Financial Institutions and Fiduciaries

The firm has served as general counsel to a national bank and has advised other financial institutions.  The firm's primary interest in this area, however, has been in representing the victims of faithless fiduciaries, in such cases as:

Ehlen v. Lewis, 984 F. Supp. 5 (D.D.C. 1997) When a real estate broker breaches his fiduciary obligation  by secretly profiting at client’s expense, he must pay disgourge his profit and his client’s legal fees.

Robinson v. R&R Publishing, Inc., 943 F. Supp. 18 (D.D.C. 1996) Officer of a corporation who tried to copyright a book she wrote for the corporation breached her fiduciary duty because copyright belonged to the corporation.

Stern v. Lucy Webb Hayes National Training School for Deaconesses and Missionaries, 367 F.Supp. 536, 1973-2 CCH Trade Cas. Para. 74,808 (D.D.C. 1973) (class certification); 381 F.Supp. 1003 (1974) (merits).  This is the leading case on the fiduciary obligations of trustees of charitable organizations.

Zewadski, Trustee v. Johnston, Lemon & Co., Inc., 1975-1976 Fed. Sec. L. Rep. (CCH) ¶95,353 (D.D.C. 1975), aff'd mem. 543 F.2d 418 (1976).  This is a leading case on conflicts of interest for counsel of mutual funds and investment advisors.

Brink v. DaLesio, 667 F.2d 420 (4th Cir. 1981); 88 F.R.D. 610 (D.Md. 1980); 496 F. Supp. 1350 (D.Md. 1980); 82 F.R.D. 664 (D.Md. 1979); 453 F. Supp. 272 (D.Md.
 (complex litigation which recovered $1.8 million from union officer and pension fund administrator for multitude of fiduciary violations under LMRDA and ERISA).