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| El Paso-owned and proud |
Feb. 7 - Feb. 13
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Chris Balsiger replaced as CEO of IOS
By Ryan Poulos |
 Chris Balsiger, indicted in a massive coupon-fraud scheme, has been replaced as CEO of International Outsourcing Services (IOS) – at least for the time being.
IOS informed its customers in a letter this week that Greg Rayburn and Sean Gumbs of FTI Palladium Partners have replaced Balsiger and CFO William Babler respectively.
FTI is an interim management firm that specializes in guiding companies through difficult times. Rayburn and Gumbs were not immediately available for comment.
Balsiger and 10 others have been charged with defrauding manufacturers across the country of more than $250 million over 10 years in the biggest coupon-fraud scheme to date.
According to the letter, IOS’ Board of Managers made the decision to help “lead [IOS] forward with a singular focus on serving our loyal customers with the same professionalism, integrity and commitment that has been the signature of IOS’ work over the years.”
The board also has chosen Cleve Gorman to be a special business consultant. According to the letter, “Gorman held senior positions with The Kroger Co., has served as an advisor to the company in the past and is uniquely positioned to provide valuable input and guidance.”
According to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs, the next step in the court proceedings will be a status conference, which is currently scheduled for April 19 in Milwaukee.
A status conference is a pre-trial meeting of attorneys in front of a judge to inform the court of the case’s status. Attorneys are required to inform the court as to how the case is moving along, the probable length of the trial and any other matters relevant to keeping the case moving forward. In this, the first status conference of the case, a trial date likely will be set. The defendants do not have to be present.
Super lawyers
Prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States are Stephen Ingraham, Richard Frohling, Matt Jacobs and Kelly Brown Watzka, according to court documents.
The four indicted IOS businessmen from El Paso have all retained high-profile criminal defense attorneys based in Chicago.
According to El Paso Inc. legal consultant Scratch Burns, the lawyers defending the El Pasoans are all considered high-profile criminal defense attorneys.
“From all appearances these guys are top notch and high quality attorneys,” he said. “They’ve been around the block and they will be able to provide a more than adequate defense.”
Chris Balsiger
Former IOS CEO Chris Balsiger’s counsel includes high-profile business attorneys and partners Daniel Reidy and Thomas McNulty of the Jones Day law firm’s Chicago office.
Jones Day was started in 1893 and has grown into one of the largest firms in the world with more than 2,200 lawyers in 30 offices. They count more than 250 Fortune 500 companies among their clients.
Reidy oversees the firm’s corporate criminal investigations practice and specializes in political and judicial corruption cases and matters that involve allegations of complicated financial crimes.
He has defended major companies such as Bridgestone/Firestone and H&R Block in high-dollar cases and also has successfully defended numerous top executives at major companies.
Balsiger’s other attorney, McNulty, focuses on commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in areas such as allegations of antitrust violations, insider trading, defense contractor fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, state and federal criminal tax violations, bank fraud, and mail and wire fraud.
Some of his major clients have included Sutter Home Winery, Chicago Heights Steel and the Simon Property Group, Inc. He represented Simon Properties in a case against mySimon, Inc., in which he won a jury verdict of $26.3 million for trademark infringement.
Ovidio Enriquez
Like Balsiger, IOS Plant Manager Ovidio Enriquez is represented by two attorneys. Both are from Jenner & Block LLP, which has more than 400 lawyers across the country.
Charles Sklarsky co-chairs the firm’s white collar and criminal defense and counseling group, and has been with the firm for more than 20 years. He previously served eight years as an Assistant Unites States Attorney in Illinois.
Sklarsky has a great deal of experience in representing individuals and businesses in grand jury investigations, SEC investigations, criminal trials, SEC enforcement actions, complex civil litigation and appearances before regulatory bodies.
Sklarsky is a partner within the firm, and has achieved the highest possible rating of “AV” given by Lexis Nexis Martindale-Hubbell.
Enriquez’s other attorney, Monica Pinciak, also is a member of the firm’s litigation department and white-collar criminal defense and counseling practice group. She received her J.D. with high honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1999.
Steve Furr
Vincent J. Connelly of Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw represents Steven Furr, IOS executive vice president, board member and president of IOS’ North American operations.
The firm is among the largest in the world with more than 1,500 lawyers in 14 cities worldwide.
Connelly has been with the firm since 1987 and specializes in commercial and financial fraud. His primary trial responsibilities are in matters that involve securities law, commercial disputes, ERISA investment advisor disputes and internal investigations.
According to a Chambers USA article from 2006, “ …… there are few in his league and he has all the expected constituents of a top trial lawyer: intelligence, great judgment and strong strategic sense as well as a uniquely common touch which resonates with a jury.”
According to the firm’s Web site, he once represented a commodity brokerage firm defendant in a jury trial against a $250 million claim made by a wealthy family. With Connelly as counsel, the client avoided all claimed damages and instead gained a $14 million verdict on its counter-claims.
Jim Currey
Jim Currey is an IOS board member and the president and co-founder of Currey/Adkins, a global business technology company based in El Paso that handles everything from telephone systems to network support for businesses. Currey/Adkins does a substantial amount of work for IOS.
Currey is represented by Mark Rotert of the law office of Mark Rotert in Chicago. According to his Web site, he has represented clients ranging from individuals targeted by grand jury investigations to Fortune 100 corporations engaged in complex lawsuits seeking billions of dollars in damages.
Rotert was also appointed by the Supreme Court of Illinois to serve on its Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, and he has taught Trial Advocacy at the Loyola University College of Law.
He also authored a chapter on attorney-client privileges that is used in the Grand Jury Practice Manual issued by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Send comments to tomfenton@elpasoinc.com. |
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