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Recent Articles from Jonathan Weil
Why believe what government says about JPMorgan?
Of this we can be fairly confident: There is nothing in JPMorgan's admissions that would be damaging to the company. JPMorgan's attorneys can be proud.
Commentary: JPMorgan investigations are America’s new pastime
Hardly a week goes by without a new report about a government investigation of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and how much money the bank might have to pay because of some alleged violation of the law.
Commentary: Do Bank of America victims think they got taken
The Justice Department accused Bank of America Corp. this week of defrauding Wachovia Corp. and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco in a 2008 mortgage-bond deal. Here’s the funny part: Neither one has claimed it was defrauded by Bank of America in the transaction.
Commentary: Cases against Cohen, SAC won’t be a slam dunk
There are few easy wins for the government in high-profile trials of white-collar defendants.
Commentary: This is the wrong way to defend yourself if you get sued
It’s one thing to blow your reputation by slapping AAA ratings on all sorts of garbage subprime-mortgage bonds. It only makes it worse to go into court years later and argue that your most cherished values are, for legal purposes, a bunch of smoke.
Banker math meets the Justice Department’s cooks
Eric Holder has said he doesn’t know if he will stay on as U.S. attorney general, now that President Barack Obama has been re-elected. Here’s something to help them decide: A story about how the Justice Department got caught fudging its numbers on financial-fraud prosecutions — again.
Commentary: Saying ‘you’re fired’ is the only answer here
Never underestimate the government’s capacity for incompetence when it comes to overseeing large financial institutions. The latest example: an ill-advised consulting contract between Freddie Mac’s outside auditor and the federal agency in charge of running the company.
Commentary: Groupon IPO scandal is sleaze that’s legal
Here’s an unsettling fact for anyone thinking of ever buying shares in a newly public company: Even if its executives know their internal accounting systems are a wreck, they aren’t required to disclose this until after the company goes public.
Commentary: MF’s money mystery is how much it paid Moody’s
So many times when the big credit-rating companies have embarrassed themselves, the world has sighed and chalked it up to a business model that by design invites corruption and incompetence. Perhaps never before have the public’s expectations for the industry been lower.
Commentary: Financial frankness is a bad dream for a bank
There’s a simple explanation for why the world’s zombie banks remain so reluctant to write off worthless assets and tap the equity markets for fresh capital. They don’t want to end up like UniCredit.
Commentary: Financial scandal aficionados never had it better
If you happen to be a connoisseur of accounting scandals, then the past month or so has been about as good as it gets, capped by the unfolding disaster at Olympus Corp.
Commentary: Hard to know who’s too big to fail
Two years ago if you had asked whether the commercial lender CIT Group Inc. was too big to fail, the answer would have been an emphatic no. The Treasury Department had rejected its latest bailout plea. In November 2009, after 101 years in business, CIT filed for bankruptcy.
Latest Opinion Digests
- Criminal Law: Child Abuse-Sufficiency Of Evidence-Closing Argument
- Civil Rights: Religious Freedom-RLUIPA-Res Judicata
- Civil Practice: Res Judicata-Stop Work Order
- Immigration: Drug Conviction-Removability-Overbreadth of State Offense
- Civil Practice: Asset Forfeiture-Sanctions
- Civil Rights: Due Process-Failure to State Claim
- Probate : Revocable Trust – Amendment – Reformation
- Employer – Employee : Unpaid Commissions – At-Will Status
- Criminal Law : Post-Conviction Relief – Effectiveness Of Counsel – Conflict Of Interest
- Appellate Practice : Jurisdiction – Final Judgment
- Domestic Relations : Parenting Plan – Child Support
- Criminal Law : Post-Conviction Relief – Guilty Plea – Sentence Advice
Top stories
- Cole County prosecutor loses third Sunshine Law appeal
- Supreme Court weighs lagging symptoms in work comp case
- New accommodation rights for pregnant workers offer broad protections
- Clark named as next Eastern District chief judge
- Russell reflects on change as women take charge of Missouri’s legal system
- NCAA scores positive gender equity review from St. Louis firm
- Big improvements for Missouri bar takers | List of bar passers
- Athena Dickson named vice-president of Missouri Bar
