Media Mentions
2008
Abbe D. Lowell was recognized in the February 2008 issue of American Lawyer as one of 14 Star Laterals of the Year.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe David Lowell is mentioned in the January issue of Washingtonian magazine regarding his role as lead defender of former AIPAC staff member Steven Rosen. Regarding the classified information case, the article states, "a conviction is by no means a sure thing, due in part to an aggressive three-year fight by the defense team, led by Abbe Lowell for Rosen and by John Nassikas III for Weissman. The lawyers' no-stone-unturned litigation fills a foot-thick file of motions and rebuttals in US District Court in Alexandria."
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
2007
Abbe D. Lowell was quoted in the November 21 issue of Jewish News Weekly of Northern California in response to the federal judge in the classified information case against two former AIPAC staff members wanting to question prospective jurors about possible anti-Semitic views. "In a case like this which concerns the pro-Israel lobby, defendants who are themselves Jewish, events in the Middle East [and] the times we live in, it’s very appropriate that the judge should be sensitive and ask us to be sensitive to a jury selection device that might minimize the risks of selecting jurors with an anti-Jewish bias," Mr. Lowell said.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was quoted in a November 2 article published by the Associated Press regarding the subpoena of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as well as some of President Bush's top foreign policy advisors in order to testify about their conversations with pro-Israel lobbyists. Abbe commented on behalf of both defendants, who have been accused of receiving secret national security information. "For over two years, we have been explaining that our clients' conduct was lawful and completely consistent with how the U.S. government dealt with AIPAC and other foreign policy groups. We look forward to the trial," Mr. Lowell said. This story appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and other news organizations.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Stephen M. Ryan was mentioned in a November 1 article published by The New York Times regarding Blackwater Wordwide's hiring of some of the top Washington, D.C. lawyers in order to mount an aggressive legal, political and public relations counterstrike. Mr. Ryan is one of Blackwater's lawyers due to his reputation as being one of the top white collar defense lawyers as well as his experience as a former general counsel of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.
Stephen M. Ryan, Government Strategies, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was quoted in an October 18 article published by The Dallas Morning News regarding the complexity surrounding the trial of Brian Potashnik. Mr. Lowell suggested that Mr. Potashnik would waive his right to a speedy trial so that his lawyers would have time to go through the evidence of more than 30,000 wiretapped phone calls as well as more than 200 boxes of documents. Because prosecutors indicted Mr. Potashnik along with his wife and father, Mr. Lowell stated that the case was both cynical and misguided.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Paul M. Thompson was quoted in an October 17 article published by Roll Call regarding attorney general nominee Michael Mukasey's confirmation hearings over whether he would enforce contempt of Congress citations that could still be issued in the U.S. attorneys investigation. As a former Republican Judiciary Committee counsel, Mr. Thompson commented on the hearing regarding the extent to which Congress will assert itself over the executive branch. "The question will be for certain members of the Judiciary Committee whether they won their political victory when Attorney General Gonzales resigned and whether they feel pursuing this has some political value to them," Mr. Thompson said.
Paul M. Thompson, Government Strategies, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Elliot Silverman was quoted in a September 19 article published by the Corporate Crime Reporter regarding a recent survey that stated eighty percent of white-collar criminal defense attorneys favor preserving corporate criminal liability. Mr. Silverman is among those who would not eliminate the liability, but rather limit it. "The federal rule, which permits a corporation to be prosecuted for the acts of even a low-level employee, is too broad. The better rule is that in the Model Penal Code and in the New York Penal Law, which subjects a corporation to prosecution only for the acts of upper management," Mr. Silverman said.
Elliot Silverman, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was quoted in a September 16 article by The Maryland Daily Record regarding an FBI probe into the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPC) and whether or not they supplied controversial information to Israel. Mr. Lowell commented on the high profile case in which Steven J. Rosen, AIPC's foreign policy director, and Keith Weissman, an analyst, were charged with conspiracy dating as a result of the probe. "It's a very laborious, very labor-intensive, very intricate process that requires an enormous amount of work by the court," Mr. Lowell said.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Michael S. Sommer was quoted in an August 29 article published by Law.com regarding a federal judge's decision to declare a mistrial without polling the jury, which has resulted in the government being barred by double jeopardy from retrying two white-collar defendants. Mr. Sommer commented on the case where his client, Michael DeGennaro, was acquitted of all counts against him. Even though he had requested the polling, the government had opposed it and it was later noted that the panel's deadlock was related to a different client. "We are thrilled the 2nd Circuit's decision bars the retrial and thereby honors the jury's unanimous decision that Michael DeGennaro was innocent. We were troubled that the government did not respect the jury's view of the evidence and instead sought to retry DeGennaro on the basis of the trial judge's error. The circuit's decision puts an end to that effort," Mr. Sommer said.
, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey E. Stone appeared on WTTW11 Chicago on August 21 on a panel discussing the 7th Circuit's decision to affirm the conviction of former Illinois Governor George Ryan. The decision included a strongly worded dissent, and was the subject of widespread media coverage.
Jeffrey E. Stone, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Stephen M. Ryan was quoted in an August 11 article published by The National Journal regarding the current surge of federal investigations into allegations of public corruption by members of Congress and other officials. Stephen commented on the media attention that has helped to build the momentum behind this trend. "I think the current crop of cases is a reflection that you have to follow the evidence when the evidence is on the front pages of the newspapers," Mr. Ryan said.
Stephen M. Ryan, Government Strategies, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in an August 11 article published by The San Jose Mercury News regarding the impact of the jury decision to convict Greg Rayes of security fraud in the first criminal case associated with stock-option backdating. As a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District, Mr. Jacobs commented that there are still many cases in which the Justice department hasn't made a decision about whether or not to pursue criminal charges. "Certainly, everyone involved in these cases has taken note of the jury's verdict, and the government will probably be emboldened to bring more criminal cases," Mr. Jacobs said.
Matthew J. Jacobs, SEC Defense, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was quoted in the August issue of The American Bar Association Journal in an article regarding honest service charges and the courts struggle to differentiate between clear instances of fraud from job duties that naturally involve politics. Mr. Lowell explains that federal prosecutors use the law aggressively in determining how far theft of honest services will go. "One thing about criminal cases that we always counted on is that people should be given fair notice of when their conduct does and does not violate the law. When you start using those rules so broadly, you lose any sense of notice," Mr. Lowell said.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
David S. Rosenbloom was quoted in a July 27 article published by The National Law Journal regarding the acquittal of charges against Stora-Enso North America Corp. for price fixing. He stated that his client felt very strongly that the allegations brought against them were false and that they wanted to trust their fate to the justice system, even though most companies will try to cut a deal. "Corporations charged with criminal price fixing rarely go to trial -- much less win. Juries tend to relate more to individuals rather than corporations, so winning an acquittal for a corporation is a rare success," Mr. Rosenbloom said.
David S. Rosenbloom, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was mentioned in a July 13 article published by The Las Vegas Sun regarding Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons opening a new legal defense fund to cover various legal expenses including the recent FBI probe accusing him of taking money and gifts in exchange for helping a Reno company get defense contracts. Mr. Lowell has been hired to advise Mr. Gibbons on FBI questioning.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was quoted in a June 28 article published by The Clarion Ledger regarding the trial delay of Paul Minor due to the federal government's attempt to enhance his sentencing based on uncharged and untried conduct. Mr. Lowell was Mr. Minor's lead attorney during his first trial in 2005 where he was found not guilty and has been brought on for the sentencing portion of this case. "The government has threatened to make the sentencing hearing unwieldy by seeking a sentence based on uncharged and untried conduct - obstruction of justice, a charge not found by the jury. The government also asks the court to engage in judicial fact-findng to enhance Mr. Minor's sentence because it claims there was a staggering amount of loss and that his offense involved what it deems to be sophisticated means," Mr. Lowell said.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was quoted in a June 18 article published by the Washington Post regarding an informal group of Washington D.C. white-collar criminal defense attorneys. Mr. Lowell commented on the tight-knit group and on their system of referring work to others. "Obviously it is both human nature and a good thing for people to help those who help them. It's a rule of good human resources," he said.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was mentioned in a June 11 article published by Fox News regarding the federal investigation of former American Israel Public Affairs Committee employees Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman. The trial has been postponed after a judges verdict that the evidence against the defendants could not be closed to the public. When asked to comment further on the case, Mr. Lowell did not respond.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was mentioned in a June 9 article published by The National Journal regarding attorneys representing corporations and political figures that are facing scrutiny from investigative entities. Mr. Lowell was recently recruited to McDermott and has been working with Nevada's Republican Governor regarding an FBI probe into allegations that he accepted favors from financial donors in exchange for helping obtain government contracts.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
James Sanders was mentioned in a June 1 article published by The National Law Journal regarding a judge's reversal of a jury verdict for Gateway executives. Mr. Sanders represented the former controller of Gateway in a new trial after a jury had found him guilty in March. The case brought about by the Securities and Exchange Commission was overturned due to a failure to present substantial evidence to make their claim.
James L. Sanders, SEC Defense, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Andrew D. Kaizer was quoted in the June issue of Corporate Secretary in an article regarding the protection of company employees who bring inappropriate or illegal action to light. Mr. Kaizer commented on the comfort level that most companies have with using hotlines to protect the employee. "They have an interest in finding out themselves whatever issues exist, correcting them and as appropriate, self-reporting them” he said. “First, companies want to get it right, for its own sake. Second, they can point to the whistleblower hotline structure, if the DoJ or SEC come calling. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it must be a real genuine effort," Mr. Kaizer concluded.
Andrew D. Kaizer, SEC Defense, Securities Litigation, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Abbe D. Lowell was mentioned in a May 25 article published by the Associated Press regarding his representation of a client in a recent FBI probe. Mr. Lowell was one of two lawyers working with this client in regards to requirements and controls for legal defense funds. This article appeared in the Reno Gazette Journal and the Las Vegas Sun.
Abbe D. Lowell, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in the May 23 edition of the Daily Journal in an article regarding the choice of the federal government to pursue options backdating charges against Gregory Reyes, former CEO of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., and not against current Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs. Mr. Jacobs commented on the possibility that the SEC may or may not have enough evidence to fully prosecute Steve Jobs. "These things are always going to turn on the nuances," he said.
Matthew J. Jacobs, SEC Defense, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Andrew Kaizer was quoted by Compliance Week on May 1 in an article on an appeals court ruling that may reduce the number of fraud prosecutions based on the "honest services" theory. Mr. Kaizer said of federal mail and wire fraud law, "There were concerns that it was so broad, anyone who engages in a breach of fiduciary duty could be called a criminal."
Andrew D. Kaizer, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
James L. Sanders was quoted in an April 26 article published by the Los Angeles Daily Journal regarding the Security and Exchange Commission's (SEC) investigation of Apple Inc. and accusations made by the former CFO Fred Anderson against current CEO Steve Jobs. Mr. Sanders explained that the accusations are very unlikely to lead to formal charges being filed against either the company or Jobs. "You have to assume that [SEC investigators] evaluated Anderson's information along with the Apple special committee's report and any other information they gathered and came to the conclusion as to who should be named in the lawsuit," he said.
James L. Sanders, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
James L. Sanders was quoted in the April 25 issue of The Los Angeles Times in an article regarding Apple Inc.'s internal independent investigation looking into allegations of options backdating, the sharing of its findings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the indictment of the company’s former CFO and an ex-executive. Mr. Sanders commented that since the SEC had not sued the company itself nor its current CEO Steve Jobs, Apple will likely not face indictment. "It makes it really difficult for me to imagine Apple facing criminal indictment," he said.
James L. Sanders, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey E. Stone was quoted in the March 27 issue of The Wall Street Journal in an article regarding Firm client Gary Gerhardt, the former finance chief of Engineered Support Systems Inc., being charged with fraud and other offenses relating to options backdating. Mr. Stone aid, "Any jury who gets the chance to hear him will find him to be an honest and straightforward man."
Jeffrey E. Stone, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey E. Stone was quoted in the February Illinois Super Lawyers 2007 supplement in Chicago Magazine in an article profiling top Chicago defense attorneys. Mr. Stone discussed his defense experience which started in law school and continues to present as he represents white-collar and other criminal defendants through his work at McDermott and his volunteer and pro bono endeavors. "Corporate lawyers often win because the deal closes and everyone's happy. As a defense lawyer, the wins are terrific, but the losses stay with you forever," he explained.
Jeffrey E. Stone, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in the January 11 issue of The Seattle Times in an article about the charges against private investigator Bryan Wagner for his involvement in the HP probe. Mr. Jacobs commented that the way Wagner was charged suggests that he is cooperating with investigators. "The government likes to start at the lowest point in the chain of responsibility and flip people…to build the case against those more senior," he said.
Matthew J. Jacobs, Corporate Responsibility, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey E. Stone was quoted in the January 2007 issue of Corporate Board Member Magazine in an article regarding how different boards of directors have handled crisis management in response to charges of illegal conduct. Mr. Stone stated that when facing allegations, a company should create a plan to cooperate with the government to avoid broader charges. "Sometimes it may be in the corporation's best interest to walk into the government's office and say, 'Here's what we think happened, here's how this corporate officer eluded detection and was somehow able to avoid compliance, and here's how we as an entity were defrauded by this individual,'" he said.
Jeffrey E. Stone, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
2006
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in the November 27 issue of The National Law Journal on white-collar federal prosecutions. Mr. Jacobs commented that the statistics, which indicate a 31 percent decrease of white-collar federal prosecutions compared to levels reported in 2001, are surprising. "Maybe they [government investigations] are not resulting in prosecutions, but there is a tremendous amount of activity." The numbers could represent "a lull before the storm," continued Mr. Jacobs.
Matthew J. Jacobs, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in the September 11 issue of Business Week in an article about the practices leading up to the options backdating-related legal issues. In reference to the 74 SEC inquiries and 49 criminal probes in this area, Mr. Jacobs commented, "It is unprecedented to have so many major corporations under investigation at one time."
Matthew J. Jacobs, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in the September 9 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle in an article on the federal government’s investigations of fraud and misrepresentation relating to Hewlett-Packard's hiring of private investigators to find the source of board leaks. Mr. Jacobs commented that it will be difficult to prove wrongdoing by Hewlett-Packard because of its use of a chain of contractors. "Each step (removed) makes it all that much more difficult to prove a case," he mentioned.
Matthew J. Jacobs, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in the August 9 issue of Red Herring on options backdating. In regard to charges against Comverse Technology executives, Mr. Jacobs commented, "What's interesting is that the government filed a criminal complaint as opposed to seeking an indictment. The significance of that is that by filing a criminal compliant, the government gets to spell out all its evidence in an affidavit."
Matthew J. Jacobs, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in the September 8 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle in an article about the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) joining other federal agencies in investigating companies for backdating options. Mr. Jacobs commented on the large amount of public attention focused on this area. "These federal agencies are not immune from wanting a part of such high-profile cases" he said.
Matthew J. Jacobs, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
James Sanders was quoted by the Christian Science Monitor on August 31 regarding the decrease of white-collar prosecutions in the United States. "There's been a shift of priorities since September 11 at the [FBI], in the sense that they've moved bodies from fraud and white-collar crime units to terrorism units," commented Mr. Sanders.
James L. Sanders, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Matthew J. Jacobs was quoted in the August 15 issue of The National Law Journal in an article regarding recent attacks on DOJ tactics in white-collar cases. Mr. Jacobs commented that the KPMG case and the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Andersen's conviction will have a strong effect on the government. "Challenging fee arrangements was always on the extreme end of what the government was doing in compelling companies to cooperate," he mentioned.
Matthew J. Jacobs, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
2005
Matthew Jacobs was quoted in the November 6 issue of the San Diego Union-Tribune regarding San Diego's engagement of Kroll to "do an internal investigation, identify wrongdoing, identify wrongdoers, recommend corrective actions and try to demonstrate to the government that the problems have been resolved."
Matthew J. Jacobs, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Michael Kendall was quoted in the June 10 issue of The Boston Globe in regard to charges of mail fraud and money laundering against Bradford Bleidt.
Michael Kendall, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Mark Pearlstein was quoted in The Boston Globe on June 7 regarding the grand jury indictment of former Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran, who is facing three counts of perjury and one count of obstructing justice.
Mark W. Pearlstein, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeff Stone was quoted in the March 4 issue of Christian Science Monitor in an article on the release of Martha Stewart. Mr. Stone commented that sympathy from federal probation officers is rare for famous ex-convicts.
Jeffrey E. Stone, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
2004
Gordon Greenberg was profiled as the "Gentle Giant" on the front page the Daily Journal EXTRA on October 4. The four page feature, cover story highlights Mr. Greenberg's recent work for CDR Enterprises, an entity of the French government arm Consortium Realisation, in the prosecution of Credit Lyonnais, and highlights a number of milestones in his career since serving in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago. The article describes Mr. Greenberg as: "Renowned for his grace under pressure, veteran white-collar criminal defender Gordon Greenberg uses his communication skills to calm nerves and get high-profile clients out of hot water."
Gordon A. Greenberg, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Michael Kendall was quoted in the September 30 issue of the Washington Post in regard to Martha Stewart serving her sentence at the United States' oldest federal prison for women. Mr. Kendall commented on "life in confinement" regardless of the actual prison. "There's a tremendous loss of control. Your life is regimented from when you get up to what you wear to what belongings you have," commented Mr. Kendall.
Michael Kendall, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Michael Kendall was quoted by the Boston Globe on September 16 in regard to Martha Stewart asking to begin serving her prison sentence as soon as possible. He outlined the steps that would need to be taken in order for Stewart to be granted her request. "First, the judge has to vacate the stay," said Mr. Kendall. "Next, the Bureau of Prisons will take a period of time to look at the defendant and classify her in order to find the appropriate placement. The bureau will look at everything from the severity of the offense to the offender's health and whether she is a security risk." He said that it could take two to three weeks for the Bureau of Prisons to decide where Stewart should serve her time. Most likely she will be remanded to the women's facility in Danbury, where Leona Helmsley, the hotel heiress, served her sentence after being convicted of income tax offenses.
Michael Kendall, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Mark Pearlstein was quoted in the July 19 issue of the Christian Science Monitor regarding the sentencing of Martha Stewart. Mr. Pearlstein commented on the fact that Attorney General John Ashcroft has been particularly adamant that white collar criminals serve time in jail. "In fairness to Ashcroft, jail time has largely been the position of the Department of Justice for a number of years on the theory that for white collar offenders, the prospect of prison or seeing their peers go to prison acts as a form of deterrence," commented Mark.
Mark W. Pearlstein, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Mark Pearlstein was quoted in the July 17 issue of The Boston Globe regarding Martha Stewart's sentencing. "It is a strikingly lenient sentence. It's a bitter pill for her to swallow. As with any white-collar defendant, any prison time is very difficult." He continued by commenting, "But the judge not only selected to sentence her at the bottom of the range but ordered her to serve it in the most lenient way (with half being served in her home)."
Mark W. Pearlstein, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Eugene Goldman was quoted by Dow Jones Newswire in an article that appeared in WSJ.com on July 16 in regard to Martha Stewart's civil lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Goldman commented that barring Stewart from the boardroom is the real threat in the SEC's legal action, so if she can settle with the agency without a ban "it may be worth her while."
Eugene I. Goldman, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey Stone was quoted in the July 16 issue of the Los Angeles Times regarding the sentencing of Martha Stewart. Mr. Stone commented on Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum's ruling in Stewart's case.
Jeffrey E. Stone, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
James Sanders was quoted in "O.C. Man is Indicted in Massive Fraud Case," published in the February 5 issue of the Los Angeles Times. James P. Lewis Jr. was recently indicted by the federal government on 14 counts of mail fraud and money laundering, accused of bilking more than $200 million from some 3000 people, many of whom lost their life savings. The article questioned why the state of California had not brought any charges against him when red flags started appearing a couple years ago. Mr. Sanders commented that after reviewing the 2001 letter from Georgia, which was originally sent to California Department of Corporations....it contained so many "red flags" that "any regulator would have to do something with this."
James L. Sanders, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
2003
Jeffrey Stone was quoted in an Associated Press story on December 19 which addressed whether mutual fund scandals that have been brought in front of a federal grand jury in Boston brings to light the difficult question of just how criminal prosecutors could or should be involved in a matter that has traditionally been the purview of the civil justice system. Several experts said that egregious market-timing abuses could rise to the necessary threshold for criminal charges of deliberate, criminal intent. Mr. Stone responded, “Market timing alone I think is a very difficult and unattractive criminal case. They’re going to look for the most egregious examples they can find. A pure market timing case does not rise to that level.” This story appeared in The Seattle Times, The Detroit News, Pasadena Star News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Jeffrey E. Stone, Corporate Responsibility, White-Collar Criminal Defense
James Sanders was quoted in the Los Angeles Times on June 11 regarding Sam Waksal's sentencing. Mr. Sanders mentioned that the penalty Mr. Waksal received reflects the sentencing guidelines for corporate crimes that have been put in place since Enron and other corporate scandals. "This is a very heavy hit for an insider trading case," commented Mr. Sanders.
James L. Sanders, Corporate Responsibility, White-Collar Criminal Defense
2002
Michael Kendall was quoted in the December 13 issue of The Boston Business Journal in an article addressing the type of work white-collar attorneys are focusing on. Mr. Kendall commented that white-collar criminal defense attorneys agree that the theme these days is prevention and that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is keeping the practice busy.
Michael Kendall, Corporate Responsibility, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Gordon Greenberg co-chaired and participated in the ABA/ABA Money Laundering Enforcement Seminar which took place on October 27-29 in Arlington, Virginia, and had 550 bankers and attorneys in attendance. Mr. Greenberg was the moderator on "The Gatekeeper Issue," panel which aired on C-SPAN on October 28. The panel included leading U.S. government officials. The key issue debated was the responsibility of attorneys to report suspicious transactions by clients.
Gordon A. Greenberg, Corporate Responsibility, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Steven Scholes was quoted on August 8 in BestWire regarding corporate officers signing off on the veracity of their company's financials. Mr. Scholes explained the penalties, although not criminal, of this Securities & Exchange Comission requirement. "Any time an officer makes a statement to the public that is later deemed misleading, the signer is exposed to the federal securities law." He also commented that the law increases the penalties for white-collar crimes, including a $5 million fine and up to 20 years in prison.
Steven S. Scholes, Corporate Responsibility, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey Stone was quoted in July 28 issue of the Boston Globe regarding the new order set forth by the SEC which required chief executives and chief financial officers to sign sworn statements by mid-August declaring that their most recent financial reports are accurate and complete. Mr. Stone commented on the increased use of outside counsel in regard to investigating financial irregularities, and the increased scrutiny on decision making once a problem is discovered. "On the one hand, you don't want to put bad news out there, when the market is overreacting, and you don't want to err on the side of over disclosure. On the other hand, now is the time to come clean. You can immunize or inoculate, yourself to anything that might come out later," Mr. Stone said.
Jeffrey E. Stone, Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Responsibility - White Collar, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Michael Kendall was quoted in The Boston Globe on May 23 regarding the federal corruption trial of retired FBI agent John Connolly. Mr. Connolly was charged with lying to investigators, obstructing justice and racketeering conspiracy, and decided not to take the stand in his own defense. Mr. Kendall, a former federal prosecutor, commented, "It's very rare for the defendant to have the personality and the demeanor to be effective when they testify...most of them don't have it."
Michael Kendall, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Gordon Greenberg was mentioned in the February 2002 issue of the International Enforcement Law Reporter. A summary of the materials that Mr. Greenberg distributed at the American Bar Association/American Bankers Association annual meeting, "The War on Terrorism: How Will It Affect Your Institution?" was mentioned.
Gordon A. Greenberg, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Gordon Greenberg was quoted in the January 28 issue of Legal Times in regard to the U.S. Patriot Act, which promises to protect banks engaged in high-level account monitoring from consumer claims of privacy violations. The article addresses how the Patriot Act can or cannot be used in terms of profiling terrorist suspects.
Gordon A. Greenberg, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Mark Pearlstein, noted as a former federal prosecutor and an attorney at McDermott commented on federal prosecutor Alex Whiting's decision to join a UN criminal tribunal prosecuting Slobodan Milosevic in the January 15 issue of The Boston Globe. Mr. Pearlstein said he was not surprised at Mr. Whiting's decision because of his commitment to public service.
Mark W. Pearlstein, White-Collar Criminal Defense
2001
Mark Pearlstein was quoted in the September issue of American Lawyer. In the BAR Talk column, Mr. Pearlstein, a former assistant U.S. attorney, commented that when he chose to leave the public sector for a private firm, he knew inevitably that situations would come up when he would represent clients who have issues with the government.
Mark W. Pearlstein, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Gordon Greenberg was mentioned in the July 16 issue of the Los Angeles Times in regard to being on the short list of candidates for the next U.S. attorney in L.A. Mr. Greenberg was listed among eight other candidates, all which will be screened by a former state Court of Appeal judge.
Gordon A. Greenberg, Trial, White-Collar Criminal Defense
Mark Pearlstein was quoted in, "An Open Door for Online Crooks," an article on selling false securities published in the February 26 issue of Business Week.
