Prosecutor Defender Counselor: The Memoirs of Robert B. Fiske, Jr

by Robert B. Fiske Jr.

Overview

Bob Fiske’s “life story is an inspiration to all Americans, not just those directly involved in the private or public practice of law.”-– Senator George J. Mitchell Bob Fiske is one of the best-known and most respected lawyers of the past half century. In private practice at Davis Polk & Wardwell and as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, he has been involved in some of the highest profile cases of our time. Not only was he called on to act in the politically charged Whitewater affair including the death (suicide or murder?) of the Clinton aide Vincent Foster, but also the prosecution of drug kingpin Nicky Barnes (“Mr. Untouchable”), the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster, the USFL vs. NFL, the most contentious America’s Cup ever, and the financial swindler Bernie Madoff. This is Bob Fiske’s legal autobiography. It’s an insider’s look at some of the most fascinating and important cases of our time, complete with telling anecdotes, colorful characters and legal cliff-hangers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780983062219
Publisher:	Seapoint Books and Media
Publication date:	11/07/2014
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Robert B. Fiske, Jr. is Senior Counsel at Davis Polk in New York City where he has worked since 1955. At Davis Polk and as a United States Attorney in New York, he has been involved in some of the highest profile cases of our time.

Table of Contents

Foreword Robert A. Katzmann ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

Section I A Family of Lawyers 1

Section II The Beginnings 10

Chapter 1 Law School, 1952-1955 10

Chapter 2 U.S. Attorney's Office, Summer 1954 15

Chapter 3 Davis Polk Wardwell Sunderland & Kiendl, 1955-1957 18

Section III Assistant United States Attorney, 1957-1961 27

Chapter 4 Henry "the Dutchman" Grunewald 30

Chapter 5 Hazard Gillespie Becomes United States Attorney 32

Chapter 6 Customs Inspectors on the Take 34

Chapter 7 John Dioguardi ("Johnny Dio") 36

Chapter 8 Fortune and Anthony Pope 40

Section IV Davis Polk, 1961-1976 44

Chapter 9 Price-Fixing, Multi-District Litigation, and "You're Off the Payroll and Onto the Lease" 46

Chapter 10 Return to Darien (and Ice Hockey) 51

Chapter 11 Texas Gulf Sulphur 56

Chapter 12 Thalidomide 60

Chapter 13 Other Cases and Personalities 65

Section V United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, 1976-1980 69

Chapter 14 The Office and the Team 72

Chapter 15 The Postmaster General, A Bullet-Proof Vest, My DEA Beetle, How I Took Up Running, and My Tennis Game from Guys and Dolls 76

Chapter 16 Hands-On, Open-Minded, Tested by Washington 80

Chapter 17 Three More Years! Senator Moynihan and My Full Term 84

Chapter 18 Trials and Appeals 86

Chapter 19 The Trial of Nicky Barnes 89

Chapter 20 The Trial of Anthony Scotto and Anthony Anastasio 99

Chapter 21 Socialist Workers Party v. Attorney General of the United States 107

Chapter 22 A Case That Didn't Happen 115

Chapter 23 Assessments 117

Section VI New Challenges at Davis Polk, 1980-1989 123

Chapter 24 Three Mile Island 124

Chapter 25 USFL v. NFT 138

Section VII Professional Service, Political Peril 146

Chapter 20 The American College of Trial lawyers 140

Chapter 27 The Federal Bar Council 150

Chapter 28 The ABA Committee on Federal Judiciary and Judge Robert Bork 152

Chapter 29 Deputy Attorney General and the Bork Fallout 161

Section VIII Davis Polk, 1989-1994 168

Chapter 30 The America's Cup 169

Chapter 31 In Praise of the Outdoors: New Zealand, Fly Fishing, and Vermont 181

Chapter 32 Building a White Collar Crime Practice 184

Chapter 33 E.F. Hutton and George Ball 188

Chapter 34 Paul Thayer 191

Chapter 35 United States v. David Brown 198

Chapter 36 Clark Clifford 210

Section IX Whitewater Independent Counsel, 1994 220

Chapter 37 How It Came About 221

Chapter 38 The Independent Counsel Team 227

Chapter 39 An Early Breakthrough 230

Chapter 40 White House Subpoenas 233

Chapter 41 Taking the Fiske 236

Chapter 42 The Investigation Continues 238

Chapter 43 The Death of Vincent Foster 240

Chapter 44 Question the Clintons 246

Chapter 45 The Results 248

Chapter 46 Outcry 249

Chapter 47 The Independent Counsel Court 253

Chapter 48 Calming Troubled Waters 255

Chapter 49 An Assessment 256

Section X Davis Polk, 1994-2010 259

Chapter 30 Judge John H. McBryde 259

Chapter 51 Public Service While in Private Practice 269

Chapter 52 The Suzuki Samurai: Kathryn Rodriguez v. Suzuki 273

Chapter 53 The Suzuki Samurai: Suzuki v. Consumers Union 280

Chapter 54 Pete Nicholas and Boston Scientific 286

Chapter 55 Burlington Resources 289

Chapter 56 Bicycling 294

Chapter 57 Alfred Taubman 297

Chapter 58 Michigan Law School Fellowship 305

Chapter 59 Fred Wilpon, Saul Katz and the New York Mets 308

Chapter 60 The Mets and Bernie Madoff 313

A Last Word 322

Author's Note 324

Appendix 325

Notes 326

Credits 343

Index 345

Editorial Reviews

'You meet rogues and pillars of the bar and both may wind up your friends in the long run,' says Fiske in these delightful memoirs of a thoughtful, caring, brilliant leader of the legal profession. And meet them we do—at disco clubs, boardrooms, courtrooms, and, of course, in the Whitewater investigation (in which Fiske plays pick-up hockey at the only ice rink in the state of Arkansas). Woven throughout the stories are Fiske’s love for family, government service, the professional development of young lawyers, Michigan Law School-and life.

Mark D. West

In an age too often punctuated by glitz, celebrity, and self-promotion, Robert Fiske’s life reminds us of the virtues of character and competence. Prosecutor Defender Counselor is must reading for any lawyer who strives to serve the legal profession and the public.

The Honorable Robert A. Katzmann

With his storied career and sterling reputation across the political aisle for rectitude, tenacity and smarts, Robert Fiske shows us in this book why he has set the gold standard for a career in law. From United States Attorney to Independent Counsel to trusted advisor at the highest levels, Fiske proves that a great lawyer in private practice can also greatly serve the public interest. This book is a must read for any budding lawyer.

Dan Abrams

This is a must read for those who believe in the Profession and eschew the idea that law firms are nothing but a business focusing on the bottom line. The Profession, as you’ll learn from Fiske’s career is about doing justice, one case at a time. It’s about fighting injustice with all the energy one can muster. You’ll enjoy every minute of this entertaining and fast-moving book. And you’ll learn what it is to be the consummate professional.

Brendan V. Sullivan Jr.

Bob Fiske is an American legal legend, and his memoirs provide a fascinating review of his cases and controversies. Reading his book is a reminder that decency, hard work and intelligence can still produce a brilliant career.

Jeffrey Toobin

Robert Fiske’s Prosecutor, Defender, Counselor is a must-read for lawyers, critics of the legal profession, and anyone looking for an uplifting narrative of a life exceptionally well-lived by an individual of extraordinary talents and uncommon virtue…In his memoirs, Fiske walks us through his remarkable life, dominated (though not entirely) by a dizzying array of professional achievements. His writing is breezy; his recall is extraordinary; his stories are gripping and accessible; his humility and grace are old-fashioned and welcome; his sense of humor is refreshing…In the end, Bob Fiske’s memoirs serve as inspiration of what we as lawyers should strive to achieve in our professional and private lives…

New York Law Journal, Oct 7, 2014 - Brad S. Karp