New York

Judge OKs $3.1M Attorney Fee in Holocaust Case

A federal judge has approved fees of $3.1 million for a lawyer who represented Holocaust victims who received a $1.25 billion settlement with Swiss banks. Lawyer Burt Neuborne, who had originally requested $4.1 million, will receive the fees for work done after the settlement, the New York Law Journal reports.…

Dec 7, 2007 11:32 AM CST

‘Confrontational’ Lawyer Loses DLA Piper Bias Suit

A lawyer who claimed DLA Piper fired her for complaining about discriminatory treatment has lost her lawsuit against the firm. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed the suit by Charlene Morisseau after she failed to file court papers opposing the law firm’s summary judgment by the court’s extended deadline, the…

Dec 7, 2007 11:04 AM CST

Burn Victim Ridiculed By Shock Jocks Gets $1M Settlement

A lawsuit brought by a burn victim who was publicly ridiculed by radio shock jocks on their program will reportedly be settled for $1 million. Athena Andrikopoulos, 26, who was severely burned when she was a small child, is facially disfigured despite having undergone 60 surgeries, reports the Associated Press.…

Dec 6, 2007 10:14 PM CST

Second Judge Cites ‘Schmucks!’ Book to Contest Ethics Charges

A New York judge has lost a bid to block ethics proceedings against him based on a claim that the chair of the ethics commission showed racial bias in a book he co-wrote with comedian Jackie Mason. U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis denied the judge’s request for a preliminary injunction…

Dec 6, 2007 1:16 PM CST

Wealthy Lawyers Take Social Nosedive

Pity the poor BigLaw partners and other financially successful lawyers. While many have never been richer and remain well-to-do by ordinary standards, they have taken a social nosedive in recent years compared to megabucks private equity investors and hedge fund titans. Although many BigLaw partners are taking home seven-figure profits,…

Dec 5, 2007 6:30 PM CST

Funny Lawyer Ads No Joke in N.Y.

Law firm ads that show attorneys towering over skyscrapers and offering legal advice to space aliens obviously aren’t meant to be taken seriously. But New York’s attorney general isn’t finding them at all amusing, reports Portfolio magazine on its website. In a brief filed yesterday in response to a July…

Dec 4, 2007 11:50 PM CST

Critical Lab Report Likely to Be Cited in Some Drug Appeals

A report concluding that drug evidence could have been skewed by sloppy work in the New York police lab in 2002 is likely to spur appeals by inmates imprisoned on the strength of such evidence. Inspector General Kristine Hamann said the department cut corners in drug tests and recommended a…

Dec 4, 2007 2:48 PM CST

How to Get Popular Judge: Check Box

Over the years, an 86-year-old federal judge who sits in Brooklyn, N.Y., has developed a following among local plaintiffs lawyers. And complex tort cases are frequently given to U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein, despite a random assignment system. How does this happen? The New York Sun apparently has the answer:…

Dec 3, 2007 11:38 PM CST

Ethics Questions Surround Lawyer Indicted in Astor Case

The lawyer indicted along with the son of wealthy socialite Brooke Astor has faced past accusations over will bequests and in one case a legal fee. Francis X. Morrissey Jr. has faced disciplinary action in at least two states, the New York Times reports. In the Astor case, he is…

Dec 3, 2007 7:06 PM CST

Cardozo and CUNY Gain in Bar Pass Rates

The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law has nudged out higher-ranked Cornell for third place in a ranking of New York bar exam pass rates. The top law school was New York University, with a 96 percent pass rate on the July 2007 bar exam, the New York Law Journal…

Dec 3, 2007 3:06 PM CST

N.Y. Judge Ties Longer Beard to Fatter Paychecks

A New York judge is pledging he won’t shave his beard until the state judiciary gets a pay hike. Acting Judge Philip Straniere of Staten Island points out that judges haven’t had a pay raise for almost nine years, yet they are restricted in the kind of outside work they…

Dec 3, 2007 2:38 PM CST

Judge Says Son’s Job Doesn’t Merit Recusal in Spoliation Case

A New York judge has ruled that his son’s employment as an associate at Greenberg Traurig does not require his recusal from a case involving spoliation accusations against the firm. Judge Herman Cahn said recusal wasn’t necessary because his son would not be “substantially affected” by the case, involving a…

Nov 30, 2007 2:01 PM CST

Bankruptcy Leader Jumps from Weil to Dewey

The co-head of the restructuring practice at pre-eminent bankruptcy firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges has jumped to Dewey & LeBoeuf. The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) calls the move by New York attorney Martin Bienenstock “a major shake-up in the bankruptcy world.” Bienenstock told the newspaper he accepted the offer…

Nov 30, 2007 12:10 PM CST

Judge Raps Dorsey & Whitney, Ex-Partner Fires Back

A New York federal judge has written an opinion knocking Dorsey & Whitney, two of its partners and the state of professionalism—but one of the lawyers is firing back. U.S. District Judge Harold Baer criticized the lawyers for using deposition transcripts covered by a protective order in a trade secrets…

Nov 30, 2007 11:48 AM CST

‘Gullible’ Doctor Gets 25 years for Aiding Terrorists

A former New York City doctor was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of conspiring to treat al-Qaida fighters. U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska said the sentencing of Rafiq Sabir, 52, now of Boca Raton, Fla., would deter others from aiding terrorists. Sabir denounced his May…

Nov 29, 2007 7:13 PM CST