Ex-Nixon Peabody Partner Is Convicted of Altering Documents to Protect Ponzi-Scheme Client
A former Nixon Peabody partner has been convicted of altering documents and obstructing justice to help a client accused in a Ponzi scheme.
Los Angeles lawyer David Tamman was convicted on Tuesday in a federal bench trial, report Reuters and the Am Law Daily. He was accused of altering documents during a 2009 investigation into the founder of NewPoint Financial Services, John Farahi, who was accused in a $20 million Ponzi scheme.
Tamman had argued at trial that he altered documents to remove material protected by the attorney-client privilege. Farahi pleaded guilty in June to four counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and illegal sale of securities, the Am Law Daily says.
Nixon Peabody had fired Tamman in 2009, spurring him to file a suit claiming he was “thrown under the bus” during the SEC investigation of his client. The suit is pending, Reuters says.
Nixon Peabody spokeswoman Allison McClain issued a statement to Reuters and the Am Law Daily. “David Tamman was solely responsible for the actions that led to today’s guilty verdict,” McClain said. “He betrayed our trust, and failed to live up to the ethical standards our firm demands.”
