Balch’s Touch Becomes Manure; Rejection Becomes Mainstream
Balch’s competitors appear to be salivating with each sweet morsel of Balch’s misfortune and missteps.
Nineteen months ago, when you needed to fight, defend, or move a legal matter regarding the environment or energy in the Southeast, Balch & Bingham was the prestigious, go-to law firm.
Balch’s touch was like King Midas, everything turned into gold. Balch’s web of influence in the legal and political system, all the way to the Governor’s office and the justices on the Alabama Supreme Court, was unprecedented.
But now the criminal conviction of their equity partner Joel I. Gilbert, the exposure of the repugnant targeting of children in North Birmingham, and the reporting by this blog, BanBalch.com, have turned Balch’s touch into manure, smelly manure.
Not only are some Balch partners, attorneys, and staff grumbling and allegedly making plans to exit the firm, Balch’s competitors appear to be salivating with each sweet morsel of Balch’s misfortune and misstep.
With over 100,000 identified unique visitors to our blog with up to tens of thousands of hits a week, BanBalch.com has become a must-read in the legal community (and our number one identifiable web traffic).
Why?
Because the rejection of Balch & Bingham and their arrogant impunity has become mainstream and acceptable.
U.S. Senator Doug Jones this week demanded that the EPA place North Birmingham on the National Priorities List.
Jones wrote, “It is now abundantly clear, as evidenced by the July 19, 2018 convictions of …a business executive and [Balch & Bingham] attorney on a number of federal charges including conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery, that the EPA’s initial public review process was undermined by an illegal misinformation scheme to prevent the North Birmingham site from being added to the NPL.”
Demanding a robust response, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin also dispatched a letter to the EPA and began a petition to help the residents of North Birmingham who were hurt by Gilbert’s illegal and criminal scheme.
“As a result of these illegal actions, thousands remain at risk including the 1,070 people living in 394 public housing units and 751 children attending Hudson K-8 school,” the mayor wrote.
Since day one back on January 4, 2017, we, the CDLU, have asked Balch & Bingham to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the firm and settle the Newsome Conspiracy Case.
We wrote at the time: “Since [we] have heard many good things about your firm and understand that this appears to maybe involve only a few spoiled apples, [we] thought we could discuss the matter over the phone ….”
Now 19 months later, the phone still has never rung back and Balch appears to be in shambles, rejected, and mocked like a curiosity show at a cheap, fly-by-night carnival.
Sad as they say. Very sad indeed.
