Today marks one year since we launched BanBalch.com and what a year! We never thought this project would last this long and evolve into such a quagmire for the once prestigious law firm.
As we have told The New York Times and The Washington Post, our advocacy project began with Burt Newsome and will end with Burt Newsome.
The North Birmingham/Oliver Robinson bribery scandal, the Vincent whites-only controversy, the Mississippi billing probe, and the Black Hall Aerospace lobbying fiasco landed in our laps as reaffirmations of the alleged unsavory conduct in the Newsome Conspiracy Case.
We are not a party in any of these matters, but we believe in inherent goodness.
Look at what happened to some Balch partners in the past year:
- Clark. A Cooper was fired. (He is now selling mattresses.)
- Former partner Jeffrey H. Wood’s nomination was blocked by the CDLU.
- Steven McKinney was indicted.
- Joel I. Gilbert was indicted (and still on the Balch payroll as of December 30, 2017.)
- William F. Stiers left the firm after 20 years.
- 10 money-making partners left the firm in January.
We have heard from and spoken to CEO’s and other executives from their client list who called us out of concern. We have reached out to their lobbying clients, half of whom left the firm in October, asking them to tell Balch to change course.
Mind you that when Newsome originally wanted to settle this matter, his legal team asked for three things:
- An apology.
- The end of the tracking of Newsome’s banking cases by Balch partners.
- $150,000 for revenue lost from the alleged defamation.
Balch scoffed.
Now many observers are wondering, what is Balch’s exit plan or end game?
Will they have a glorious victory in their unconstitutional and secretive Star Chamber only to be appealed? Will Balch fight all the way to the Alabama Supreme Court as more clients fall away? Will a federal RICO action cause an even greater exodus at the firm or will it take additional criminal indictments?
Will Balch continue to duke it out until the once $150,000 settlement turns into an 8-figure payout?
Balch’s leadership, with their blinders on, refuses to respond to our emails or even give us a call. Balch’s scorched earth fight has sadly only scorched them.
We hope Steve Feaga, Balch’s first-ever Chief Compliance Officer, will rise to the occasion and bring these matters to a close.
As we said earlier, we are not a party in any of these matters, but we believe in inherent goodness. Someone, somewhere at Balch feels the same way.
In the meanwhile, eat a slice of cake and enjoy the show! Or go buy a mattress…
