The bottom line on Fitzgerald’s new job
Monday, Oct 22, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Former US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has been named a partner in the Chicago office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom…
Fitzgerald will focus on “internal corporate investigations as well as civil litigation and arbitration,” according to a law firm news release.
* Fitz said he had no interest in defending criminals…
In an interview, Fitzgerald said he is not interested in defending the sort of accused criminals he once prosecuted, a line of work that many former prosecutors move into after leaving government. Rather, he said, he will focus on corporate investigations, an increasingly lucrative area for law firms.
“I’m not changing who I am,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m just changing who my client is.”
* But this is what he’ll actually be doing…
Scandal is big business for the country’s biggest law firms. Companies that investigate internal wrongdoing often receive lighter penalties for cooperating with authorities.
So, he won’t help human beings charged with corruption or whatever, but he will be helping corporations avoid tougher penalties.
- The Captain - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 10:55 am:
People with poor ethics in government should go to jail for the rest of their lives. People with poor ethics in the private sector are just misunderstood victims.
Makes perfect sense.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:05 am:
As far as the legal profession goes, being US attorney for that long is essentially taking a vow of poverty. Nothing wrong with his cashing in. His predecessors have all done it. Also, the clients he will have on the outside are entitled to a defense, and companies that have to go through such investigations might actually clean up their act afterward. Who knows? Best of luck to him.
- RNUG - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:07 am:
Still taking out the garbage … but for better pay
- amalia - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:08 am:
distinction without an actual difference, Mr. Fitzgerald. The Captain has it right.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:10 am:
I’m guessing a lot of banks and corporations will pay top dollar for Patrick Fitzgerald’s Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
“It was an oversight. They didn’t intentionally violate any laws. Our internal investigation reveals the problems have been fixed.”
Now, how much is the fine and to whom do we make out the check?
- Oswego Wily - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:12 am:
I hope Pat Fitz finds out who stole the Red Slingline Stapler …
The injustice of it all.
- wordslinger - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:18 am:
–“I’m not changing who I am,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m just changing who my client is.”–
He has part of that right, at least.
Look, everyone is entitled to a defense and a presumption of innocence.
But Fitz can put away the holier-than-thou act. Corporations aren’t going to shell out big bucks for him because they’re innocent little lambs that have lost their way.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:19 am:
Fitz still scares me, so note that an “Oswego Wily” posted such horrible snark. I would never do that.
Congratulations to Mr. Fitzgerald, and all the best in your future.
- Loop Lady - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:19 am:
good for him…he has earned it…hope Collins gets the nod…I like it that the US attorney is Irish American…going after their own kind who have an outsized sense of entitlement, if you catch my drift…
- Meanderthal - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:20 am:
I would be willing to bet that most of the people posting snide comments are Democratic Obama voters. Obama could’ve replaced Fitzy in 2009 but didn’t. He is your guy too.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:23 am:
===I would be willing to bet that most of the people posting snide comments are Democratic Obama voters. Obama could’ve replaced Fitzy in 2009 but didn’t. He is your guy too.===
I am willing to bet blanket statements like that are usually wrong.
Oswego Willy - Republican.
- Louis Howe - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:27 am:
The most valuable capitalist asset is government’s granting the legal fiction of “corporate limited liability.” Our entire economic system would collapse without it. Peter understands where the real money is made—it’s defending corporate America.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:45 am:
“Riiight …Hello Patrick, whats happening? Ummm, I’m gonna need you to go ahead come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around 9 that would be great, mmmk… oh oh! and I almost forgot ahh, I’m also gonna need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday too, kay. We ahh lost some people this week and ah, we sorta need to play catch up with thses investigations and all the paperwork, um ok, that’ll be great…”
- amalia - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 11:47 am:
@wordslinger….Word!
- Conservative Republican - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 2:05 pm:
“but he will be helping corporations avoid tougher penalties.”
Yes, if they conduct thorough internal investigations and take remedial measures. That’s the work Fitz will be doing. And the law recognizes that as valid. However, it isn’t an automatic “get out of jail card”; depends on the case and the alleged offense.
Anyway, it is substantially different from defending criminal defendants once indicted.
If you don’t like it, change the law. Don’t be too surprised if even precious few Democrats would support such a change.
- wishbone - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 2:28 pm:
“wishbone: OUCH! but so true…”
True, but apparently a little over the top. Anyway Fitzgerald is still the class act in town.
- Loop Lady - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 3:34 pm:
Rich, please remove my reaction to wishbone’s post, while you’re at it…my post now makes no sense…
I hope Fitz gets some rest. He always looked exhausted when he was USA. Time to start saving for college for all his kids…
- Crime Fighter - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 4:46 pm:
I’ve seen several comments pertaining to Fitzgerald making more money when he’s in private practice.
This goes directly against all of the arguments made by the BGA, IPI, GOP, Governor Quinn, the Trib, and the Civic Federation that public employees are over-compensated to the point of being “unaffordable”. I can even recall bloggers on this post outraged over the $50k/year pay for government lawyers -what gives?
According to them, Fitz should be taking a huge cut in pay and benefits going from his cushy government job to the world of job creators.
I ca
- Casey - Monday, Oct 22, 12 @ 4:51 pm:
It sounds like Fitz is getting into the kind of business like at Penn State where they hired an ex- Federal Big Wig to write a report to lessen penalties from the outside for harboring a pedophile for decades.
I guess as long as the check clears the bank one can get a good night’s sleep.
So some company may have lax procedures on any number of fronts: environmental damage, rigged up hiring processes, systematic discrimination against women or minorities, OHSA workplace violations, etc….hire Fitz and get his blue ribbon signature on a report and like magic, you are good as gold. As our former Governor would say, Fitz probably feels, “I got this thing (my Mr. Clean reputation), and its (blanking) golden”.