North America

‘Worst Day of My Life’: New Judge ‘Forgot’ DUI on Application, Resigns

In a situation that has sparked calls for more stringent background checks on all judicial applicants for the provincial court in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, a newly appointed judge has resigned over an undisclosed conviction for driving under the influence before he ever took the bench. Don Singleton, 48, says…

Jan 12, 2009 7:17 PM CST

Dreier Law Firm to File for Bankruptcy

A receiver for the Dreier law firm says it will soon file for bankruptcy, following an alleged massive fraud by its founder and sole equity partner, Marc Dreier. “I have advised counsel for the SEC and counsel for Mr. Dreier of my intention to seek bankruptcy protection, and I believe…

Dec 16, 2008 5:04 PM CST

Dire Situation at Dreier: Bills Unpaid, Client Funds Allegedly Missing

Just when it seemed that the alleged situation involving the founder of Dreier and his disintegrating 238-attorney law firm could hardly get much worse, even more bad news is being reported. After he was arrested and jailed in Toronto last week, Marc Dreier allegedly managed to transfer $10 million in…

Dec 10, 2008 10:06 PM CST

Dreier Controller: I Refused Jailed Boss’s Request for Escrow Millions

The controller of the Dreier law firm says in a sworn statement that he refused to wire up to $10 million in escrow funds to his boss sitting in a Canadian jail. The statement was contained in court filings by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Wall Street Journal reports.…

Dec 10, 2008 1:52 PM CST

How Attorney Marc Dreier Allegedly Sold Worthless Forged Paper for $113M

In an era of high-tech fraud, the founder of the Dreier law firm is accused of doing it the old-fashioned way. Using little more than his position and skills as a prominent and seasoned attorney, Marc Dreier allegedly tricked sophisticated investors into paying more than $100 million for worthless forged…

Dec 9, 2008 8:20 PM CST

Dreier Founder Charged in ‘Brazen’ Alleged $100M Investment Fraud Attempt

The founder of the not quite 250-attorney Dreier law firm was charged today by federal prosecutors in Manhattan with securities and wire fraud, in connection with what an Securities and Exchange Commission official describes as an alleged “brazen” attempt to cheat three unnamed hedge funds out of $100 million. Marc…

Dec 8, 2008 8:09 PM CST

Former Mexican Drug Czar Got $450K to Keep Traffickers Informed, Authorities Say

In a continuing shakeup in high-echelon Mexican law enforcement, a former drug czar has been accused of being paid $450,000 by drug traffickers, in exchange for providing them with information about police operations. “Noe Ramirez is the highest law enforcement official detained yet as part of Mexico’s sweeping effort to…

Nov 21, 2008 5:44 PM CST

Is DLA Piper Seeking a Canadian Presence?

Megafirm DLA Piper is apparently looking to expand into Canada and may be considering a merger there. “The firm has held talks with Canadian heavyweight Fasken Martineau about a potential tie-up and is also considering a number of other options to gain a presence in Canada,” Legal Week reports. The…

Nov 14, 2008 10:12 PM CST

Calif. Prosecutors Seek State Bar Help to Fight Mexican Drug War Spilling into US

A raging drug war in Mexico isn’t just hurting people there—including police officers, judges and lawyers affected by the ongoing violence. It’s also spilling over into the United States, as the same drug gangs responsible for killings, kidnappings and other related crime there travel across the border to ply their…

Oct 29, 2008 9:24 PM CDT

Spying in Mexican AG’s Office Could Be Linked to US DEA

Spying on behalf of a major drug trafficking cartel is still ongoing at the Mexican attorney general’s office, the nation’s chief law enforcement officer suspects, even after five officials there have been arrested. Meanwhile, an unidentified former U.S. Embassy employee is telling Mexican officials in Washington, D.C., that he leaked…

Oct 28, 2008 5:40 PM CDT

Claim: Top Aides in Mexican AG’s Office Were Organized Crime Informants

Two top employees in the unit of the Mexican attorney general’s office charged with fighting organized crime have instead been passing information to the Beltran-Leyva drug trafficking cartel about federal investigations, surveillance targets and planned raids, prosecutors contend. At least three other lower-level federal police agents also were involved in…

Oct 27, 2008 4:43 PM CDT

Snell & Wilmer Opens Office in Mexico

An Arizona-based law firm has opened its first foreign office in Mexico, becoming the first major United States firm to do so in the Baja California Sur state. Snell & Wilmer’s new office in San Jose del Cabo will focus on helping U.S. companies do business in Mexico, and and…

Oct 16, 2008 4:05 PM CDT

Canadian Judge Castigates Pathologist; Money Pledged to Wrongfully Convicted

Officials in Ontario, Canada, promised compensation to wrongfully convicted criminal defendants today after a judge commissioned by the government to investigate a pediatric pathologist castigated Dr. Charles Smith in a written report. Despite being proclaimed as a leading expert, Smith actually knew little, had sloppy work practices and rarely visited…

Oct 1, 2008 8:40 PM CDT

Why Does Law Firm’s Ad Feature ‘Law Student’s’ Traffic Violations?

A major Canadian law firm has caught the attention of a local newspaper with a recent ad that features a business-suited “law student” with long blond hair. She is seemingly riding a red motor scooter through metropolitan traffic. Yet she isn’t wearing a helmet. Nor are her hands on the…

Sep 16, 2008 3:14 PM CDT

At Funeral of Assassinated Mexican Cop, Fellow Officers Seem Cheery

Gunned down in the bedroom of his home, inches from his wife and infant daughter, Juan Jose Soriano is a prime example of why Mexico’s drug war isn’t likely to be won by authorities there anytime soon. Often, when police officers are assassinated in Mexico, people assume they must have…

Sep 8, 2008 4:28 PM CDT