Category Archives: White collar defense

Reyes Convicted in Backdating Case. Who’s Next?

By now you have likely heard that former Brocade CEO Greg Reyes was convicted today on all counts in the Government’s misguided options backdating related prosecution. Larry Ribstein of Ideoblog has this excellent post in which he critically assesses the weak premise that undegirds the Government’s pursuit of these cases. Ribstein raises the possibility that…

Another View on Lord Black

In an earlier post I criticized the government’s case against Lord Conrad Black and labeled its prosecution a “jihad” against business. In the interest of being fair and balanced, I commend to you this post by Professor Bainbridge, which makes a cogent argument that Lord Black plundered his company and its shareholders.

Lord Black – Victim of the Government’s Anti-Business Jihad

As you likely know by now, Lord Conrad Black, former CEO of Hollinger International and owner of, among other media properties, The Chicago Sun Times and The National Post, was convicted last week on 3 counts of money laundering and 1 count of obstruction of justice. He was acquitted on the remaining 9 counts of…

Black Case Could Be Headed For Mistrial

Jurors in the trial of media mogul Conrad Black have advised the judge that they are unable to reach a verdict, and added in their note to the court that they have “read the jury instructions very carefully.” The New York Times provides this report: A jury in the racketeering and fraud trial of fallen…

Bad Day for Prosecutors in Brocade Backdating Case

Friday was a bad day for the federal prosecutors handling the options backdating related securities fraud case against former Brocade CEO Gregory Reyes, and tomorrow does not promise to be any better. The federal judge presiding over the case has ordered the prosecutors to file a response to the defense team’s motion for acquittal by…

Credit Suisse Banker Charged With Insider Trading

A Credit Suisse investment banker was charged today in an insider trading scheme linked to acquisitions involving nine publicly traded United States companies that netted a co-conspirator more than $7 million. The banker, Hafiz Muhammad Zubair Naseem, a 37-year-old Pakistani who worked for Credit Suisse’s Global Energy Group in New York, has been charged with…

Government Will Re-Persecute Three Merrill Lynch Executives on Enron Related Charges

Federal prosecutors in Houston will re-persecute prosecute three Merrill Lynch executives on charges arising out of the so-called”Nigerian barge” deal, the Associated Press reported this week. The Fifth Circuit Court of appeals had reversed convictions on most of the counts against the three investment bankers. Lawyers for the defendants have apparently engaged in discussions with…

Dallas Law Firm Settles Tax Shelter Charges With the SEC and Plans to Close Its Doors

The New York Law Journal reported today that Dallas-based law firm Jenkens & Gilchrist has reached a deal with the SEC over charges related to the firm’s development and marketing of illegal tax shelters. The firm willa void criminal prosecution under the deal, but, having lost approximately two thirds of its lawyers, plans to shut…

More on the Stockman Indictment

Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog, more info is available on today’s indictment of former Budget Director David Stockman on securities fraud charges. Both Stockman and his attorney have issued statements. For Mr. Stockman’s sake, I hope he fares better than the last high profile client that the Morvillo firm represented on securities…

David Stockman Charged With Securities Fraud

The New York Times is reporting that former Reagan Administration budget director and wunderkind David Stockman has been charged with securities fraud. More as this story develops.