to find a solution. Realizing that Harvey had lied to her and that he had gone to be with Donna, she informs Louis that she perhaps has figured out a way to retain Robert's clients after all.

While in his office, Louis receives a phone call from Henry, who informs him that not only has Harvard denied having Louis become keynote speaker, but that the students are not going to be won over by speeches but rather by action, and would not consider his firm unless Louis took action by removing Robert's name. As he ends his call, Alex walks in and reveals that the Bar has the power to have another name partner forcibly become managing partner, and that if that happens, the Bar might be able to do other things to their firm; to prevent that, they would have to comply with their wishes and have Robert's name removed. Since there are only five partners who have voting rights on the matter, they require three votes to change the name of the firm; since both Donna and Samantha would vote no whereas Alex and Louis would now vote yes, Harvey would be the deciding vote.

Louis heads to Harvey's office to convince Harvey to vote in his favor, although Harvey replies that he gave his word to Samantha that he would agree to retain Robert's name. Before they can discuss the matter further, Samantha interrupts the meeting and informs the pair that if they remove Robert's name from the firm's name, she would not only leave, but that she would inform the State Bar of the truth. Not wanting to betray his word to Samantha or have Robert's sacrifice be in vain, Harvey heads to Eric's office and hand-delivers his ten clients.

Later that evening, Louis stares at the name wall as he prepares to leave. However, a woman named Faye Richardson exits the elevators to meet him. Faye explains that has been ordered by the New York State Bar Association to become their new managing partner under the Special Master provision, and reveals to Louis that if he does not sign over the firm to her, the Bar would suspend every partner at the firm for practicing law for six months.[1]

The next morning, Louis is in his kitchen at home wearing a Speedo, which he refers to as a "mankini" when Harvey and Donna pay him a visit. Harvey and Donna refuse the offer and instead try to tell him that they are together and to explain why Harvey spent the night at Donna's apartment, although Louis is oblivious and believes that by together they mean standing together side-by-side and that Harvey had spent the night at Donna's due to plumbing issues. Donna then explicitly states that she and Harvey are in a relationship and that they didn't want to share the news before when the timing was bad, with Harvey adding that they wanted Louis to know, as their partner and friend, although Louis replies that while he is happy to hear their good news, there is also some bad news, notifying them about Faye.

Back at the firm, Donna inquires into how long Faye is going to stay, with Louis responding that it would be up to the discretion of the New York State Bar Association. Harvey retorts that there is no way he would accept some outside taking control of his firm, while Alex Williams begins to tell Louis that they could have avoided it, only for Samantha to intercede, claiming that Alex was going to say that they could have avoided this predicament had they removed Robert's name.

At that moment, Faye walks in, announcing that she wished to meet them and criticizing the firm's management, such as how the firm had two disbarred managing partners in two years, a junior partner who had gone to prison, and that she believes Harvey was an involved party in Mike's fraud. Faye adds that if they want her gone, they would have to show her that they would stop crossing lines and fly straight, revealing that not only does she have the power to fire them, but that she can approve cases, allocate resources and do anything else she sees fit in her capacity as Special Master. Faye announces that her first order of business would be removing Robert Zane's name from the firm name, causing Samantha to reply that she would find dirt on Faye if Faye attempted to do so. Faye responds that this kind of thinking is the exact reason she had to take over their firm and that Samantha has no say in the matter, causing Samantha to retort that she would be leaving the firm. As she storms out, Faye informs the others that their days of operating the firm as they seem fit, likening it to the Wild West, are over.

Alex goes to Louis' office, berating his decision to sign off on giving Faye control, claiming that they could have used the threat of Faye's interference to convince Harvey to remove Robert's name, which was happening now anyways. Gretchen then inserts herself into the conversation, divulging that she knows Faye as she had worked at Faye's firm years before. Gretchen reveals that during Faye's tenure as managing partner at her old firm, where she and her husband were name partners, she discovered her husband crossed a line and proceeded to have him disbarred, along with removing his name off the wall. Alex states that a woman who would do that to her own husband wouldn't care about what the firm did to her, although Louis suggests that he may have found a way out.

Louis goes to the IT department to pay Benjamin a visit. He asks Benjamin to develop a program that can analyze the three-thousand-page book on the State Bar's by-laws to find a loophole that would allow them to oust Faye; while Benjamin is initially hesitant, Louis convinces him to aid him in defending their home while its under attack. Later that day, the firm is officially renamed as Specter Litt Wheeler Williams.

At the associate bullpen, Louis notifies the associates that Faye has joined them but asks them to give her a wide berth while welcoming her. Susan Carter asks to clarify whether Louis wants them to welcome Faye by avoiding, which Louis affirms. Susan then continues to ask more questions until Louis states that he is their leader and that no one likes a talker, before dismissing Susan and beginning to walk away. As he gives himself self-praise and tells the associates that it was he who brought in Faye to deal with the firm's reputation, adding that Faye was reluctant, he turns around to see Faye herself. Faye sets the record straight, informing the associates that the New York State Bar installed her due to the firm's reputation of poor ethics, and has Louis confirm this to them, lest he lie. An angered Louis then walks to his office alongside Alex, who notifies him that a client of theirs is being sued. In his office, Benjamin tells him that he requires a digital copy of the by-laws while Louis berates him for not scanning the physical book, dismissing him, and ordering him to get the job done by the end of the day. Knowing that they need to blow off steam, Alex invites Louis to go bowling.

At the bowling alley, Louis reveals that he has never bowled, after having attended a bowling birthday party as a child and having his fingers stuck in a bowling ball. While he is initially unable to bowl, he successfully gets strikes in a row, knocking down every single pin consecutively after Alex suggests that he imagine the pins to be Faye. After the game, Louis has a piña colada while Alex has a beer, and the pair revel in their post-bowling victory. Louis tells Alex that ever since Alex joined the firm he felt shafted outside the firm, while Alex adds that he thought he and Harvey would be a team when he came, but that despite everything that happened, he was still standing by the end of it and that Louis would be. As Louis had shared that he had been involved in wrestling before, Alex displays that he can tap dance, having been forced to take lessons as a child by his mother.

Louis returns to the firm after bowling, meeting with Donna in the associates' kitchen. He apologizes for not celebrating the monumental news of Donna's relationship with Harvey and asks to indulge in conversation, specifically regarding and comparing Harvey's sexual prowess. As Louis makes a prunie in the associates' kitchen, Faye enters and publicly berates him for having Benjamin break the law by hacking the Bar. Louis retorts that he did not tell Benjamin to hack the Bar but that he had ordered him to do whatever it took to get Faye dismissed, while Faye lashes back that Louis is unethical, tarnishing the firm and his reputation as the other associates watch.

Louis then makes his way to the IT floor, reprimanding Benjamin for ratting his orders out to Faye, and telling him that he is fired. Donna refuses to have Benjamin fired and asks for it to be put to a vote, only for Louis to respond that as managing partner, he can fire support staff without the need for a vote and that Harvey would only agree with Donna in a vote because they are in a relationship. Donna replies that Harvey wouldn't do that, but both she and Louis notice that Harvey is hesitant to argue against Benjamin's firing. Faye then appears and tells Louis that Benjamin would not be fired, while Louis leaves after replying that he is not sticking around for Faye to publicly humiliate him for a third time. Louis heads outside the firm building and enters into his chauffeured car and finds Faye waiting there for him. She explains that she took heed of Louis' desire not to be publicly humiliated and therefore wished to have a private conversation in order to notify him that, effective immediately, she was stripping him of his title as managing partner along with all of its respective duties.[2]

Louis returns home where he discusses his demotion with Sheila. Sheila reminds him that he said he didn't want to be managing partner anyways and that he had declined when Donna had offered it, although Louis responds that it was because he was asked so the night Sheila told him she was pregnant, adding that he doesn't know how he can go back to work not being in charge.

At the fir, Donna heads to Louis' office, noting a worker scraping his title off his office window. She apologizes for the events of the previous night, revealing that she has an older sister who turned her boyfriends into doormats, a fate she does not wish Harvey to befall to, and assures Louis that she would not allow her relationship with Harvey to affect how they treat him.

Louis takes the day off to have lunch with Judge Saul Zuckerman. Saul talks about how during their time at Harvard Law School, Louis had mapped out his career, which consisted of joining a top-tier law firm, becoming a name partner, and eventually becoming a judge. As a seat had been vacated, Saul offers judgeship to Louis, although Louis declines as he views it as a charity, believing he was offered the position because he was demoted by Faye. Saul then informs Louis that if he fights against Faye and loses, he would not have this chance again. Returning home, he notifies Sheila that he was offered a judgeship but turned it down, only for her to reveal that she was the one who had arranged it. As Louis had said earlier that he didn't know how to continue working at the firm following his demotion, she had orchestrated with Saul to have him become judge, which is both a position Louis wanted and one Saul believes he is right for.

That night, Louis has a dream where he is both lawyer and judge and has Faye put on trial. The dream versions of Alex, Samantha, and Donna are all enamored with him, with Dream Alex claiming if he wasn't married, he would be with Louis. The jury consists of twelve Harvey's, who deliver a verdict that Faye is guilty, prompting Judge Louis to sentence her to death and for bailiff Gretchen to escort her out. The next day, Louis visits Dr. Lipschitz, sharing the details of his dream with him. However, Lipschitz reminds him that in Louis' dream, he was surrounded by his friends from work, whereas if he were to take the judgeship position in reality, he would not be surrounded by them anymore. Louis admits that he did not think of that, adding that his friends are everything to him and that he doesn't want them to go anywhere.

Louis returns to the firm and is unable to find Gretchen, heading to the associates' kitchen. He comes across Faye, who notifies him that Gretchen is working for her temporarily since her original candidate, Donna, pawned off the work on Gretchen. Louis then goes to see Gretchen and demands to know Donna's whereabouts; Gretchen explains that her taking over for Donna was voluntary but gives Louis the address to the restaurant Donna is at.

At the restaurant, Harvey discusses Faye at length before the pair realize their dinner was to avoid the Faye situation. The pair find themselves awkward with nothing to say until Harvey divulges that Donna reminds him of Ricky Garfield's mom. Harvey explains to a confused Donna that Ricky Garfield was a kid who had moved into the neighborhood when he was sixteen and that Harvey developed a crush on his mother, a redhead. Donna receives a phone call from Louis, intending to answer it as she promised she would be there for Louis, although Harvey responds that this dinner was meant for the two of them. Donna then elects not to answer the call and the two laugh after Harvey makes a joke, unaware that Louis is watching them.

The next day, Louis enters Harvey's office to notify him that he is taking a judgeship and leaving the firm. Louis reveals that he watched the pair at the restaurant laughing at him, although Harvey reassures him that they weren't laughing at him and asks him to stay at the firm. Louis returns home for the night and is confused to hear Donna's laughter. He heads into the kitchen to find Donna and Sheila talking, with Donna attempting to convince Sheila to have Louis stay at the firm. Louis informs her that he has already chosen to remain at the firm, to which Donna replies by suggesting they have a girls' night, much to Louis' delight, who wishes to watch Dirty Dancing with her.[3]

The next week, Louis storms into the conference room, insulting a man and woman he believes to be opposing attorneys, only to find out they are Susan Carter's parents. He makes it seem like he was merely showing them what not to do and leaves, telling them his real name is actually Alex Williams. Louis then goes to find Gretchen and discusses if he can get her back, as Norma's granddaughter is his temp secretary and is incompetent. Gretchen tells Louis that if he wants her back early, he would have to personally ask Faye.

Louis confronts Katrina in the women's restroom, asking her to sneak in a clause into her code of conduct, having discovered it on Faye's desk after going to her office to ask for Gretchen back. Louis' proposed clause would place personnel reassignments under the purview of the name partners, preventing a Special Master from taking secretaries. Katrina replies that his clause is a by-law and not a code of conduct, but after he is adamant that she insert it in anyways, tells him that she would try. Louis later goes to see Katrina in her office to ask whether she had placed the clause into the code of conduct, and she tells him that she did not and will not be doing so as it is goes against her character. Louis is infuriated that she will not help get rid of Faye and mentions Katrina being sneaky in the past to aid him and uses their friendship as leverage, which Katrina does not appreciate. Katrina retorts that due to recent events, she has reflected on what kind of lawyer she wants to be and dismisses Louis after refusing his clause.

Louis goes to Harvey's office to notify Harvey that he is going to talk to Faye about getting Gretchen back. Harvey tells him that Faye is trying to take Donna's vote away and that he would be talking to Faye right now; when Louis proposes that they go together as a united front, Harvey responds that they do not have enough leverage to demand more than one thing and that Donna's vote trumps Louis gaining Gretchen back. Louis is angered that Harvey is placing his wants over his, only for Harvey to lash out that Faye's presence is Louis' fault for signing over the firm to her without putting up a fight. This causes Louis to angrily retort that Faye being Special Master is his fault since she only took over their firm due to Robert and Jessica's disbarment, both of which happened because of Harvey, the latter of which because he hired Mike knowing he was a fraud. Louis then storms up while Donna prevents Harvey from lashing out further, explaining that he and Louis got angry because they were insulted, which is exactly what Jim felt. Harvey then goes to the bullpen, where Louis is idling. Harvey and Louis apologize and Harvey states that it's time they use Louis' idea to use a clause.

While working in her office, Katrina is interrupted by the arrival of Louis, who apologizes for using their friendship to have her do something shady for him. He then asks if she can still add something to her code of conduct, although when Katrina asks what the difference is from his first request that she declined, he responds that the first time he tried to sneak something past her while this time, he intends to make her aware of the clause. The next morning, Louis, Harvey, Alex, and Samantha go to Faye's office to save Donna's vote. They all mention the interpersonal relationships they have, such as Louis naming Donna his child's godmother and Samantha having dinner at Alex's house, although Faye chalks it up to it being friendship and not a relationship and claims there is still a conflict of interest. Louis then reveals that Katrina's code of conduct has a clause that allows the name partners to waive said conflict and that they all have done so. The four also threaten to quit if she does not respect their legal rights to waive conflict, reminding her that she would have to explain to the State Bar why four name partners resigned after she did not let them do something that was their legal right.[4]

Personality

The main trait that defines Louis throughout his tenure at the firm is his massive inferiority complex. This has been driven since his early childhood, when people would use him to try and date his more popular, and better-looking, sister.  Her popularity often made him jealous of her social position and so he compensated with hard work, which often made him a target of bullies. This later followed him to Pearson Hardman, where he was introduced to Harvey who regularly puts in fewer billable hours than Louis, yet ends up with more high-profile clients, a better standing, and faster promotions within the firm than he does, despite his stellar work ethic. This has also made him into a very harsh leader, pushing people under him to breaking point with seemingly little compassion for their plights as he expects the best from them.  Whenever someone goes against him or appears to take something away from him, he lashes out quite harshly because he sees this as a sign that he is inadequate which is his biggest fear. His ego is extremely fragile because of it and has nearly caused him to lose his job and caused much grief to others around him. He has regular visits with a therapist to help him deal with his extremely sensitive ego with some degree of success, though it is not always clear.    

Louis regularly appears out of place in most social environments unless he is in a position of authority, and most people who do not know him very well, fear and dislike him. He regularly appears like a drill sergeant in charge of the associates and regularly pits them against each other to gauge their competency and to weed out the weak.  He appears extremely strict with them, but this is because this is what shaped him into being the great lawyer he is.  While very overbearing, he does have the best interests of the associates at heart and pushes them so they continue to grow into outstanding attorneys.  Some of this is likely for his own ego to ensure that nobody has a chance to mock him or by extension his firm, since he greatly fears his own inadequacy.  He has been shown to be an effective teacher and excellent mentor for willing pupils and was given the associates by Jessica to ensure proper guidance and care with their cases.

Louis is a very sensitive man with a large heart that hides under a very cold exterior.  He has a deep love of the fine arts and artistic pursuits such as the ballet, opera, and theater, particularly Shakespeare.  He is so well read on the plays of Shakespeare that he knows them line by line and off book, to the astonishment of Donna who is an actress by trade herself.  He holds a special love of pets, such as cats, and was absolutely devastated when his own cat passed away, including suing a fellow attorney for his own cat when Louis was left to cat-sit for a period of time and wanted to keep the animal.  He is quite encouraging towards people who hold promise such as Rachel and Katrina, and even gives Mike a place to continue to work and apply himself when Harvey gives him the cold shoulder, and was very hurt when the pair made up.  He also has a love of firearms and regularly goes to the shooting range when he is angry to blow off steam.  His favorite hobby is mudding, which he has done all over the world and regularly does to help him feel relaxed and to heal his wounds. He is also incredibly loyal to the firm and has a soft side for the people he cares about. In many instances, he acts a bit like a kid although he has matured a lot since the start of the series, as was seen when he became managing partner. When he calmed Harvey down after the latter yelled at Katrina, instead of ripping Harvey's head off, as well as when Sheila was having his baby, a situation in which he acted strangely calm.

Relationships

Harvey Specter

Louis harbors an intense jealousy towards Harvey Specter for making senior partner so early after Harvey spent his time junior to Louis (who achieved junior partnership while Harvey was still only a senior associate), and their rivalry forms a major part of their relationship. When Donna Paulsen was fired for shredding documentation that might incriminate Harvey, Louis jumped at the chance to assist in a mock trial at the firm in order to help Harvey and possibly Donna as well. Despite their heated relationship, Louis himself later takes the stand to defend Harvey, much to the surprise of everyone.  He characterized their relationship as that of "Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog" from the Loony Tunes, fiercely competitive and clashing when at work, but much less so in their personal lives.

In spite of his jealousy, Louis holds a deep respect for Harvey, which he admits in the mock trial under the questioning of Jessica. Louis once compared his relationship with Harvey to that between Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog from Looney Tunes; stating that whilst they were enemies at work, at the end of the day they left on amicable terms. The clash between Louis and Harvey is therefore evident insofar as Harvey is everything Louis has desired to be. That is the attractive, suave, and socially respected wunderkind. It is the frustration of following always in Harvey's shadow and not as an equal that causes the perpetual rift between them. However, beyond social status, the two are very similar both in intelligence and ability to practice law in their areas of expertise. This type of relationship is effective as it allows for both comedy and drama simultaneously. Louis' devious but mostly harmless nature can arouse both amusement and compassion in the viewer. Similarly, Harvey can humorously insult Louis and equally sympathize when it matters most. Ultimately, Harvey and Louis will forever have polar opposite personalities but it is the underlying mutual respect that precludes a rift from becoming a gulf.

When Harvey is out of town, Louis poses as him to deal with a client before realizing that he only needs to be himself. After learning of the deception from Harold Gunderson, Harvey tells Samantha Wheeler that it's the funniest thing that he's ever heard, and Harvey and Samantha have fun pranking Louis about it.

Jessica Pearson

Jessica does not appear to be especially close to Louis. Louis is often angered by how Jessica favors Harvey over him and often questioned her decision to promote Harvey to senior partner before him. Despite this, Jessica and Louis have a good working relationship, though it somewhat wavered when Louis sided with Daniel Hardman during his reign. When Louis was planning on leaving Pearson Hardman, Jessica tells him that she considers him a valuable employee of the firm and does not want him to resign. Despite her relationship with Harvey, she often rebukes him when he does unorthodox things to Louis. After Louis has his heart attack, Jessica confides in Louis that even though they don't always see eye to eye and he often questions her when she assigns specific cases to himself or Harvey, that she thinks of Louis as family.

Mike Ross

Louis often shows jealousy towards Mike due to his close relationship with Harvey. However, it is clear that he recognizes Mike's ability and they have formed a strong partnership on every occasion they collaborate. More importantly, Louis is not intimidated by Mike and thus a more open friendship is evident between the two; though neither of them would outright admit to labeling it as such. Mike is in the difficult position of being Harvey's right-hand man and hence, on the 'inside', yet still seeing merit in Louis, an 'outsider', and enjoying his company. Despite Louis' choices with the Pearson Hardman civil war, his and Mike's relationship has survived intact. After Mike was beaten up by Tess' husband, Louis immediately tended to Mike's injuries with his own first-aid supplies and then proceeded to use his financial expertise to help with Trent's case, despite planning to hand in his resignation letter to Jessica the next morning.[5]

After discovering Mike's fraud, Louis set out to destroy him before Jessica intervened. The two men eventually came to blows before Harvey intervened. Louis ultimately revealed that his actions towards Mike came out of a genuine hurt that Mike didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth. Mike apologized and opened up to Louis about his past which he expressed compassion and understanding about. Louis told Mike that he wasn't a fraud, he just didn't go to law school and they reconciled.

Daniel Hardman

Louis has only a superficial admiration for Daniel Hardman. He essentially used Daniel as much as Daniel did him, i.e. for promotion to Senior Partner, due to Jessica's extensive investment in Harvey which left Louis continually feeling neglected. It was later revealed that Hardman was just using Louis to take over the firm from Jessica and did not care about him. Once he learned about the extent of his actions, Louis voted to dismiss Hardman from the firm and backed Harvey in the final vote. He later regrets voting for Hardman, due to the strain it causes on his relationship with both Harvey and Jessica. However, at the end of "Blood in the Water", they both make clear that he is a valuable and wanted asset to the firm. Daniel and Louis do not have a relationship per se, they were simply a means to an end for one another, and nothing more.

Sheila Sazs

Sheila and Louis's relationship started off rocky, Sheila was not committed to moving to New York, though Louis convinced her to after he told her that his close friends live there. Eventually, they started dating and became extremely close to each other. In the episode Heart Burn, Louis proposes to Sheila asking if she will marry him on his hospital bed, she accepts and they are due to be engaged. Louis then asks Harvey to be his best man, and he accepts the offer in his office. However, the engagement was canceled after Louis and Sheila ended their relationship at the end of the episode. They ended things with each other because they had a disagreement about having kids. Louis really wanted to have kids, but Sheila did not.

Katrina Bennett

Louis and Katrina's relationship is that of teacher and student. Although they start out rubbing each other the wrong way in Season 2, this gives way to their working relationship forming in Season 3 where Katrina is shown to be unwavering in her loyalty to Louis, helping him with his workload even when this leads to her being fired. Louis repays her loyalty by asking Jessica to rehire Katrina citing loyalty as not being a punishable trait. In Season 4, Katrina's loyalty to Louis eventually forces her resignation with Louis unable to get her rehired back at Pearson Specter. At the end of the season, his inability to help her is reinforced by Rachel getting her hired at Rand, Kaldor & Zane.

Esther Litt

Louis' younger sister, Esther comes to the firm to see Louis for some advice on her divorce from her husband. She and Harvey meet and flirt before either knows who the other is. Esther insists on Harvey representing her and Louis reluctantly arranges it but is worried about Harvey seducing her. It appears the two have a tense relationship but Louis is clearly protective of his sister and truly cares for her and wants her to be okay.

Tara Messer

Louis hires Tara Messer to renovate the firm in Season 6. However, Jessica forces Louis to let her go, but he pays Tara out of his pocket because he has feelings for her. They engage in a relationship — but have a huge fight, after which Tara breaks up with him, leaving him devastated.

Trivia

  • Louis graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1988.
  • He had braces at ages 17 and 28, including the 5 years before Mike was hired to join Pearson Hardman.
  • During high school, he was Captain of the Glee club and was heavily involved in Dungeons & Dragons.
  • He has undergone a few medical procedures for his nasal passages and a former skin tag epidemic as well as foot surgeries.
  • Louis took a vacation to Bangladesh in July 2009 to find his "Freida Pinto" after having seen Slumdog Millionaire.
  • He had a MySpace account.
  • He has a Dictaphone that he keeps as a diary.
  • He uses the catchphrase Litt Up, which he also got registered as a trademark.
  • He likes ballet, mudding, and tennis.
  • Louis did not have any friends as a child and was bullied in school. He was also home-schooled until he was 10 years old.
  • Louis' apartment is at 601 E 59th Street, New York City (according to the address written on envelopes of letters sent to Nigel Nesbitt's cat Mikado).


Appearances


References

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