Newman Ferrara LLP

[HuskyNan]

Newman Ferrara is the law firm representing Kelly Hardwick in her lawsuit againt the NBA, USA Basketball and Geno. I did a search on Newman Ferrara and found some articles that mention them, one very topical for sports fans:

Newman Ferrara LLP Announces Investigation Into Boxing Corruption and Suspicious Result of Pacquiao-Bradley Fight in Las Vegas, June 11

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigates Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. For Possible Violations Of The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, April 25

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigates Chesapeake Energy Corp. for Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duty, April 25

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigating Breach of Fiduciary Duty at eResearch Technology in Connection with Genstar Capital, LLC Acquisition, April 11

....and the NBA, too. I guess anyone with a net worth under a billion dollars isn't worthy of being watched for wrongdoing.

 

[MilfordHusky]

So most of us on the Boneyard are safe. Not that we engage in any wrongdoing other than bad humor, bad mojo, etc.

 

[VAMike23]

I don't have a ton of experience looking at law firms, but I found it odd that they are in the habit of doing 'press releases'.

Most of the firms I have seen, even large ones here in the DC area, keep on their website a fairly current list of articles where their attorneys are quoted in the media, as well as some recent publications in legal publications, etc. But cranking out press releases on BusinessWire..? How common is this?

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

When I was in the active practice of law, one of the first things I would do when called upon to defend a lawsuit was to check out my adversary. And so, I thought it might be interesting to check out Atty Randolph M. McLaughlin (also apparently known as Randolph Scott-McLaughlin). He is a professor at Pace University Law School in White Plains and is "Of Counsel" to Newman Ferrara. Although the Pace and Newman Ferrara websites tout Professor McLaughlin as a civil rights expert, the courses he teaches at the law school consist of civil procedure, New York procedure and labor law. Keep in mind that U.S. News and World Report rates Pace University Law School as they 142nd best (?) law school in the country (the ratings end at 145). It appears that Professor McLaughlin last published a peer reviewed law review article in 2000 (the "publish or perish" rule apparently does not apply at Pace). Now those facts do not preclude the possibility that the good professor is a litigation wizard. However, if he is a litigation Gandalf, he is practicing his wizardry from what appears to be a marginal law school.

 

[JimGunther]

Now those facts do not preclude the possibility that the good professor is a litigation wizard. However, if he is a litigation Gandalf, he is practicing his wizardry from what appears to be a marginal law school.

There was a study done some years ago regarding outcomes in civil lawsuits - Seems there was almost an inverse result when one measured the little pissant schools versur the biggies.

Always be very careful around those street fighters - like, oh, err, Joe Jamail.

PS; The article or study I'm referring to came around the time of the big Texaco debacle.

 

[JS]

Seems there was almost an inverse result when one measured the little pissant schools versur the biggies.

Hadn't heard of the study, but it doesn't surprise me at all. When I was doing law firm recruiting, I was always interested in the top people at the non-prestigious law schools. They tended to be go-getters, often working their way through school and in any event possessed of the aggressive, hard-working qualities that can go far in law practice.

The results on the job often bore this out. And sometimes the folks with degrees from the big-time schools tended to think they could get by on their smarts and school-prestige. Maybe in estates practice that'll work -- sorry estates people -- but not so much in litigation. Or they were just passing through, with their eye on something else, like politics or judgeships or taking offers from corporate clients.

So I think your caution not to under-estimate the Pacers (Westchester County version, not Indiana) is spot on.

Anecdotal bonus: My daughter-in-law just graduated from Pace Law. She'll be arriving in a few minutes and I'll ask her about the good professor.

And I once knew a lawyer who practiced for years claiming a degree from Pace and built up a clientele. But actually he had no degree and was just a paralegal. Needless to say he got in a good deal of trouble, but anyway that was a case of someone actually aspiring to that good ol' Pace prestige.

 

[RadyLady]

Newman Ferrara is the law firm representing Kelly Hardwick in her lawsuit againt the NBA, USA Basketball and Geno. I did a search on Newman Ferrara and found some articles that mention them, one very topical for sports fans:

Newman Ferrara LLP Announces Investigation Into Boxing Corruption and Suspicious Result of Pacquiao-Bradley Fight in Las Vegas, June 11

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigates Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. For Possible Violations Of The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, April 25

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigates Chesapeake Energy Corp. for Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duty, April 25

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigating Breach of Fiduciary Duty at eResearch Technology in Connection with Genstar Capital, LLC Acquisition, April 11

....and the NBA, too. I guess anyone with a net worth under a billion dollars isn't worthy of being watched for wrongdoing.

First thing I did was google the signatories of the complaint. I wanted to see with whom "we" were dealing...I saw a lotta this...Didn't know the rankings of the law school, but didn't whats-her-name graduate from Pace Law?

 

[JS]

Newman Ferrara LLP Announces Investigation Into Boxing Corruption and Suspicious Result of Pacquiao-Bradley Fight in Las Vegas, June 11

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigates Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. For Possible Violations Of The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, April 25

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigates Chesapeake Energy Corp. for Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duty, April 25

Newman Ferrara LLP Investigating Breach of Fiduciary Duty at eResearch Technology in Connection with Genstar Capital

Whoever writes their press releases sure likes the word "investigate."

Is this a law firm or private investigator firm?

 

[RadyLady]

"suspicious", "possible", "possible" and a "breach"....must have "something" on that fourth one