Ban Balch & Bingham

The shenanigans are spilling out in court. Our sources tell us prosecutors grilled Balch employees about invoices that removed any and all references to Oliver Robinson’s foundation. Kent Faulk of AL.com confirms this in a tweet, writing that a prosecutor “continues to go over emails requesting checks … one that says in bold ‘do not reference Oliver Robinson Foundation’ on invoice. She was told not to reference by Gilbert.” So what were they hiding? A bribery scheme? A bought-and-paid-for politician? Worse is Balch’s hiding behind attorney-client privilege. Kyle Whitmire tweets, “On redirect from prosecution, Balch COO says that Balch &…

Yesterday we heard one of Steven McKinney’s attorneys claim there would be not one single document out of a million that would implicate his client in the criminal bribery conspiracy. The jury appears to be hearing otherwise. AL.com reports: [P]rosecutors showed dozens of exhibits that included emails between Roberson, McKinney, Gilbert, and Robinson on the topic of the contract regarding the “public outreach program in north Birmingham.” Also shown were dozens of time entries Gilbert entered on invoices, where he often noted his time spent preparing for meetings with Robinson or contacting Roberson regarding strategy on the Superfund opposition. McKinney was copied…

Trying to demostrate their vast political power and deep connections, attorneys for Balch & Bingham’s indicted partners have named U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions as their defense witness, according to local news reports. Witness to what? $140,000 in political contributions from Balch when he was a U.S. Senator? The suppression of poor African-Americans in North Birmingham from having their toxic property tested by the EPA? Again trying to make mockery of the judicial and criminal justice system, Balch has forgotten that General Sessions is prosecuting them. He works with all 93 U.S. Attorneys including Jay E. Town. In addition, Balch’s…

Our observers confirmed that during opening statements that an attorney for Joel Gilbert, one of the indicted Balch & Bingham partners, stated, “Gilbert, along with McKinney and Roberson, are being prosecuted because they ‘stood up to the government,’ and Robinson lied to investigators about the conspiracy,” as reported by AL.com. Bull! According to some long-time leaders, Balch appears to have never stood up to the government, but instead navigated easily through the halls of power, be it in Washington or Montgomery. But the biggest laugh from observers is the notion Balch would have never hired Robinson if they knew he…

The criminal trial hasn’t started yet, but the hardball legal tactics for jury selection by the defense attorneys for the two indicted Balch & Bingham partners has even caused the federal judge to shake his head. Pulitzer prize-winning journalist John Archibald writes: A member of the jury pool, it had been learned, works at Balch & Bingham, the same law firm that employs defendants Joel Gilbert and Steve McKinney. You’d think that would be enough to let her go, in the interest of fairness. But a lawyer for the defense was not willing to concede that fact alone was enough to…

Jury selection continues Tuesday morning with the criminal trial against two Balch & Bingham partners expected to start after lunch according to our courtroom observers. The defendants looked pale on Monday. We will be posting interesting developments and observations from our sources on a daily basis. Word on the street is Balch & Bingham could be facing another scandal that could overshadow the trial. We are told RICO attorneys are eagerly awaiting the intricate details of Balch’s internal conduct. And there are rumblings about another possible exodus at the once prestigious silk-stocking law firm. Let’s get ready to rumble!

On the eve of today’s criminal trial of two Balch & Bingham partners, the attorney for disgraced politician Oliver Robinson fought back against a subpoena from the criminal defendants seeking communications between Robinson and his attorneys, Robinson or his attorneys and the FBI, and Robinson or his attorneys and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In his Motion to Quash the subpeona filed Friday afternoon, attorney Richard S. Jaffe writes, “To provide such information would require his attorneys to divuldge confidential information that is protected by the attorney-client privilege.” Jaffe goes on to call the subpoena “overly broad and unreasonable.” Observers are…

With a Chief Compliance Officer on mute, a Star Chamber held in secret, and probes of the firm and their clients, Balch & Bingham goes to federal court today with baggage, damaging baggage, ready to be exposed. Birmingham’s ABC News affiliate reports: The U.S. Attorney’s office plans to spend two to three weeks calling its witnesses. A prosecutor told Judge Abdul Kalaan he has close to 40 witnesses he may call. What does that mean? This will be a meticulous and long trial with the inticrate internal details of Balch exposed. While both indicted Balch partners, Joel Gilbert and Steven…

Last October, we asked, who on Balch’s Executive Committee knew about the bribery scheme? It was in a way prophetic. The federal judge’s order against the motion to bifurcate the case not only revealed that Drummond Executive David Roberson has a realistic chance of being acquitted,  but it also revealed others at Balch knew about the alleged bribery scheme. The judge writes: Defendant Gilbert testified before the grand jury that he discussed the legality of the Defendants’ agreement with Robinson’s Foundation “internally with [his law firm’s] ethics people,” who concluded that it was lawful. Additionally, Gilbert told the grand jury that…