Trials & Litigation

Possible Boies Associate Bonus: $1 Million

A big litigation win for Boies, Schiller & Flexner could translate to big bonuses for some of the associates who worked on the case. Those who opted to wait for a percentage of the payoff in the case when it was resolved could get $1 million each, reports American Lawyer…

Jan 11, 2008 10:24 PM CST

O.J. Simpson Held on Bail Violation

Former football hero O.J. Simpson is reportedly being held on a bail violation, after allegedly calling one of his co-defendants in a Las Vegas armed robbery case and expressing unhappiness over his testimony at a preliminary hearing. Simpson reportedly identified himself as “Miguel” when calling co-defendant Clarence “C.J.” Stewart in…

Jan 11, 2008 9:44 PM CST

Hynes Criticized in NY City Bar Prez Race Over Milberg Connection

A renowned trial lawyer running unopposed to serve as the president of the New York City Bar Association is being targeted for criticism because of her reluctance to discuss her longtime prior job at a law firm that is now under indictment. Patricia Hynes, a former federal prosecutor who is…

Jan 11, 2008 8:43 PM CST

Ore. Claims .72 Blood Alcohol Test in DUI—Nine Times Legal Limit

An Oregon drunken driving case has made international news after authorities said they arrested a woman for driving under the influence whose blood alcohol level registered at .72. That is nine times the legal limit in the state and substantially higher than the level ordinarily considered to be lethal. Terri…

Jan 11, 2008 7:31 PM CST

$4B BOA-Countrywide Deal Price Tag Doesn’t Include Legal Woes

Bank of America Corp.’s newly announced deal to buy Countrywide Financial Corp. likely could cost considerably more than the $4 billion purchase price. That’s because BOA is taking on a lengthy list of legal issues faced by Countrywide, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, as part of the deal, according to…

Jan 11, 2008 6:53 PM CST

Marion Jones Gets 6 Months; Disgraced Olympian Lied About Steroids Use

Former Olympic champion Marion Jones was sentenced today in federal court in New York to six months in jail for lying in two separate grand jury investigations about her use of the performance-enhancing steroids she now admits she took and her participation in a check-cashing scam run by a fellow…

Jan 11, 2008 5:51 PM CST

Lawyer Says Subprime Suits Could Be ‘Bigger Than Enron’

A lawyer at a well-known British firm says a wave of lawsuits being filed over subprime mortgage issues could eventually exceed the scope of the litigation over the infamous Enron debacle. “In terms of the potential numbers of lawsuits, the subprime crisis could be bigger than Enron,” Tim House, an…

Jan 11, 2008 4:49 PM CST

Law Grad Apologizes for Gay Marriage Bar Exam Question

A law grad who filed a lawsuit because he flunked the Massachusetts bar exam is apologizing to gays for being “an instrument of bigotry and prejudice.” Stephen Dunne had filed a lawsuit claiming he failed the exam because he didn’t answer a question that required him to implicitly support gay…

Jan 11, 2008 12:30 PM CST

Thousands of Fla. Tobacco Suits Filed as Deadline Looms

When the Florida Supreme Court in 2006 invalidated a $145 million punitive damages award in a class action case against the tobacco industry, it gave the plaintiffs a year to file individual claims, starting on Jan. 11, 2007. At the same time, the court also made it easier for the…

Jan 10, 2008 6:35 PM CST

ID Fraud Case a Cautionary Tale for Business Travelers

A Colombian engineer pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami yesterday to a 16-count indictment concerning an identity fraud scheme that netted him up to $750,000 from unsuspecting business travelers worldwide and could easily be copied by other thieves. To perpetrate the crimes, Mario Alberto Simbaqueba Bonilla, 40, simply checked…

Jan 10, 2008 5:34 PM CST

Court Bans Bad Neighbor from Living in His Own Home

A man who reportedly made his next-door neighbors’ daily lives a hellish experience for years is now banned from residing in his own home. After 40-year-old Carl Bridson finishes serving a six-month sentence for harassment, he will only be able to visit his home for brief periods scheduled in advance,…

Jan 10, 2008 5:05 PM CST

Illinois Lawyer Charged in Client Referral Fee Scheme

An Illinois attorney and three former state tax auditors have been federally indicted concerning an alleged client referral scheme. Attorney Dean Roupas, 36, who practices in the Chicago suburb of Burbank, has been charged along with the auditors with participating in an arrangement in which Roupas paid $25,500 to have…

Jan 9, 2008 11:42 PM CST

Fla. Field-Workers File Class Action Claiming Wage Violations

In an unusual move that has caught the attention of local South Florida residents, several field-workers have filed a federal lawsuit contending that the owner of the farm at which they have been harvesting beans for years has underpaid them and hundreds of other laborers. The basis of their suit,…

Jan 9, 2008 10:12 PM CST

Lawyer Sues Fla. Bar Over Bad Ad

Five years ago, the Florida Bar reportedly OK’d attorney Bill Harrell’s use of the phrase “Don’t settle for less than you deserve” in his law firm advertising. But now it has determined that the slogan Harrell has been using since 2002 to “brand” his well-known Jacksonville law firm conflicts with…

Jan 9, 2008 9:32 PM CST

Bad Debts Earn License Suspension for Missouri Lawyer

A Missouri attorney who was already on probationary status because of being behind on his debt payments has now been suspended from practice for failing to comply with a repayment plan. Derrick R. Williams Sr. of Cape Girardeau was suspended Friday by the Missouri Supreme Court for failing to file…

Jan 9, 2008 9:17 PM CST