Thursday, July 12, 2007

The Refco Fallout Touches Two Law Firms

I love bankruptcy examiners, they tend to be very sharp and no B.S., you don't hear this kind of talk from lightweights:

From the WSJ.com Law Blog-
A target has been planted on the back of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw.

Hochberg said he did not locate direct evidence that Mayer Brown knew the loans were bogus, but that he did find circumstantial evidence. On the whole, he concluded, there is “significant evidence” that Mayer Brown “assisted Refco by drafting and negotiating documents in connection with the round trip loan transactions, which Mayer Brown knew or should have known were fraudulent and undertaken for the purpose of manipulating Refco’s financial statements.”

As such, he concluded that Refco’s bankruptcy estates can state claims, sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss, against Mayer Brown for professional negligence, aiding and abetting fraud, and breaches of fiduciary duty.