Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

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

Is the White-Collar Defense Attorney Headed for Extinction?

BY Laurence A. Urgenson
April 27, 2006

In the 3 years since Former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson's expansion of the Principles of Federal Prosecution of Business Organizations (the 'Thompson Memorandum' or 'Memorandum'), the number of front-page corporate prosecutions and record fines have continued to grow. Prior Business Crimes Bulletin articles have discussed the impact of the Memorandum on the role of defense counsel, including the effects of waiver of corporate attorney-client privilege. However, the privilege is not all that is disappearing.

The Thompson Memorandum's call for 'increased emphasis on and scrutiny of the authenticity of a corporation's cooperation' threatens to shrink another mainstay of white-collar defense: advancement of legal fees. Will demand for corporate 'cooperation' make the defense attorney obsolete? This troubling question arose most recently and forcefully in the KPMG tax shelter case, where U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered a hearing on whether the government and the Memorandum affected KPMG's determination to terminate advancement of legal fees for its former employees, now criminal defendants. The case shows how company-advanced attorneys' fees, long the fuel for vigorous defense by indicted employees, are threatened with extinction.

Advancement and Indemnification Before the Memorandum

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
Yachts, Jets, Horses & Hooch: Specialized Commercial Leasing Models Image

Defining commercial real estate asset class is essentially a property explaining how it identifies — not necessarily what its original intention was or what others think it ought to be. This article discusses, from a general issue-spot and contextual analysis perspective, how lawyers ought to think about specialized leasing formats and the regulatory backdrops that may inform what the documentation needs to contain for compliance purposes.

Hyperlinked Documents: The Latest e-Discovery Challenge Image

As courts and discovery experts debate whether hyperlinked content should be treated the same as traditional attachments, legal practitioners are grappling with the technical and legal complexities of collecting, analyzing and reviewing these documents in real-world cases.

Identifying Your Practice's Differentiator Image

How to Convey Your Merits In a Way That Earns Trust, Clients and Distinctions Just as no two individuals have the exact same face, no two lawyers practice in their respective fields or serve clients in the exact same way. Think of this as a "Unique Value Proposition." Internal consideration about what you uniquely bring to your clients, colleagues, firm and industry can provide untold benefits for your law practice.

Risks and Ad Fraud Protection In Digital Advertising Image

The ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, coupled with the industry-wide adoption of programmatic advertising, poses a significant threat to the effectiveness and integrity of digital advertising campaigns. This article explores various risks to digital advertising from pixel stuffing and ad stacking to domain spoofing and bots. It will also explore what should be done to ensure ad fraud protection and improve effectiveness.

Turning Business Development Plans Into Reality Image

This article offers practical insights and best practices to navigate the path from roadmap to rainmaking, ensuring your business development efforts are not just sporadic bursts of activity, but an integrated part of your daily success.