Biglaw

Former Biglaw Partner Gets A Trump Pardon

Convicted former Nixon Peabody partner got a coveted pardon.

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(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

As expected, late on the last night of his presidency, Donald Trump issued a swath a pardons, and, there are lots of things to be said about those he chose to absolve. (And he wasn’t done wielding his pardon power — he added Al Pirro to the pardon list with minutes left in his presidency.) Though this list did not (thankfully) include himself or his family on the list, there are some notable names. Of particular note for the legal industry is the pardon of former Nixon Peabody partner, David Tamman.

Tamman was convicted in 2012 in connection with a Ponzi scheme that was alleged to defraud investors to the tune of $22 million. And he was sentenced to seven years for his crimes. As reported by Law.com:

His license to practice law was suspended earlier in 2013 by the California State Bar, the Justice Department said. Tamman, represented by Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz, appealed the sentence. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld it in 2015. Tamman was released from federal custody in February 2019.

Ah, there it is. Tamman’s connection to Alan Dershowitz — one of the few attorneys still willing to be associated with the now former president. No wonder Tamman was on the pardon list.

At the time of his conviction, Nixon Peabody said Tamman “betrayed our trust, and failed to live up to the ethical standards our firm demands.” Before his conviction Tamman said he was “thrown under the bus” by the firm.

According to the White House, Tamman’s pardon was also supported by former FBI Director Louis Freeh and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Kendall Coffey. And the statement went on to note:

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“Mr. Tamman accepts full responsibility for his actions and numerous friends and colleagues have attested that he is a decent man who experienced a terrible lapse in judgment for which he has already paid a significant price,” the Trump White House said.

Which is… basically every single criminal, ever. But they’re not connected to Alan Dershowitz, so, they don’t get a pardon.

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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