Ex-Biglaw Partner Pleads Guilty To Tax Crimes, May Serve Time Behind Bars
From Biglaw to the Big House: this former partner owes the government more than $3.9 million in taxes.
Earlier this week, a former Biglaw partner pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his income taxes in 2016 and 2020, and he now may be facing time in federal prison.
Eric Lenzen, 44, who formerly worked as a partner at Husch Blackwell, where he led the firm’s financial services and capital markets group, and later lateraled to Dykema Gossett, offered his plea on May 22. He owes more than $3.9 million in unpaid taxes, including interest and accrued penalties.
Lenzen was working at Husch during the tax years in question, where his ongoing legal problems caused issues for him at the firm that later followed him to Dykema. Reuters has additional details:
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After Lenzen left the firm in January 2022 for rival firm Dykema Gossett, Husch Blackwell told Reuters that Lenzen had been terminated after first being placed on leave the prior year “to address his financial, tax and personal problems.”
Husch Blackwell chair Joe Glynias and a spokesperson for the firm did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
Dykema said in a statement to Reuters Wednesday that Lenzen left the firm last month “prior to the firm’s knowledge of the personal tax-related misdemeanor charges recently filed against Mr. Lenzen.”
Prosecutors are recommending that Lenzen serve up to 16 months in prison, and that he pay $3.9+ million in restitution. His sentencing is scheduled for September 17.
Lawyer fired from law firm Husch Blackwell admits to tax crimes [Reuters]
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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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