Ethics Complaints Filed Against Richmond McGuire-Woods Partners for Criminal Activity
Complaints were filed, on August 27, 2021, in Henrico County Circuit Court against three McGuire-Woods partners who conspired in criminal activity and to defraud their client of over $500,000. not including damages.
See complaints filed:
The Complaints state that the three defendants, during their employment with McGuire-Woods law firm, conspired together unethically to have their client illegally removed as trustee & executor of a family trust. The Complaints list several state and federal code violations which entangled them with a fugitive wanted in a 600 kilo cocaine organization.
William Birch Douglass and William Hutchins filed in Henrico County Circuit Court a Petition to Remove Trustee, while the trustee was in Greece. The Trustee named Nickolas Spanos was named as defendant while family members were plaintiffs, who were also McGuire-Woods clients.
McGuire-Woods partners initiated a lawsuit in which they represented both the plaintiff and defendant. The McGuire-Woods partners knew the exact location of the trustee in Greece, as they communicated with him through conference calls and postal service, but did not serve him through the Hague Service Process but instead served him at his mothers house, who was the plaintiff.
Greece's protocols to the Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, states that foreign service can only be processed through the Greek DOJ and served by only a certified service processor/court official.
The documents intended to be served must also be translated into the Greek language and certified by the Greek Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Trust had no provision for removal and the petition for removal listed no financial irregularities to justify the petition.
The Defendants filed a Defense Pleading on September 27, 2021, which they did not deny the allegations, only that the statute of limitations had expired for the criminal violations. Yet, there is no statute of limitations for unethical misconduct and violation of the Rules of the Virginia Code of Professional Conduct.
The McGuireWoods partners responded in their defense pleadings that Nickolas Spanos was never a client of McGuireWoods despite evidence showing that Spanos was a client from 1992 and had issued several checks signed by Spanos to McGuireWoods law firm for over 7 years. The checks are listed in Estate reports to the Henrico County Commissioner of Accounts.
Henrico County Circuit Court records give evidence that several estate documents were recorded with Nickolas Spanos and William Birch Douglass's signatures.
Court filings give evidence that William Birch Douglass, who represented Nickolas Spanos, advised Spanos on numerous legal matters while he was residing in Virginia and Greece.
Spanos had requested his client files several times yet McGuireWoods unethically refuses to return his client file to him.
At the time of filing the Petition for Removal, Howard "Toby" Vick was the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney was negotiating with McGuire-Woods law firm Manager Richard Cullen for a partnership but was prosecuting the Trustee Nickolas Spanos for thirteen indictments for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
An October 6, 2021 Complaint (Case Number: CL21006572) filed in the Henrico County Circuit Court gives evidence that McGuireWoods Partner Richard Cullen bribed Commonwealth Attorney Howard Vick with a partners position at McGuireWoods in exchange to not have Nickolas Spanos extradited from Greece.
Nickolas Spanos was accused by Howard Vick as being the "hub of a 600 kilo cocaine organization that operated in Richmond for over 10 years".
Henrico Court filings show that Howard Vick used his influence to have the FBI remove Spanos from the National Crime Database and have the UFAP warrant dismissed by former McGuire-Woods partner James B. Comey, who was a Richmond U.S. Attorney at that time. The dismissed UFAP warrant allowed Spanos to renew his U.S. passport and remain off criminal databases despite having thirteen outstanding indictments against him.
Knowing that Spanos was a McGuire-Woods client, HCCA Howard Vick had sealed the thirteen indictments and refused to file an extradition request for Spanos. If Howard Vick had prosecuted Spanos, it would have ended his golden partnership with McGuire-Woods law firm.
The Complaints filed give evidence of present Henrico County Circuit Court officials who were also involved in protecting the cocaine fugitive from being arrested and extradited from foreign countries, despite the fugitive being held for extradition. Present Henrico County prosecutors refused to file extradition requests.
The Ethics Complaints list "fraud on the court" as one of the several ethics violations, which has no statute of limitation. The Complaints also list:
§ 18.2-439. Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate.
§ 18.2-447. When person guilty of bribery
§ 18.2-460. Obstructing justice;
18 U.S. Code § 1071 - Concealing person from arrest
18, U.S. Code § 242 - Deprivation of Constitutional Rights
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