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Sidley Austin pays up, off fed prosecution

The federal prosecutors will not press criminal charges against law firm Sidley Austin, LLP, in connection with a probe of fraudulent tax shelters allegedly supported by one of its former tax partners, Raymond J. Ruble. Sidley Austin also agreed to pay a civil tax shelter registration penalty of $39.4 million to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This move by the law firm resolves its tax shelter issues raised by the federal government.

Sidley apologized to the government "and expressed its regret." It has resolved to fortify its screening and vigilance to prevent recurrence of such incident in the future. The government said the opinion letters for mass-marketed tax shelters were written prior to Sidley's merger. The merger agreement also held that Ruble will no longer write such letters. However, Ruble continued to do so after the merger "largely by deception."

Raymond J. Ruble who is under criminal prosecution individually, along with 17 others, "sufficiently vindicates the interests of law enforcement and the public," stated the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan.

Incidentally, Sidley expelled Ruble in 2003 for his involvement in tax shelter transactions in 1996 while a partner at Brown & Wood, which merged in 2001 with Sidley & Austin. Both the firms, before merging, had "specifically agreed that Ruble would terminate his individual tax shelter practice." Ruble by-passed and avoided the restrictions imposed by the firms' terms of agreement. He, on the sly, continued this practice into 2003 till the firm detected his fraud and expelled him. The firm found out that Ruble had deceived his partners and amassed millions of dollars in side payments from a tax shelter promoter. He was impeached in August 2005.

Prominent full service law firm, Sidley Austin has more than 1,700 lawyers practicing in its 16 U.S. and international offices.

05-25-2007

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LOCKE LIDDELL & SAPP MANAGING PARTNER JERRY CLEMENTS NAMED ONE OF 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN LAWYERS IN COUNTRY

"Locke Liddell & Sapp Managing Partner Jerry Clements has been named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. In its May 28, 2007 issue, the NLJ said its team of editors looked for women with ""the demonstrated power to change the legal landscape, shape public affairs, launch industries and do big things."" Although the list includes only women attorneys, NLJ concluded that, ""The list reflects not just some of the most influential women lawyers, but some of the most influential lawyers, period."" This is what the National Law Journal wrote about Jerry Clements: “Clements is poised to lead a 700-attorney firm, presuming Locke Liddell's recently announced merger with Chicago's Lord, Bissell & Brook goes through. The litigator was lead trial counsel in a case that resulted in an oft-cited Texas Supreme Court decision limiting class action litigation in the state, as well as in a key case limiting franchise tax litigation. Clements has represented major clients including Microsoft Corp., ConocoPhillips and Peavey Electronics in litigation nationwide. She negotiated the return to the firm of former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and landed Mark Siegel, a well-known Democratic strategist and lobbyist, for the Washington office.” Clements became Managing Partner of Locke Liddell & Sapp in the Fall of 2006. She had served on the Firm’s Management Committee since 1998 and as Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Section since 2001. Her trial practice focuses on commercial litigation and defense of class actions. She is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. She has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer” in Business Litigation and one of the Top 50 Female Litigators in the State by Texas Monthly magazine, and was deemed one of the Top 10 Litigators in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by the Dallas Business Journal. She also has been recognized in “The Best Lawyers in America.” Clements is a graduate of Texas Christian University and of Baylor University School of Law."

05-24-2007

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Stinson's men to join forces with Blumenfeld's team

Stinson Morrison Hecker, LLP, and Blumenfeld, Kaplan & Sandweiss, P.C., will combine forces effective July, 1 and continue operations with the moniker Stinson Morrison Hecker, LLP. The union will create a combined team of more than 60 attorneys and 68 staff in St. Louis.

Stinson Morrison, which set up its St. Louis office in 1994, specializes in real estate law, mergers & acquisitions, labor & employment, business litigation, financial services, healthcare, sports law, and products liability. National law firm Stinson will now have more than 360 attorneys representing clients in eight offices throughout five states in more than 45 industry-focused areas.

Mark Foster, the Managing Partner of Stinson Morrison Hecker, said that the law firm's attorneys will "benefit from the synergy created as a result of this combination." He is confident that the firm's clients, as a result of the merger, can expect excellent services from the combined team of top-notch lawyers.

Established in 1950, Blumenfeld, Kaplan & Sandweiss is one of the top 15 largest law firms in St. Louis. Its attorneys serve clients in areas including real estate tax, estate planning, succession planning, mergers & acquisitions, immigration, labor and employment, intellectual property, and litigation.

Philip Kaplan, the President of Blumenfeld, Kaplan & Sandweiss hopes that the merger will enhance the firm's legal services with the "additional talent" in its team.

05-24-2007

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Dickinson buys Artz & Artz, an IP powerhouse

In a strategic move to expand and fortify its potential in intellectual property law, full-service national law firm, Dickinson Wright, PLLC, announced that it is combining forces with Michigan-based intellectual property firm, Artz & Artz, effective June 1.

This move will catapult the former's position in IP practice as the largest among full-service law firms in Michigan. Twenty five IP attorneys, including 16 registered patent attorneys and one patent agent constitute Dickinson Wright's current IP team. With the addition of Artz & Artz's nine registered patent attorneys, the total attorney strength will increase to 34. Artz & Artz, since its inception in 1998, is prominent for its IP practice, especially IP litigation. The combination is a calculated move to emerge in the arena as "real powerhouse in the practice of IP law."

Incidentally, Dickinson Wright, with nearly 130 years of existence, also has its own "IP Academy" where at present eight students are getting trained to become IP lawyers. In this unique academy these law students with technical and engineering school undergraduate degrees get trained by practicing IP attorneys.

James A. Samborn, the Chief Executive Officer of Dickinson Wright, said the move is an indication of the firm's aim to emerge as an advanced technology, energy, and life sciences giant in the IP arena.

05-24-2007

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First Mile Communications help Kilpatrick Stockton in disaster recovery

International law firm Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP, and high-capacity broadband wireless solution provider First Mile Communications entered into a communications services agreement. Kilpatrick Stockton, which has more than 500 attorneys in its nine global offices, will equip its Atlanta office with First Mile's reliable and latest "higher-capacity, scalable, turnkey connectivity" broadband wireless links. It will also provide the firm with complete "route diversity from land-based telecommunications providers."

First Mile's technology will support the law firm with high-capacity applications like data storage and backup, streaming video and video conferencing, and voice over Internet Protocol facilities. These infrastructural applications are making business organizations adopt these faster and comparatively cheaper alternate modes of connectivity.

Communication specialists First Mile Communications' president R. Stanley Allen stated that his firm understood the importance of business need to maintain links with the outside world and also appreciated the loss it incurs from the link breaks or outages. To do away with such technical snags and snaps in the communication link, First Mile's modern broadband wireless network infrastructure will help the law firm stay online without break, said Allen.

Agreeing to the importance of maintaining unbreakable linkages, David Gregson, Kilpatrick Stockton's Director of Information Technology said, the law firm chose First Mile because of its unbreakable, cost-effective, and secure wireless connectivity. First Mile Communications' secure wireless links in metropolitan Atlanta offers complete route diversity and redundancy from land-based telecommunications providers.

05-23-2007

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Skadden adopts technology to boost relationship network

Contact Networks, a U.S.-based company, and leading provider of Enterprise Relationship Management (ERM) solutions has entered into a long-term agreement with international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP & Affiliates to use its ContactNet software. The technology will enable the law firm to coordinate and boost its relationship network. This will also be of great advantage to the development of the law firm's business and client service objectives.

Recently honored as the "Global Law Firm of the Year" at Global Chambers Awards 2006, Skadden Arps' more than 1,600 attorneys in its 22 offices worldwide serve clients including more than half of Fortune 250 companies. Award-winning ContactNet software is an automated search application that helps professional services firms unlock relationship network to generate new business.

Harris Tilevitz, CTO of Skadden Arps said that the firm chose ContactNet software "for its ability to instantly map the attorneys' relationships to each of its clients and prospects." He added that with the new enterprise search engine for relationships, the firm will coordinate and serve its clients better, as well as respond to new opportunities quickly. The law firm was on the look out for a technology to serve its industry-leading data security and personal privacy requirements.

05-23-2007

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Hatfield duo sets up a new shop in Mystic

Thomas A. Hatfield and Anne P. Hatfield set up a full service law firm with the moniker Hatfield Legal Group, LLC, in Mystic. The new law firm aims to provide legal assistance to clients throughout Connecticut and New England.

The firm will help Connecticut and Rhode Island clients in both domestic and international matters in areas including real estate; business & corporate law; contracts, wills and trusts; IP (patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets); employment law; and municipal law.

A licensed attorney in California and Connecticut, Thomas A. Hatfield is a Registered Patent Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He has vast experience in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution; Business and Corporate Law; and Intellectual Property in both Los Angeles and Connecticut.

A licensed attorney in Connecticut and Massachusetts, Anne P. Hatfield practices in real estate; wills & estate planning; environmental law; municipal law; employment law; and torts.

05-22-2007

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