Day: June 3, 2008

Printed on Kevlar – Motion to Reconsider filed by Relator’s attorneys offers fact to counter assumptions underlying their disqualification UPDATED

Well, if the strength of a motion is measured by the lack of substantive comment in the blogosphere, it’s worth the effort the two Missouri firms made to print their Motion to Reconsider on Kevlar – along with a Memorandum of Support and five exhibits: Exhibit 1: Cases Settled by State Farm and Exhibits 2-5: Declarations from Robinson, Winter, Dewitt and Graves.

A fair examination of the Motion filed by the two Missouri firms begins with the basis for their disqualification in Judge Senter’s order.

In light of the current attorneys’ having acquired, during the course of their joint representation of the Rigsby sisters, actual knowledge of the financial arrangement among their co-counsel, Scruggs, and the Rigsby sisters and constructive knowledge that the arrangement was improper, I find that the current attorneys should be disqualified from further participation as counsel in this action.

The two firms take these findings head-on in their request for reconsideration and provide facts to the contrary in both the supporting memorandum and the exhibits. Exhibit 2, the related declaration of Chip Robertson made to correct inaccurate factual assumptions made by the Court in reaching its decision to disqualify Relator’s counsel provides a case in point. Continue reading “Printed on Kevlar – Motion to Reconsider filed by Relator’s attorneys offers fact to counter assumptions underlying their disqualification UPDATED”

Slabbed Welcomes our World Wide Readers Interested in Finding Ward Buel (Updated)

I’m at a loss to explain why our post Ward, Please Come Home Safe has experienced such a dramatic spike in readership since late this morning but I do hope the source of this publicity helps his family locate him. They read us and if you wish to leave a message of encouragement to Ward’s family please feel free. While the time elapsed since his disappearance has been very discouraging I am very encouraged by the fact people are interested in finding him and care enough to find out more.

If you leave a message please understand that WordPress puts your first comment into moderation. We’ll get them up just please bear with us.

I also ask the other blogs that monitor us to help get the word out.

(Update) Our thanks to Editilla d’Aphasia (aka Slabbed Brother Bruce) at the New Orleans News Ladder for helping spread the word about Ward. You da man Bro and you have our thanks!

sop

Provost-Umphrey and State Farm loading for the Battle of Shows

You’ve got to hand it to those Texas boys retained by Shows et al for taking another shot today with a round of motions to admit four additional attorneys pro hac vice – Walter Umphrey; Brian O. Blevins, Jr.; John Andrew Cowan; and Gene M “Zona” Jones.

Oxford-based State Farm attorney Scot Spraggins, who may have the fastest hand this side of Texas, promptly fired by with a Motion in Opposition to the entry of each. Continue reading “Provost-Umphrey and State Farm loading for the Battle of Shows”

Around in the GO Zone in 60 Seconds: WQRZ, Beauvoir, Quick Take & Katrina Relief

As we rapidly approach the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the memories of what we lost fade somewhat we are confronted by the need to move away from a recovery/rebuild mindset to the new normal. In the mid 70s as a child I remember having relatives visit us in Waveland. We rode down Beach Boulevard pointing out the still vacant lots and recounting the houses that Camille took. Years later we still knew what once stood on those vacant lots but the fact Camille took them was no longer such an important detail in respects. With the benefit of my adult experiences with Katrina I now recognize that process as one of healing. While we are a long way from being healed as a slabbed community, there is no doubt in my mind we have begun the process.

The process is hard in respects; there is that part of our community forever left behind on August 29, 2005. There is also the post Katrina experiences that we will someday need to put in the past to further the healing process such as being flooded with well intentioned volunteers and their creations like the New Waveland Cafe. I too count eating with the hippies as one of my post Katrina experiences. Nowdy those were the days…..

The fact remains we must move on in order to fully recover and I was reminded of that when I surfed the news this morning and found 4 stories that fit that broad theme. Continue reading “Around in the GO Zone in 60 Seconds: WQRZ, Beauvoir, Quick Take & Katrina Relief”

Was the $30,000,000 an Adams family secret?

The arrest of James Perdigao was headline news in November 2004.

James Perdigao, formerly of the New Orleans law firm Adams & Reese, was arrested on federal mail fraud charges, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten announced. The fraud amount was described as significant.

Perdigao was charged with scheming to defraud Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.’s Boomtown Casino by billing millions of dollars in false invoices for services that were not rendered. Perdigao remains in federal custody.

Letten said it appears other co-conspirators were involved and the investigation is ongoing. (emphasis added)

However, when the indictment came down in July 2007, no co-conspirators were named and Adams and Reese allowed the government to retain the $30,000,000 paid by the firm’s clients but deposited elsewhere by Perdigao. (emphasis added) Continue reading “Was the $30,000,000 an Adams family secret?”