Legal Malpractice

International asset recovery firm Interclaim is suing its former law firm for allegedly cutting it out of a settlement deal with a crook who made tens of millions of dollars by ripping off the elderly. Interclaim Holdings Ltd. and Interclaim Recovery Ltd. filed a lawsuit against Ness Motley Loadholt Richardson & Poole at the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on December 4, 2000.

Bahamas attorney Leslie Vernon Rolle is facing a criminal investigation into an alleged attempt to swindle clients of UBS (Bahamas) Limited out of $2.2 million. Police have been asked to look into the matter following incriminating evidence that was unearthed during the execution of an Anton Piller order issued by the Bahamas Supreme Court last month as part of a civil action brought by UBS.

The clearest indication yet that the UK government will force its Overseas Territories to co-operate with foreign regulators investigating both fiscal and regulatory offences was given this week to Offshore Alert.Offshore centres like Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Turks & Caicos Islands and the British Virgin Islands are being told by the UK government to introduce within two years legislation that will be virtually identical to the UK Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990.

Law firm Hallett Whitney & Patton, who were the legal advisers to the failed Telecheck savings and credit card group, is being sued for $595,000 by Telecheck's liquidator, Ernst & Young.John Cooper, a partner in HW&P, would not discuss the action, other than to say: "I know of the claim and the theory behind it and all I can say is that it's going to be disputed. We're in the process of obtaining legal representation."

A Canadian businessman who claims that alleged negligence on the part of Attorney General Walter Maddocks while he was a partner in Conyers, Dill & Pearman cost him CDN$528,000 has had his damages lawsuit against CD&P dismissed because he took too long to bring it.