Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

From Moral Partners to a Moral Firm

By Gregory S. Gallopoulos
June 29, 2007

In March, The American Lawyer ran a cover story about a prestigious national law firm that found itself mired in legal and ethical problems even as it enjoyed unparalleled growth and economic success. The article asks: Are the firm's great strengths ' enterprise, speed, and daring ' also its great flaw?

Similar articles have been written many times before, but were of less interest to lawyers because the firm in question was usually an accounting firm. It's hard to find a major accounting firm that hasn't experienced explosive growth and outstanding financial performance coupled with scandal. Indeed, defending accounting firms against criminal and quasi-criminal charges and investigations has become a growth industry for law firms.

Now, it seems, law firms are having some of the same problems. As The Wall Street Journal reported in a front-page article on March 30, a major national firm is actually dissolving in conjunction with a settlement to avoid prosecution. More than one top-drawer law firm with a proud past of unquestioned integrity has found itself facing serious accusations of corruption and criminality in the wake of robust growth and financial performance.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Legal Possession: What Does It Mean? Image

Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.

The Stranger to the Deed Rule Image

In 1987, a unanimous Court of Appeals reaffirmed the vitality of the "stranger to the deed" rule, which holds that if a grantor executes a deed to a grantee purporting to create an easement in a third party, the easement is invalid. Daniello v. Wagner, decided by the Second Department on November 29th, makes it clear that not all grantors (or their lawyers) have received the Court of Appeals' message, suggesting that the rule needs re-examination.