Donna is considered the best legal secretary in New York, and she has enough power in the firm to intimidate senior partner Louis Litt, especially since she remembers most of Louis` indiscretions. Mike Ross often comes to her when he thinks he needs help, and she laughs at him because he doesn`t really need help. When Mike really needs help, she offers all the help she can. She often jokes that she knows everything, is funny and has a sardonic sense of humor. Whenever she solves a seemingly impossible problem for Harvey, Louis, or Mike, they inevitably ask how she did it, and she often gives the simple answer: “I`m Donna.” Harvey started working in the mailroom, went to New York University (NYU) for his bachelor`s degree, and Jessica Pearson then paid his tuition at Harvard Law, where he graduated in 1997. Although Jessica told him years later that he didn`t take his studies seriously, he still finished fifth in his class. Although he intended to begin his legal career at Gordon, Schmidt & Van (former namesake partner of Pearson Hardman), Jessica sent him to the New York County District Attorney`s Office for mentorship and he worked as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) under Attorney Cameron Dennis (Gary Cole). There he met his legal secretary Donna Paulsen (in a bar), who became his close friend and confidante. After two years, he discovered a case in which Dennis suppressed evidence, and instead of reporting on it, Harvey abruptly left the Attorney General`s office to go into private practice with Pearson Hardman. Five years before the events of the series, a high-ranking employee, Jessica, informs him that she has discovered embezzlement in the company and asks Harvey to quietly investigate. In return, he asked for promotion to junior partner after success. With the help of several other lawyers at the firm, including Louis Litt, Specter discovers that the money is being embezzled by Daniel Hardman, the firm`s founding managing partner.
When Harvey finds out, he insists that Jessica report him to the AD. She refuses and decides to confront Daniel instead, who claims that the money will be used to fund his wife`s cancer treatments. However, upon further investigation, Harvey discovers that the money is actually being used to fund an affair with a colleague. Soon after, Harvey learns that his father Gordon has died of a myocardial infarction. Although visibly devastated, he cries quietly and decides to celebrate his promotion instead. Gretchen Bodinski is Executive Assistant at Litt Wheeler Williams Bennett and Personal Legal Secretary to Louis Litt. While Daniel Hardman represents Folsom Foods against Jessica, Darby`s intervention was solely responsible for the company`s victory. Jessica herself could not disclose Daniel`s previous embezzlement to anyone without violating the confidentiality agreement she had signed. As part of the due diligence of merger negotiations, Darby has access to the Company`s financial data, which allows Darby to indirectly learn about Daniel`s previous illegal activities, while removing the effects of the confidentiality agreement, which applies exclusively to Jessica and her use of the information. (Since he was legally aware of it and was not himself expressly bound by the agreement, he can disclose the embezzlement to anyone without the consequences of a breach of confidentiality.) After discovering the embezzlement, Darby threatens to reveal it to Daniel`s own client if he does not settle the matter immediately on Jessica`s terms. Since Daniel has no options and his own reputation is at stake, he is obliged to advise the company to accept their settlement terms.
A week later, Gretchen is still working for Faye. After Louis ruins the conference room to go to, Louis approaches her and discusses whether he can get her back, since Norma`s granddaughter is his temporary secretary and is incompetent. Gretchen tells Louis that if he wants her to come back sooner, he will have to ask Faye personally. After Ava`s charges were dropped, Jessica forced Darby into negotiations to dissolve the merger. She agrees to waive the Harvard Rule for Rachel, and after noticing her long presence in the firm and her overwhelming expertise as a paralegal, she agrees to pay for Rachel`s law degree as well (as she did for Harvey). When Mike is arrested, Anita Gibbs attempts to have Rachel testify against Mike and Harvey by using her contacts with Rachel`s teacher and threatening her entire career. When Mike decides to reach an agreement with Anita Gibbs, he decides to marry Rachel. However, he changed his mind at the last moment out of guilt and left her in his wedding dress.