New York

Leading NY lawmaker lied to FBI about son’s law firm job; felony conviction puts his own job at risk

A leading New York lawmaker was convicted Wednesday by a federal jury in White Plains of lying to FBI investigators about using his influence to help his attorney son get a law firm job. The felony conviction is expected to force Sen. Thomas Libous, who is the second-ranking Republican in…

Jul 22, 2015 4:30 PM CDT

Facebook lacks standing to challenge subpoenas of users’ info in disability case, appeals court says

A New York appeals court has sided with prosecutors in a closely watched Manhattan case, finding that Facebook lacked standing to challenge subpoenas requiring the social media company to turn over all information in the accounts of 381 people. Only the individuals in question can challenge the subpoenas, but reportedly…

Jul 22, 2015 10:05 AM CDT

Two months after his arrest, Cadwalader partner is no longer with the law firm

A partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft who was arrested two months ago on misdemeanor charges is no longer with the law firm. Robert Ughetta was arrested in May by police in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to prior stories by the…

Jul 21, 2015 7:53 AM CDT

Reed Smith practice leader leaps to Cooley in four-partner group

After joining Reed Smith in 2011 from DLA Piper along with three other lawyers, U.S. capital markets practice group chair Yvan-Claude Pierre wasn’t looking to lead his team to another major firm. But that’s what he’s doing, after some persuasion from Cooley’s CEO, Joe Conroy, the Am Law Daily (sub.…

Jul 17, 2015 1:35 PM CDT

We want to be the best, so we don’t hire Ivy League law grads, says small-firm chief

Adam Leitman Bailey wants his 15-lawyer real estate boutique to be one of the best in New York. So he doesn’t hire—or even interview—recent graduates of Ivy League and other top-tier law schools, he tells the Wall Street Journal Law Blog: ““Even if they were top of the class, I…

Jul 16, 2015 11:45 AM CDT

Lawyer is entitled to only $100 for ex-client’s post on Ripoff Report, appeals court says

A lawyer who sued a former client for calling him an unethical bully on ripoffreport.com can collect damages of only $100, a New York appeals court has ruled. The court reduced the original award of $125,000 to lawyer John Cahill in a brief decision that said the evidence doesn’t support…

Jul 16, 2015 11:29 AM CDT

‘Soaring rhetoric’ doesn’t save Jacoby’s suit challenging ban on outside ownership in law firms

Deeming arguments by Jacoby & Meyers to be “frivolous” and lacking “logical coherence,” a federal judge in Manhattan has dismissed a suit challenging New York’s ban on outside equity ownership in law firms. Jacoby’s arguments—that the ban violated the First and 14th amendments and the dormant commerce clause— are “entirely…

Jul 16, 2015 7:46 AM CDT

Lawmaker’s son hired despite ‘acting like a clown’ at firm party, witness testifies at trial

The attorney son of a powerful New York state lawmaker didn’t positively impress Santangelo Randazzo & Mangone lawyers by hitting on a partner’s wife at a 2005 law firm Christmas party. But Matthew Libous got the job he wanted there anyway, with the help of his dad, federal prosecutors say.…

Jul 15, 2015 3:15 PM CDT

Firm leader faces ‘preposterous’ grand larceny case in removal of cameras outside home of client, 93

Updated: A New York lawyer doesn’t appear to be contesting a claim that he removed security cameras trained on the front door of a 93-year-old woman embroiled in a landlord-tenant dispute. But Manhattan attorney Arthur Schwartz says the fact that he himself is now facing a grand larceny case over…

Jul 14, 2015 4:55 PM CDT

Cover-up claim about GM ignition-switch issues is ‘reckless and outrageous,’ law firm says

Fighting an attempt by plaintiffs in a massive federal products liability case to get hold of confidential documents in discovery, King & Spalding came out swinging. Claims that firm lawyers conspired with General Motors to conceal ignition-switch defects are not only baseless and defamatory but “reckless and outrageous,” the firm…

Jul 14, 2015 12:05 PM CDT

New York comptroller settles claim in Eric Garner’s death for $5.9M

New York City has agreed to pay $5.9 million to settle a claim by the family of Eric Garner, who died after a police officer placed him in a chokehold during an arrest for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. The agreement was announced on Monday, a few days before the July…

Jul 14, 2015 11:49 AM CDT

Dewey & LeBoeuf executives cooked the books, former law firm finance director testifies

About a third of the way into the prosecution case against three former law firm leaders criminally charged in the downfall of Dewey & LeBoeuf, testimony began Monday to establish what the government hopes will prove to be a crucial link: Former finance director Francis Canellas is pointing the finger…

Jul 13, 2015 4:15 PM CDT

Immigrant who won NY court OK to practice faces political-protest probation roadblock

A Mexican immigrant illegally brought to this country as a young child won a landmark ruling last month from a New York appeals court. It said Cesar Vargas, now a 31-year-old law graduate, can be licensed to practice law in New York despite his immigration status. However, because he is…

Jul 8, 2015 4:15 PM CDT

Judge nixes jury conviction of ex-Goldman Sachs programmer, calls law a bad fit in source-code case

A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. programmer committed a crime by taking computer code for a high-speed trading program with him when he left the investment bank for a new job, prosecutors insist. But they didn’t prove their case against Sergey Aleynikov, 45, because the facts of the case don’t…

Jul 6, 2015 1:45 PM CDT

Man punches his lawyer in court melee after being found not guilty of murder at trial

A 31-year-old man initially thought he would be freed on Wednesday after winning a verdict in a murder trial of not guilty by reason of insanity, although he was determined to have committed manslaughter. When his lawyer told him he was headed to the hospital following the Manhattan jury verdict,…

Jul 2, 2015 3:55 PM CDT