Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld
Attorneys At Law
A Partnership Including Professional Corporations
Suite 400
1333 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 887-4000
_______________________________
February 14, 1990
MEMORANDUM
TO: EVERYONE
FROM: THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
__________________________
As you all know, John Dowd and Chip Welch, formerly of Heron, Burchette, recently joined the firm along with several other of their colleagues. It has come to our attention that, while at Heron Burchette, Chip billed some time (for some research on strictly legal issues) to the plaintiffs in which we are currently representing the defendants -- Fortson v. Craig Hall Civ. No. 89-0625-A (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division), our client number 72979.0001. Chip also discussed the case with John Dowd.
John and Chip have informed us that the plaintiffs imparted no privileged or confidential information to them. Nonetheless, to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, we are establishing an institutional screening mechanism, or a "Chinese Wall." Accordingly, no attorneys or support staff, whether or not they have worked on the Hall case, should discuss it in any manner with any former Heron, Burchette attorneys or support staff, including but not limited to John and Chip. This prohibition especially includes the following Akin Gump lawyers who have worked on the Hall case: Dave Donohoe, Clint Batterton, Bruce Mendelssohn, Larry Tanenbaum, Courtney Ellis, Bill Potts, Mike Mueller, Leslie Turner, Jon Spaeth, Cynthia Hogue, Karen Johnston, Rob Shapiro, Tommy Pierce, Eve Dubrow, Amy Bowerman, John Langmore, Sam Wolff, Amy Cohen, Jon Redway, Carl Hankla, and David Mann.
In addition, any of the above named attorneys and Litigation Support personnel who have pleadings or other papers from the Hall case should place copies of the attached notice on Hall pleading binder, folder and file cabinet drawers announcing restricted access to any former Heron, Burchette attorneys or support staff.
Any questions regarding the above should be directed to Dave Donohoe or Mike Mueller.
Attachment
NOTICE OF RESTRICTED ACCESS
The pleadings and other papers in this case, Fortson v. Hall, Civ. No. 89-0625-A (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria,Division), our client number 72979.0001, are subject to a "Chinese Wall." Access is not permitted to former attorneys and support staff from Heron, Burchette, Ruckert & Rothwell, including but not limited to John Dowd and Chip Welch.
In January 1990 I started to see Stanley R. Palombo, M.D. in weekly psychotherapy.
ReplyDeleteI believed that Dr. Palombo was communicating surreptitiously with members of Akin Gump management.
In the early weeks of therapy I talked about my friend Craig Dye continually.
Craig Hall:
ReplyDelete24. The one occasion I was called for an assignment by J.D. Neary, to the best of my recollection, was also the only time I was requested to cite check a brief. I believe this was Friday July 28, 1989, just after management had decided to grant me full time status, which was to begin in early August 1989. I met with J.D. and Stacey Schaar in J.D.’s office on the morning of July 28, 1989 at which time he gave us portions of a Craig Hall/RICO matter brief, prepared by attorney Ms. Merrill Spiegel. I spent the remainder of the day on the assignment. Around noon, J.D. stopped by the library, patted me on the back, and asked how I was doing. There were no negative comments from the attorney or J.D. about the quality of my work.
The following week, Merrill Spiegel requested that some auto-cite cite checking be done on the brief. I advised Ms. Sinnott that I did not have sufficient experience on auto-cite, declined the assignment, and gave the brief back to Ms. Sinnott.
[This incident disconfirms Maggie Sinnott's report to Dennis Race during management's harassment complaint investigation in late October 1991 that Maggie Sinnott found me difficult to work with, that she was afraid of me, and couldn't work with me. Note that Akin Gump omitted any reference to Dennis Race speaking with Maggie Sinnott and J.D. Neary immediately prior to my termination; in doing so, Akin Gump would have had to admit that management investigated the possibility of promoting me in the period immediately prior to the termination.]
http://dailstrug.blogspot.com/2010/10/akin-gump-hostile-work-environment.html
The posted memo was not stamped confidential.
ReplyDeleteJohn Dowd and Reid Weingarten:
ReplyDeletehttp://dailstrug.blogspot.com/2011/02/open-letter-to-reid-hweingarten-esq.html
The memo is dated February 14. February 14 is Valentine's Day -- whatever that means.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am truly insane. Just keep sending those checks. I love free money!!
ReplyDelete