Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine
Encyclopedia
Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine was a white-shoe
New York
law firm. It was founded in 1929 by General William "Wild Bill" Donovan
, often called the Father of the CIA. The firm dissolved in 1998. Its notable antitrust
cases include a series of lawsuits involving American Cyanamid
in the 1960s and Kodak. The firm was rocked by a scandal involving a senior partner, Mahlon Perkins (son of the US diplomat Mahlon Fay Perkins
), who concealed documents from an adversary in a major antitrust case.
White shoe firm
White shoe firm is a phrase used to describe the leading professional services firms in the United States, particularly firms that have been in existence for more than a century and represent Fortune 500 companies...
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
law firm. It was founded in 1929 by General William "Wild Bill" Donovan
William Joseph Donovan
William Joseph Donovan was a United States soldier, lawyer and intelligence officer, best remembered as the wartime head of the Office of Strategic Services...
, often called the Father of the CIA. The firm dissolved in 1998. Its notable antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
cases include a series of lawsuits involving American Cyanamid
American Cyanamid
American Cyanamid was a large, diversified, American chemical manufacturer, founded by Frank Washburn in 1907. It was the only United States firm manufacturing the polio vaccine of the Sabin type....
in the 1960s and Kodak. The firm was rocked by a scandal involving a senior partner, Mahlon Perkins (son of the US diplomat Mahlon Fay Perkins
Mahlon Perkins
Mahlon Fay Perkins was a United States diplomat. After serving in China for many years, he was consul-general in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. It was his intervention which saved the lives of Charles Orr and Lois Orr after they had been arrested in the Stalinist crackdown on the...
), who concealed documents from an adversary in a major antitrust case.
Notable alumni
- Lloyd BlankfeinLloyd BlankfeinLloyd Craig Blankfein is an American business executive. He is currently the CEO and Chairman of Goldman Sachs. He has been in this position since the May 31, 2006 nomination of former CEO Henry Paulson as Secretary of the Treasury under George W...
, the current CEO and Chairman of Goldman SachsGoldman SachsThe Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
. - William Egan Colby, Director of Central IntelligenceDirector of Central IntelligenceThe Office of United States Director of Central Intelligence was the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the principal intelligence advisor to the President and the National Security Council, and the coordinator of intelligence activities among and between the various United...
(1973–1976). - Paul A. CrottyPaul A. CrottyPaul Austin Crotty is a United States federal judge.Born in Buffalo, New York, Crotty received a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1962 and an LL.B. from Cornell Law School in 1967. He was a United States Navy Reserve from 1962 to 1968. He was a law clerk, Hon. Lloyd F. MacMahon, U.S....
, a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThe United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
. - Nelson Antonio DenisNelson Antonio DenisNelson Antonio Denis is a former New York politician who represented East Harlem in the New York State Assembly.-Early life:Denis was born and raised in New York City...
, a journalist and former member of the New York State AssemblyNew York State AssemblyThe New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652... - Roderick M. HillsRoderick M. HillsRoderick M. Hills served as Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission between 1975 and 1977. Later he worked at the investment bank of Drexel Burnham Lambert and then at the law firm of Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine. In 1962, he founded the law firm of Munger, Tolles, Hills, and...
, a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. - Theodore S. Hope Jr.Theodore Hope (lawyer)Theodore S. Hope Jr. was a corporate lawyer in New York City for over 50 years.-Ancestry:Theodore Hope, Sr., was a University of New York, Delta Upsilon graduate with a Bachelor of Science in 1892, and was a New York City attorney in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
, professor and co-author of many corporate law theories.