Government

As 7,500 Reveal Secret Bank Accounts in 70 Countries, IRS Hunts for More

As 7,500 Americans came forward to reveal, before a partial amnesty deadline today, undeclared accounts in 70 countries, the Internal Revenue Service is gearing up for an enhanced effort to find more. It has opened offices in Beijing, Sydney and Panama City and plans to hire 800 more employees, reports…

Oct 15, 2009 4:50 PM CDT

Lawyer Fined $500 for Suing Police Dog, City Defendant to Seek Costs

After earlier fining a Michigan lawyer $500 for naming a police dog as a defendant in a lawsuit over a bite, a state-court judge has now dismissed the claim citing sovereign immunity and a lack of evidence. Attorney Lawrence Radden admittedly named Liberty, a German Shepherd, as a defendant in…

Oct 14, 2009 8:13 PM CDT

2 Madoff Victims Sue SEC Claiming ‘Serial, Gross Negligence’

Contending that their losses from Bernard Madoff’s record-breaking Ponzi scheme would have been far less if the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had “simply done its job,” two of Madoff’s swindled victims have sued the federal agency for $2.4 million in damages. Lawyers from Herrick Feinstein, who are representing the…

Oct 14, 2009 7:55 PM CDT

Top Partner Billing Rate in South Florida Is $765 an Hour

Even the top partners at South Florida law firms don’t bill the $1,000 an hour charged by some lawyers in New York. South Florida partners typically charge $400 to $500 an hour, while hourly rates for associates in the region generally range from $140 to $460, according to the Daily…

Oct 14, 2009 5:33 PM CDT

Ex-Newark City Attorney Admits Trying to Shake Down His Boss for $750K

A former assistant city attorney in Newark, N.J., has pleaded guilty to trying to shake down his boss for $750,000 and a promotion. Neal Braunstein pleaded guilty to third-degree attempted criminal coercion on Tuesday, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports. He was accused of asking for the money to keep quiet…

Oct 14, 2009 11:17 AM CDT

Stanford Investors Sue 2nd Law Firm, Ex-GC; Proskauer Partner Withdraws

A second law firm has been named as a defendant in an investor lawsuit contending that a now-former partner of Proskauer Rose, Thomas Sjoblom, participated in a claimed $7 billion Ponzi scheme allegedly operated by the Stanford Financial Group. The new defendant in the federal class action case is another…

Oct 13, 2009 8:26 PM CDT

Calif. Gov. Vetoes Bill to Let State Bar Collect Lawyer Dues, Cites Lax Oversight

The State Bar of California still has enough money to operate through 2009. But apparently seeking to send a message about what he describes as the group’s “inefficiencies,” “political agenda” and a lack of oversight that allegedly allowed a former employee to embezzle $675,000, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a…

Oct 13, 2009 6:59 PM CDT

FBI Raids Offices of Well-Known Lawyer

The FBI reportedly has raided the offices of a well-known attorney and accountant who often as served as a court-appointed trustee or receiver in cases in South Florida. Relying on unidentified “legal community sources,” the Daily Business Review reports that the Miami and Plantation offices of Lewis B. Freeman &…

Oct 9, 2009 6:44 PM CDT

I Gave Mayor’s Text Messages to Paper, Lawyer Testifies in Discipline Case

A plaintiffs lawyer apparently ignited more of a controversy than he expected when, as he now admits, he provided copies to a local newspaper of steamy text messages between the then-mayor of Detroit and a top aide. Testifying today as a defendant in an attorney discipline case brought against himself…

Oct 8, 2009 9:53 PM CDT

Authorities Struggle to Cope With ‘Tsunami of Digital Evidence’

As cybercrime has exploded in recent years and even traditional crimes ranging from harassment to murder routinely involve Internet-related communication, authorities in many jurisdictions increasingly are struggling to keep up with what Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley calls a “tsunami of digital evidence.” Although his office, which handles state…

Oct 7, 2009 10:17 PM CDT

Meet Orly Taitz: Lawyer, Dentist and Birther in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Crusade

Lawyer Orly Taitz’s lawsuit challenging President Obama’s right to hold office has so provoked a federal judge that he compared her crusade to Alice in Wonderland. Yet Taitz has emerged by some accounts as the most visible face of the movement seeking to prove that Barack Obama was born in…

Oct 6, 2009 3:06 PM CDT

Is White House Counsel Being Set Up as Gitmo Fall Guy?

Fingers of blame are pointing at White House counsel Greg Craig for missing a January deadline to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility—but the blame is misplaced, sources say. Amid mounting criticism Craig is expected to leave his position “in short order,” Politico reports. “Sources familiar with the process believe…

Oct 6, 2009 11:36 AM CDT

To Avoid E. Coli Issues With Hamburger, Some Suppliers Simply Don’t Test

Faced with the potential for a costly recall if their product is found to be contaminated with potentially deadly E. coli bacteria, some companies that supply the meat and fat from multiple sources that is often mixed together to create ground beef as cheaply as possible have found a simple…

Oct 5, 2009 10:53 PM CDT

Ex-Prof: I Left UVa for Georgetown Due to Anti-Gay Bias, ‘Tantrum’ & Insults

An almost 25-year-old law school tenure decision is suddenly controversial, following testimony by a now-high-profile professor before a Congressional committee last month that he was denied fair consideration due to his sexual orientation. In response, the law school’s dean says it does not discriminate and strives to maintain a welcoming…

Oct 5, 2009 5:55 PM CDT

Lawyer Pleads in Appraisal Bribe Scheme; Prosecutors Seek $3.2M Restitution

A lawyer involved in an alleged scheme to obtain $21 million in appraisal contracts by paying Cuyahoga County officials $1.3 million in bribes has accepted a plea bargain. Attorney Bruce Zaccagnini, 48, pleaded guilty to a public corruption charge yesterday and agreed to cooperate with the feds, reports the Cleveland…

Oct 2, 2009 8:37 PM CDT