Christmas in Manhattan! After a busy week meeting with whistleblowers, prosecutors and other lawyers, today is a day to relax and reflect and New York City is the perfect place. Although the battle against fraud never stops, as individuals we all should pause to reflect on the blessings of the past year and think about the year ahead.
Billions of people worldwide are enjoying the special holiday season. Whether or not you are Christian, Christmas time is a special time of year. Family, friends and good fellowship seem to come with the holiday season.
Obviously the big news in our world this year was our $16.65 billion victory over Bank of America. I say “our” because we were fortunate to represent one of the three whistleblowers that made that case possible. The victory, of course, belongs to the real heroes; the brave folks who stepped forward and became whistleblowers.
The same can be said for the dedicated public servants at the U.S. Department of Justice, the IRS, SEC, FBI, FHFA and the entire alphabet soup of regulatory agencies. We may not always agree with the government but 99% of the folks who work there try their hardest everyday to make this a better world.
Talk about dedication, at 7:00 pm on Christmas Eve last night I spoke with an Assistant United States Attorney in Manhattan, Elizabeth T. While most folks in the U.S. were at that hour spending time with family, praying in churches and synagogues, or wrapping presents, many public servants were still working.
On the 23rd I shared drinks with two very good friends in Philadelphia. Both thought I should take the legal fees from the Bank of America case and retire. The thought of spending my life on a beach in Greece or Maui sounds great but there is so much more work to be done!
While I write this, many people continue to suffer the effects of corruption and greed. We represent well over one hundred individuals who lost tens of millions of dollars because of a fraudster named Carlton Cabot. Some lost everything. Alos among our clients are many whistleblowers from around the world that put their careers on the line hoping to stop fraud and corporate greed. We need to insure their efforts are not in vain. We also represent individuals and financial institutions worldwide trying to navigate the complex world of offshore tax reporting.
Tomorrow its back to work. My year ahead? Completion of Saints, Sinners and Heroes due to be published this spring. As we reflect over the next several days, please share your plans and goals. We are humbled and privileged to help you achieve your 2015 goals.
Peace be with you and Happy Holidays!
Brian Mahany, editor – Due Diligence