Montali Grants Heller Estate Summary Judgment in Clawback Suits Against Firms

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal bankruptcy judge March 12 granted summary judgment to the Heller Ehrman bankruptcy estate in its lawsuits to claw back funds from four law firms where former Heller attorneys and business fled (Heller Ehrman LLP v. Jones Day (In re Heller Ehrman LLP), Bankr. N.D. Cal., No. 3:10-ap-03234).

Judge Dennis Montali of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, in a long-awaited decision, held that Jones Day, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and Foley & Lardner LLP failed to show they provided the Heller estate value in unfinished business ...