We normally don’t write stories about corrupt cops. But when the cop is a lead investigator in the Israeli Tax Authority and the Israeli Police, we take notice. When we learn that he allegedly targeted the victims of cases he was assigned, we really take notice. The Times of Israel reported earlier this summer that […]
Stoel Rives Hit With Legal Malpractice Verdict
Jurors in Park City, Utah found prominent West Coast law firm Stoel Rives guilty of legal malpractice in a botched real estate development deal. The firm must now pay their former client $12.8 million in damages. The suit also named one of the firm’s top real estate and construction law partners, Thomas Ellison. According to […]
PA Supreme Court Refuses To Dismiss $500 Million Legal Malpractice Suit
Earlier this week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court refused to dismiss a $500 million legal malpractice case against AmLaw 100 firm, K&L Gates. That decision paves the way for the case to head to trial. The firm was sued years ago by a bankruptcy trustee on behalf of Le-Nature, Inc. The company filed for bankruptcy after […]
State Approves Payments To Legal Malpractice Victims
by Brian Mahany While everyone makes mistakes from time to time (including attorneys), civilized society has no room for thieves. This is especially true for lawyers who take an oath of office to uphold justice. Earlier today, the Wisconsin Lawyers’ Fund For Client Protection Committee announced that 17 victims were receiving checks from the state […]
Grant Thornton Accountant Arrested For $4 Million Theft – accounting malpractice post
by Brian Mahany The press releases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan yesterday did not reflect well on either the legal or accounting professions. In one case, a New Jersey lawyer was convicted in federal court of an investment fraud scheme. In the other, a former partner and CPA from accounting giant Grant Thornton […]
The Dark Side Of The Legal Profession (Ethics and Legal Malpractice)
by Brian Mahany A shocking 78-page complaint filed in a San Francisco federal court last week opens a rare window into the inner workings of some law firms. Like that old adage about watching sausage being made, the plaintiff does not paint a pretty picture. From excessive billing practices to conflicts of interest and false […]
Noted Law Firm Sued For Legal Malpractice
by Brian Mahany I haven’t moved to Texas yet but I do read the Texas Lawyer. Last month they reported on a lawsuit against legal giant Baker Botts. The estate of a Houston man says the firm made an estate planning error that cost the man’s heirs over $1 million. The suit claims that back […]
"Big Law" On Trial For Missing Statute of Limitations – Legal Malpractice
by Brian Mahany We don’t like to see lawyers make mistakes. It happens, however, and hurts the reputation of the entire profession. Often the mistake can be fixed for little or no cost. There might be some attorney’s fees or sanctions levied against the offending lawyer but most claims are easily resolved. Sometimes they are […]
Audit Firm Named In Class Action Suit For Failure To Detect Fraud
The audit system in the United States is largely broken. Most auditors are financially dependent on the very people they are required to audit. If you perform a rigorous audit and get a reputation for not giving clients high markets on their financials you will soon find yourself with no clients. Fail to report something, […]
Captive Insurance Companies & Diversified Insurance Company
by Brian Mahany Captive Insurance Companies are certainly on the IRS’ radar screen these days. Yesterday, a colleague forwarded me a copy of a summons from the IRS to a New York attorney seeking information on the lawyer’s clients who had done business with Diversified Insurance Company. While getting a summons from the IRS is […]