oakland attorney bob who stole money from trust account in the 90s

by Delfina Breitenberg 5 min read

Why do lawyers misuse a trust account?

Antitrust & Fraud Cases. In 2008, Oakland filed antitrust and fraud lawsuits against some of the nation's most powerful financial institutions. In April, the city filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against some of the nation's most powerful financial firms, including AIG Financial Products, Bank of America, Bear Stearns, JPMorgan Chase Wachovia Bank and others.

Did Tom Brady buy earrings with money from a trust account?

May 26, 2016 · Frank Racano was charged with grand larceny on for allegedly writing himself checks worth nearly $600,000 from money put in an attorney trust account by a buyer of the theater and a nearby lot.

Can a lawyer use a trust account as an operating account?

Jul 15, 2021 · According to Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies, Maass was serving as president of the Oakland Hills caddie scholarship trust when trust money was embezzled. Trust fiduciaries noticed account ...

Can a lawyer reconstruct a firm's Trust Account records using bank statements?

Jan 26, 2022 · The trustee claimed that Tom purchased the earrings in 2007 using money from a client trust account at his firm, Girardi Keese (GK), according to new court documents, filed on Tuesday and obtained ...

Can someone steal your trust fund?

Can a Trustee Steal from a Family Trust? A trustee can absolutely steal from a family Trust. To be clear, a trustee cannot take funds from the Trust for themselves directly. Instead, they will find loopholes so that the funds from the trust are dispersed in a way that benefits them.

Where is Scott W Rothstein?

Scott Rothstein is a disbarred lawyer who carried many other different titles. He is the former managing shareholder, chairman, and chief executive officer of the now-defunct Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm. He is serving his jail term for funding an extravagant lifestyle with a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.Aug 4, 2021

Can a trustee take all the money?

Under What Circumstances Can a Trustee Borrow Money From a Trust? So long as the terms of the trust do not forbid the borrowing of trust funds by a trustee, a trustee may have the ability to borrow money from the trust.Jul 20, 2021

Who owns the money in a trust account?

trusteeThere are three parties who take part in a trust fund: the grantor, the trustee and the beneficiary. The grantor is the person who establishes the trust fund and places his or her assets into the fund. The trustee is the person or institution who holds and manages the assets.Aug 27, 2021

How much did Scott Rothstein steal?

He funded an extravagant lifestyle with a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, one of the largest such in history. On December 1, 2009, Rothstein turned himself in to authorities and was subsequently arrested on charges related to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

Why did Scott Rothstein come back?

Rothstein left Fort Lauderdale aboard a private jet on Oct. 27, 2009, as the head of a 70-member law firm, and returned back six days later to find his massive investment fraud exposed and his business empire in flames.Oct 3, 2012

How do you get money out of a trust?

If you have a revocable trust, you can get money out by making a request via the trustee. Should you yourself be listed as the trustee, you'll be able to transfer funds and assets out of the trust as you see fit.

How do trust funds pay out?

The trust can pay out a lump sum or percentage of the funds, make incremental payments throughout the years, or even make distributions based on the trustee's assessments. Whatever the grantor decides, their distribution method must be included in the trust agreement drawn up when they first set up the trust.

How is a trust distributed after death?

How Do You Settle A Trust? The successor trustee is charged with settling a trust, which usually means bringing it to termination. Once the trustor dies, the successor trustee takes over, looks at all of the assets in the trust, and begins distributing them in accordance with the trust. No court action is required.

Who owns the assets of a trust?

A trust is a legal entity that holds assets on behalf of its founder for the benefit of beneficiaries. The founder tasks a trustee or trustees with the management of the trust's assets for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries.

Who controls the trust?

the trusteeFirst, the basics. A trust is an arrangement in which one person, called the trustee, controls property for the benefit of another person, called the beneficiary. The person who creates the trust is called the settlor, grantor, or trustor.

Who owns a property that is in a trust?

The trustees are the legal owners of the assets held in a trust.

1. Margolin & Biatch Attorneys at Law

From Business: Margolin & Biatch is a small Oakland based law firm dedicated to providing personal service and high quality legal services to its clients. The firm traces it…

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From Business: Certified specialist, Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

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Trust Account Mistakes That Lawyers Often Make

William L. Pfeifer, Jr., is a former writer for The Balance Small Business and an attorney who has written extensively on legal issues and the practice of law.

How an IOLTA Account Works

Attorneys often receive retainer fees from clients when they mutually sign a retainer agreement that outlines the terms of the attorney's representation. That money is supposed to go into the lawyer's trust account. They're then entitled to pay that money out to themselves as they complete work for the client.

Commingling Attorney Funds With Client Money

A second major mistake often arises out of a lack of understanding about how a trust account is supposed to work.

Failing to Properly Track Client Funds

The third major way that attorneys screw up their trust accounts is by failing to keep detailed records of each client's trust account transactions .

Getting Help

Some attorneys realize that their trust accounts are screwed up, but they don't know how to fix the problem. One solution is to contact a law practice management advisor. Many state bar associations now offer free law practice management advice to their members, and a number of private management advisors also offer their services for a fee.