2nd Circuit Court

N.Y. Lawyer: Fictional Persona Libels Me

An unusual libel case filed by a New York lawyer over a fictional portrayal in a television show of an attorney he says is recognizable as himself has surmounted its first hurdle. A judge has denied a motion to dismiss the case filed by Ravi Batra, putting his claim that…

Mar 19, 2008 11:57 PM CDT

Bear Stearns Rescue Shows Legislators Have Work to Do

In the short run, the story of the successfully averted almost-collapse of the nation’s fifth-largest investment bank is a tale of triumph over near-disaster. But, in the long run, it is likely to be seen as a rallying cry for increased regulation of the reckless mortgage lending that caused the…

Mar 18, 2008 9:42 PM CDT

2nd Circuit: Probation for Lawyer in $100M Fraud Too Lenient

A former general counsel for a hotel chain apparently is going to have to serve time for his role in a $100 million bank fraud scheme, according to a federal appeals court ruling this week. The New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out both the term…

Mar 18, 2008 7:16 PM CDT

Rogue Trader in $7B SocGen Case Says Boss Watched

Jerome Kerviel says he used his manager’s computer at least one occasion as he racked up more than $7 billion in losses for French bank Société Générale. And, as he traded, he contends, his boss and colleagues sometimes watched, according to the London Times and Agence France-Presse. Kerviel also told…

Mar 17, 2008 4:36 PM CDT

2 Lawyers Attacked in Federal Court Melee

A defendant reportedly grabbed the hair of a senior narcotics prosecutor, yanked her to the floor and choked her yesterday, in a presentencing attack in a Brooklyn federal courtroom. A 72-year-old defense lawyer allegedly was cut with a razor blade when he tried to help her. “I think he was…

Mar 12, 2008 7:27 PM CDT

Securities Suit Filed Against SocGen Cites ‘Culture of Risk’

A securities suit has been filed against Société Générale over the French bank’s disclosures about its subprime mortgage holdings and the internal controls that failed to prevent a reported loss of more than $7 billion attributed to a single rogue trader. Cohen Milstein Hausfeld & Toll says it has sued…

Mar 12, 2008 6:04 PM CDT

Top Lawmaker to Spitzer: Resign or We’ll Impeach You

Updated: As the day progressed, it appeared that embattled New York Governor Eliot Spitzer might not resign from office as quickly as some have predicted, despite allegations that he may have paid as much as $80,000 for the services of high-class prostitution service. But if he doesn’t resign soon, at…

Mar 11, 2008 8:42 PM CDT

Polo Ralph Lauren Loses Logo Appeal

Polo Ralph Lauren has lost a federal appeal that sought to keep the United States Polo Association from using logos on apparel that featured two polo players on horseback. The New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week affirmed a jury finding that three out of four…

Mar 10, 2008 5:23 PM CDT

Client Sues McGuireWoods re Ex-Partner’s Claimed $17M Trading Scheme

A former client has sued McGuireWoods for malpractice over claimed illegal trading of the client’s stock by a law firm partner acting as issuer’s counsel. He allegedly made more than $17 million from selling stock of the plaintiff, Alternative Energy Sources Inc., and at least six other ethanol companies, but…

Mar 5, 2008 9:00 PM CST

Pfizer Stock and the Chief Justice’s Recusal Policy Led to 4-4 Drug Case Split

Chief Justice John G. Roberts owns Pfizer stock valued between $5,001 and $50,000, according to his financial statements, and that’s apparently the reason he did not take part in yesterday’s split decision that allowed a lawsuit to proceed against the company. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 4-4 vote had the effect…

Mar 4, 2008 12:10 PM CST

‘Fleeting Expletives’ Evade High Court Review, So Far

The U.S. Supreme Court took no action today on a request to revive the government’s ability to penalize broadcasters that air so-called fleeting expletives—the unscripted use of the F word by celebrities or other guests appearing on the air. The court considered whether to accept the case at its conference…

Mar 3, 2008 5:33 PM CST

Court Splits in Diabetes Drug Case, Allowing Lawsuit to Proceed

The U.S. Supreme Court’s divided ruling in a diabetes drug case today has the effect of allowing a lawsuit to proceed, SCOTUSblog reports. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. did not participate in the case, which was argued last Monday. The lawsuit contends a pharmaceutical company withheld information about liver…

Mar 3, 2008 3:37 PM CST

Supreme Court Rules Use of Wrong Form Doesn’t Bar Age Bias Suit

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that employees complaining of age discrimination at Federal Express satisfied legal requirements for filing a lawsuit even though they failed to file the usual form with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Lead plaintiff Patricia Kennedy had filled out Form 283, the intake questionnaire,…

Feb 27, 2008 3:51 PM CST

Judge Allows Suit Blaming NBC News Show for Prosecutor’s Suicide

A federal judge in New York has refused to dismiss a $105 million lawsuit against Dateline NBC that blames a Texas prosecutor’s suicide on the show’s series about child predators. The suit was filed by Patricia Conradt, whose brother, Louis Conradt Jr., shot himself as television cameras waited to tape…

Feb 27, 2008 2:28 PM CST

2nd Lawyer Says N.Y. School Districts Often List Legal Counsel as Employees

Another New York lawyer reportedly has claimed that Long Island school districts often list their legal counsel as employees, allowing them to qualify for government pensions and health benefits even though they are in private practice. “This practice is approved by the state and is common among my colleagues, many…

Feb 26, 2008 7:15 PM CST