Blog of law articles

Well, consider me stunned.

I am shocked -- shocked mind you -- that in this excellent Herald article on Carlos Loumiet and his disgraced client R. Allen Stanford, there is nary a single mention of The World's Finest Legal Anecdote.

Bowman, you broke my heart.

Still, it's a blockbuster article, and certainly leads one to think there may be some potential liability down the road somewhere.

It's funny how the world can turn in a minute. Here you have Carlos, leaving GT to go to Hunton, and undoubtedly part of that is an evaluation of his book of business. So at that moment having R. Allen Stanford as a major client is a big deal, and attractive to any firm that would want to hire Carlos away from GT.

Now, that client doesn't look so hot:

Though not under criminal investigation, Greenberg Traurig is facing a legal review of its actions on this tiny island that was the center of his banking kingdom.

The court-appointed receiver trying to recover money for victims is demanding records of the legal work provided to the disgraced banker -- including that of Greenberg. The effort is the latest by the receiver to untangle the complex deals spun by Stanford as well as the conduct of his lawyers.

The demand for the records has put a rare spotlight on Greenberg Traurig and another firm, Hunton & Williams, which now holds the records.

``I'm sure one of the things they will look at is what did Greenberg Traurig know, and when did they know it, and did they have any liability?'' said Ross Gaffney, a former FBI agent who investigated Stanford.

Greenberg Traurig's effort to help Stanford in 1998 was one in a string of instances in which the Florida law firm propelled Stanford's business interests and helped rescue him from crisis.

The Miami Herald sought interviews with five lawyers who represented Stanford while working for the law firm, but only two responded.

Those lawyers, citing confidentiality concerns, declined comment, saying they were simply giving legal support and were unaware of any illegal schemes by Stanford.

Cesar Alvarez, the firm's chief executive officer, also declined to be interviewed.

Taking it a step further, The Business Insider wonders whether this all sounds vaguely familiar:

Judge David Godbey in Houston is expected to decide whether the firm must comply.

Regardless, we wonder if John Grisham is taking note. With a few embellishments -- an extortion here, a murder there -- he could have a another big book.

Come on. I don't think this comparison is remotely fair.

For example, there is no one at GT that looks anything like Tom Cruise.

(Gene Hackman, maybe.)

It does, however, raise an interesting question -- who would you cast as Cesar?