Legal News

Suit Against Adams & Reese Came in Like a Lion, Out Like a Louse

By Jennifer Forsyth

Only in New Orleans could you have something this juicy. Or maybe this head-scratching, depending on your perspective.

Jamie Perdigao’s lawsuit against his former law firm, Adams and Reese, alleging racketeering, became the required reading of the steamy New Orleans spring after he filed it in the Eastern District of Louisiana federal court in May. It was filled with allegations of — what else? — corruption. Perdigao, a former partner and the firm’s ethics advisor, pointed his finger at the venerable A&R whose shenanigans — at least as detailed in the 73-page complaint — are as odious as any found in a John Grisham novel, including ones that says the firm helped a client to bribe a U.S. attorney, using a sitting Congressman as the bagman. Jealous lawyers at other, less powerful firms, so wanted it to all be true.

Who was this white knight of the bar alleging such shocking misdeeds? There’s the stickler. Perdigao had already been charged in a federal indictment in March on 59 counts of mail fraud, bank fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and more, alleging that he laundered $30 million, much of it stolen from Adams & Reese over 15 years of employment. (Some ethics advisor.)

A&R, for its part, angrily denied the allegations in the complaint, arguing that it was the victim, rather than Perdigao, and said it was cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Well, A&R folks must be toasting Hurricanes over the way the whole thing came down. In October, Perdigao’s bond was revoked for violating several terms of the bond, including allegedly illegally hacking into the A&R computer system and for failing to disclose that he was arrested in February for shoplifting at a Wal Mart. (Here’s the Times-Picayune story.) A few days later, Perdigao pleaded guilty to 30 felony counts and now faces 300 years in prison. (Again, the Times-Pic.)

This week, Perdigao dropped the civil suit against A&R. (AP story, courtesy of Law.com).

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on December 05, 2008 (boomark / email).