Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

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

Ex-Dewey Partners Asked to Forgo Half of Salary; Backdate Checks

By Nell Gluckman and Julie Triedman
July 02, 2015

Jurors at the criminal trial of three former Dewey & LeBoeuf executives facing fraud and conspiracy charges heard vivid descriptions of some of the drama that precipitated the firm's bankruptcy filing in May 2012 from former litigation partner Ralph Ferrara, whose testimony continued late last month.

Though Ferrara was called to the stand by the prosecution, the veteran securities and white-collar criminal defense lawyer often came across as sympathetic to the defense. After praising the defendants ' former chair Steven Davis, former executive director Stephen DiCarmine and ex-CFO Joel Sanders ' for their leadership capabilities, Ferrara spent time describing a tense meeting with all of Dewey & LeBoeuf's top earners.

The meeting was convened on Feb. 13, 2012, so that Davis could ask the group of about 17 partners to forgo 50% of their salaries that year so the 1,400-lawyer firm could pay off its debts. The group had already agreed to let the firm keep 20% of their salaries until 2013, but Ferrara testified that by the time of the meeting, the firm's top executives did not feel that would be enough financial relief.

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.