White Collar Crime

Ex-BigLaw partner who represented Shkreli faces possible 20-year sentence

A former income partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced for his role in a securities fraud scheme by convicted former drug company CEO Martin Shkreli. The lawyer, Evan Greebel, was convicted on Dec. 27 on charges of…

Jan 3, 2018 1:57 PM CST

Lawyer who once sought ‘trial by combat’ is accused of using blind client in scrap metal scheme

A Staten Island, New York, lawyer once in the news for seeking to resolve a civil case through “trial by combat” has been indicted in an alleged scheme to cheat scrap metal customers. The lawyer, 38-year-old Richard Luthmann, is accused of contracting to sell scrap metal, then filling the containers…

Dec 19, 2017 7:45 AM CST

Did a Supreme Court decision making it harder to prosecute corruption lead to Menendez’s mistrial?

The jury instructions in the corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez were crafted with careful consideration of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that has made it more difficult to prosecute public corruption cases. Jurors deadlocked in the trial of the New Jersey Democrat, leading some legal experts to point…

Nov 20, 2017 1:35 PM CST

Judge declares mistrial in corruption case against US Senator Menendez

Updated: A federal judge in Newark, New Jersey, has declared a mistrial in the corruption case against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez. U.S. District Judge William Walls acted after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous decision on any of the charges against the Democrat and a co-defendant, Florida ophthalmologist…

Nov 16, 2017 12:50 PM CST

Research scientist pleads guilty to using information from wife’s legal work for insider trading

A research scientist pleaded guilty to securities fraud Monday for trading on information about a corporate acquisition that he had learned about through his wife’s legal work at Linklaters. Fei Yan, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, stressed that his wife, Menglu Wang, had no knowledge he…

Oct 31, 2017 12:59 PM CDT

Dewey’s former finance director, a ‘star witness,’ is sentenced to community service

The former finance director at Dewey & LeBeouf, Francis Canellas, was sentenced to community service on Friday after his guilty plea and testimony against other law firm leaders.

Oct 27, 2017 1:48 PM CDT

Former Philadelphia DA gets 5-year sentence after guilty plea

Former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to a single count relating to accepting bribes. U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond told Williams he had sold his office to “parasites” and humiliated employees in the DA’s office, report the Associated…

Oct 25, 2017 9:06 AM CDT

Former Dewey CFO escapes jail time for misleading lenders before firm’s collapse

Joel Sanders, the former chief financial officer of Dewey & LeBoeuf, won’t be going to prison for misleading lenders and bond buyers about the firm’s finances before its 2012 collapse.

Oct 10, 2017 9:56 AM CDT

Former federal prosecutors increasingly shun BigLaw to open boutique firms

A small but growing number of former federal prosecutors are choosing to open their own law firms rather than join large law firms. Federal prosecutors are opening their own legal boutiques as they seek to maintain the autonomy and power they had in U.S. attorney’s offices, the New York Times…

Oct 3, 2017 9:58 AM CDT

2nd Circuit cites SCOTUS decision in overturning conviction of ex-NY Senate leader Skelos and son

A federal appeals court has vacated the federal corruption convictions of former New York state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled (PDF) on Tuesday, report the New York Law Journal (sub. req.), the New York Times…

Sep 26, 2017 1:25 PM CDT

Menendez lawyer claims decision language ‘disparaged the defense’; federal judge tells him ‘shut up’

U.S. District Judge William Walls told a lawyer for U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to “shut up” in court Wednesday as the two clashed over the judge’s rejection of a defense request in the New Jersey Democrat’s corruption trial. The lawyer, Raymond Brown, had criticized Walls for language in an opinion…

Sep 6, 2017 3:33 PM CDT

Indicted ex-congressman claims government lawyers made inappropriate inquiries about his sex life

A dismissal motion filed Tuesday on behalf of former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock claims federal prosecutors and agents asked inappropriate questions about his sexuality and sex life, causing potential prejudice through “salacious innuendo.” The motion claims prosecutors questioned at least a dozen witnesses about Schock’s sleeping arrangements and relationships and…

Aug 2, 2017 9:51 AM CDT

Conviction of former New York State Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver is overturned

Citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, a federal appeals court has vacated the corruption conviction of former New York State Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said jury instructions in Silver’s case did not reflect the Supreme Court’s narrowed meaning of official…

Jul 13, 2017 10:22 AM CDT

Meet Donald Trump Jr.‘s new lawyer, Alan Futerfas

A New York lawyer who made a name for himself in the 1990s representing a defendant accused of involvement in a mob power struggle has been hired to represent Donald Trump Jr. in probes of Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election. The lawyer, Alan Futerfas, is relatively unknown in…

Jul 11, 2017 11:06 AM CDT

Federal judge is ‘sick and tired of lawyers from white-shoe law firms’ helping clients avoid charges

A federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, who once criticized Kirkland & Ellis for sending an associate to court had another criticism for BigLaw on Wednesday when he imposed a sentence in a bribery case. U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis wanted to know why the only person facing prison in…

Jun 1, 2017 10:10 AM CDT