The arrest of former visiting attorney for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has driven attention towards the practises associated with ‘visiting attorneys’ within large law firms. Romero Cabral Da Costa Neto, the ex-attorney at Gibson Dunn charged last week, was reportedly accessing internal law files without proper authorization, utilizing them for insider trading ahead of a significant merger and acquisition scenario. This incident brings into focus the need for a thorough vetting process for such attorneys.
Specifically, the ‘visiting attorney’ arrangements employed by many such firms are in question. These professionals are often internationally-based lawyers with pre-existing relationships with the firm, potentially bypassing the standard vetting processes applied to U.S.-educated associates.
To understand more about Da Costa’s case and the implications it has for visiting attorney practises, consider the detailed report here.