Aggressive Tax Lawyer or Criminal? Jury to Decide re 2 Ex-Jenkens & Gilchrist Partners
Were Paul Daugerdas and Donna Guerin simply aggressive tax lawyers doing their job by doing their best for their clients?
Or, as the government contends, did the two former Jenkens & Gilchrist partners cross the line by advising extremely wealthy individuals, in opinion letters, to participate in fraudulent tax shelter activities? That is the question that a federal jury in Manhattan must soon decide, as closing arguments wrap up after a two-month trial, reports the Wall Street Journal Law Blog.
The two are represented by defense lawyers from Jenner & Block, who say their clients had no knowledge of any wrongdoing.
An earlier Law Blog post provides further details about the trial.
Initially, three former Chicago partners of the now-shuttered Texas-based law firm were charged in the case, but one pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion last year.
Additional and related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Three Ex-Jenkens Partners Indicted for Work on Questionable Tax Shelters”
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer Pleads Guilty, Faces Up to 10 Years in Tax Shelter Fraud scheme”
ABAJournal.com: “2 Former Jenkens & Gilchrist Partners on Track for Trial in Tax-Shelter Case”
ABAJournal.com: “In Mid-Trial Ruling, Federal Judge Axes Obstruction Case Against Ex-Glaxo In-House Lawyer”
