Biglaw, Money, Tax Law, White-Collar Crime

Lawyer of the Day: Justine Clark

By  
on

Kelley Drye & Warren partner Justine Clark looks like a younger, brunette version of Madeleine Albright. But the similarities probably end there, since one would expect the former Secretary of State to pay her taxes.
From the Temporary Attorney blog:

Justine Clark, a partner at Kelly Drye & Warren, just plead guilty for failing to pay state income taxes….

Despite the fact that KDW has seen a steady growth in profits per partner, and despite the fact that KDW has benefited from a steady stream of contract attorney outsourcing, Clark, with greed unquenched, went ahead and screwed New York State out of close to $200,000, based on her $2.7 million earnings.

Her penalty? A slap on the wrist misdemeanor.

Okay, that’s a little harsh. As the New York Post notes, Clark earned $2.68 million not in a single year, but over the course of five years (2000 – 2004). That averages out to a little over $500,000 a year.
And in New York City, teeming with i-bankers and hedge funders, you’re a pauper if if you’re not taking home seven figures per annum. So can we really blame Justine Clark, struggling to keep up with the Joneses, for trying to keep a little more for herself?
Kelly Drye & Warren – Corporate Criminal [Temporary Attorney]
Docs, lawyers prove taxing to N.Y. State [New York Daily News]
Tax-Cheating Lawyers Nabbed [New York Post]
Justine Clark bio [Kelley Drye & Warren]

Sponsored

Topics