Latest news with #Whiteford
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A pharma heir gave her former lawyer $10 million. Now her lawyers say she was 'tricked.'
Lawyer Erik Bolog is a beneficiary of a $10 million "gift" from Claudia Engelhorn, a pharma heir. Engelhorn has said the gift was "alcohol induced," while Bolog says it was legitimate. Engelhorn is suing Bolog and his ex-firm. The firm says it's caught in the middle. Claudia Engelhorn, a daughter of a German pharmaceutical tycoon, claims she was duped into handing over $10 million to her former attorney Erik Bolog — and alleges that his former law firm looked the other way while he pocketed the cash. The heir has been litigating for months against Bolog and the law firm, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston. The dispute is over the "gift" Bolog says she gave him as thanks for helping her win a $130 million case in Monégasque and Swiss courts during the pandemic. Bolog's defense hinges on a three-page document signed by Engelhorn that says she insisted on making the gift and did so without consulting anyone. "You advised (begged) me to hire independent counsel," the document, which was included in court filings, says. "As you have learned over the past several years, I am not easily discouraged and once I have decided to do something, I do it." Bolog said in court filings that the gift was legitimate and Engelhorn turned on him after he scolded her for what he said was "a racially hateful statement" that she made at a restaurant. He said she told a Black family "that it was nice that they were allowed to eat in restaurants." One of Engelhorn's lawyers, Tony Williams, says the heir was "tricked" into signing the gift paperwork when Bolog gave it to her one morning while she was vacationing on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. He called the claim about her remark to a Black family "absolutely false." In an email to Bolog that was included in court records, Engelhorn wrote: "You took an alcohol induced statement for your benefit." Bolog has claimed in court documents that her story shifted. Williams also said in a meeting that Engelhorn was on the autism spectrum. "She's not a sophisticated investor," Williams told Business Insider. "She's a woman who has spent her life raising a family, and he should've known that. We did say, with her permission, that she's on the spectrum, and we know that she is, and he knew that." "The whole thing's meshugganah," said Doug Gansler, one of Bolog's lawyers, using a Yiddish word for craziness. "She's a sophisticated businesswoman. She's not someone who doesn't know what she's doing or understand the value of money." Engelhorn couldn't be reached for comment. Bolog didn't respond to a request for comment. The existence of the case, which was filed in Baltimore in September, hasn't previously been reported. Engelhorn's father, Curt Engelhorn, led a German pharmaceutical company that was sold to the healthcare giant Roche in 1997 for a reported $11 billion. Bolog says she's the "life trustee" of an entity called the Mannheim Trust that has paid her $1 million a year and lent her another $30 million. Williams, meanwhile, said Bolog vastly overstated Engelhorn's fortune. He said the Mannheim Trust, which Bolog said held $500 million to benefit Engelhorn and others, had been divided among three of her children. Only the money from the Swiss case remains for Engelhorn, Williams said, and it's now "substantially less" than $130 million. Bolog's former law firm, Whiteford, said it had nothing to do with his dealings. The firm said in a court filing it fired Bolog in May 2023 over issues including how he accounted for expenses. (Gansler denied wrongdoing by his client.) In her lawsuit, Engelhorn said Whiteford bore some responsibility for Bolog's actions. She said billing records showed that other people at the firm were aware of and contributed to the deception. The firm said in court filings that the other Whiteford lawyers who appeared to have helped draft the gift paperwork were under the impression that Engelhorn wanted to give a much smaller gift to a member of her staff. They say Bolog edited the documents to reroute the money to himself and his family, something Whiteford said it didn't learn about for two years. The firm didn't respond to a request for comment. Gansler is a former Maryland attorney general who's now at the white-shoe firm Cadwalader. Another lawyer for Engelhorn, Wes Henderson, is described on his website as "one of the most experienced and knowledgeable car accident attorneys in Crofton," a sleepy Maryland community of about 30,000 people. He also handles legal malpractice cases, the website says. He declined to comment. Bolog has had various business interests over the years. His main pursuits have been contingency-fee injury lawsuits and a real estate firm called Tenacity that financed tenant acquisitions of their apartment buildings. In 2005, he was listed in Securities and Exchange Commission records as part of a bank's ownership group. Gansler said Bolog recently moved to California to do plaintiff-side litigation there. Bolog has had a colorful legal career. In the late 1990s, he helped a Maryland politician get off with a light sentence after she was accused of hiring a contract killer to whack her husband. The trial ended in a hung jury and she later pled no-contest, according to news reports. He was also among a group of lawyers hoping for a payout from a $120 million judgment against Iraq now pending in the US Supreme Court. He has had gambling debts, though Gansler said he now has none and had no debt at the time he received Engelhorn's gift. In 2019, Harrah's Philadelphia Casino claimed in a lawsuit that Bolog owed $34,000 for a cash advance, and in 2022, a Caesars casino in Indiana sued him for $45,000. Gansler said that the Caesars lawsuit was filed by mistake. The debts in both cases were several years old, and both lawsuits have been resolved. Engelhorn has had previous legal issues as well. In 2007, she agreed to let a revivalist preacher named Tommie Zito and his wife live in a $3.2 million six-bedroom Florida mansion for $300 a month. She claimed that he abused her trust and manipulated her into buying the property and letting his family stay there "for a value far below the property's market value." She sued him twice to try to get out of the deal; both times, she lost. Zito didn't respond to calls and text messages. Madeleine O'Neill contributed reporting. Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at jnewsham@ or Signal at 314-971-1627. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
A pharma heir gave her former lawyer $10 million. Now her lawyers say she was 'tricked.'
Claudia Engelhorn, a daughter of a German pharmaceutical tycoon, claims she was duped into handing over $10 million to her former attorney Erik Bolog — and alleges that his former law firm looked the other way while he pocketed the cash. The heir has been litigating for months against Bolog and the law firm, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston. The dispute is over the "gift" Bolog says she gave him as thanks for helping her win a $130 million case in Monégasque and Swiss courts during the pandemic. Bolog's defense hinges on a three-page document signed by Engelhorn that says she insisted on making the gift and did so without consulting anyone. "You advised (begged) me to hire independent counsel," the document, which was included in court filings, says. "As you have learned over the past several years, I am not easily discouraged and once I have decided to do something, I do it." Bolog said in court filings that the gift was legitimate and Engelhorn turned on him after he scolded her for what he said was "a racially hateful statement" that she made at a restaurant. He said she told a Black family "that it was nice that they were allowed to eat in restaurants." One of Engelhorn's lawyers, Tony Williams, says the heir was "tricked" into signing the gift paperwork when Bolog gave it to her one morning while she was vacationing on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. He called the claim about her remark to a Black family "absolutely false." In an email to Bolog that was included in court records, Engelhorn wrote: "You took an alcohol induced statement for your benefit." Bolog has claimed in court documents that her story shifted. Williams also said in a meeting that Engelhorn was on the autism spectrum. "She's not a sophisticated investor," Williams told Business Insider. "She's a woman who has spent her life raising a family, and he should've known that. We did say, with her permission, that she's on the spectrum, and we know that she is, and he knew that." "The whole thing's meshugganah," said Doug Gansler, one of Bolog's lawyers, using a Yiddish word for craziness. "She's a sophisticated businesswoman. She's not someone who doesn't know what she's doing or understand the value of money." The existence of the case, which was filed in Baltimore in September, hasn't previously been reported. Engelhorn's father, Curt Engelhorn, led a German pharmaceutical company that was sold to the healthcare giant Roche in 1997 for a reported $11 billion. Bolog says she's the "life trustee" of an entity called the Mannheim Trust that has paid her $1 million a year and lent her another $30 million. Williams, meanwhile, said Bolog vastly overstated Engelhorn's fortune. He said the Mannheim Trust, which Bolog said held $500 million to benefit Engelhorn and others, had been divided among three of her children. Only the money from the Swiss case remains for Engelhorn, Williams said, and it's now "substantially less" than $130 million. Bolog's former law firm, Whiteford, said it had nothing to do with his dealings. The firm said in a court filing it fired Bolog in May 2023 over issues including how he accounted for expenses. (Gansler denied wrongdoing by his client.) In her lawsuit, Engelhorn said Whiteford bore some responsibility for Bolog's actions. She said billing records showed that other people at the firm were aware of and contributed to the deception. The firm said in court filings that the other Whiteford lawyers who appeared to have helped draft the gift paperwork were under the impression that Engelhorn wanted to give a much smaller gift to a member of her staff. They say Bolog edited the documents to reroute the money to himself and his family, something Whiteford said it didn't learn about for two years. The firm didn't respond to a request for comment. Gansler is a former Maryland attorney general who's now at the white-shoe firm Cadwalader. Another lawyer for Engelhorn, Wes Henderson, is described on his website as "one of the most experienced and knowledgeable car accident attorneys in Crofton," a sleepy Maryland community of about 30,000 people. He also handles legal malpractice cases, the website says. He declined to comment. Bolog has had various business interests over the years. His main pursuits have been contingency-fee injury lawsuits and a real estate firm called Tenacity that financed tenant acquisitions of their apartment buildings. In 2005, he was listed in Securities and Exchange Commission records as part of a bank's ownership group. Gansler said Bolog recently moved to California to do plaintiff-side litigation there. Bolog has had a colorful legal career. In the late 1990s, he helped a Maryland politician get off with a light sentence after she was accused of hiring a contract killer to whack her husband. The trial ended in a hung jury and she later pled no-contest, according to news reports. He was also among a group of lawyers hoping for a payout from a $120 million judgment against Iraq now pending in the US Supreme Court. He has had gambling debts, though Gansler said he now has none and had no debt at the time he received Engelhorn's gift. In 2019, Harrah's Philadelphia Casino claimed in a lawsuit that Bolog owed $34,000 for a cash advance, and in 2022, a Caesars casino in Indiana sued him for $45,000. Gansler said that the Caesars lawsuit was filed by mistake. The debts in both cases were several years old, and both lawsuits have been resolved. Engelhorn has had previous legal issues as well. In 2007, she agreed to let a revivalist preacher named Tommie Zito and his wife live in a $3.2 million six-bedroom Florida mansion for $300 a month. She claimed that he abused her trust and manipulated her into buying the property and letting his family stay there "for a value far below the property's market value." She sued him twice to try to get out of the deal; both times, she lost. Zito didn't respond to calls and text messages. Madeleine O'Neill contributed reporting.
The Advertiser
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
'I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly-shaped'
Shane Whiteford says the nurses who helped care for him during cancer treatment are "angels". He is raising money for the Calvary Mater Newcastle oncology nurses, so they can do something nice for themselves. "I will be attempting to run 200 kilometres - about six kilometres a day over the month of June," he said. He felt for the nurses who see many "highs and lows every day". "The nurses bring an uplifting experience to people stuck in a bed for eight to nine hours a day. It's amazing," he said. "I wanted to do something to make their life a little bit brighter." He started a GoFundMe for the "amazing nurses who looked after me". Mr Whiteford, of Charlestown, was diagnosed in December 2023 with a Ewing sarcoma in his neck at age 35. "I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly shaped," the father of two young kids said. "I monitored it for a few weeks, but didn't think much of it." His wife Johanna urged him to see a doctor. "A biopsy was inconclusive. I saw a surgeon, who said I had a very aggressive cancer in my neck. It was shocking." He had major surgery while facing the risk of his face being disfigured due to the cancer being wrapped around major nerves. "They removed as much of the cancer as they could without severing the nerve," he said. "After the surgery I had a bit of facial droop, very dry eyes and loss of smell. "My face came back, so I don't have a different physical appearance. And I can still wear contact lenses." A group of oncologists, including some at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, worked on a treatment plan over several weeks. He then had about nine months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation at the Calvary Mater. He had a portacath inserted in his chest for the treatment, which finished at the end of October. "It was very hard. I had about eight blood transfusions and countless ambulance calls," he said. "I was admitted into hospital six times with high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees and infections. "Having such a low immune system (due to the treatment) is very challenging. "All up, it was about 100 days in hospital." He said the Mater's nurses were "my rock and a shoulder to cry on". "Everybody who goes through treatment has their own way of managing it. The nurses knew everyone on a first-name basis," he said. "They have a knack of tailoring the way they talk about what people are going through." The run will be part of his rehabilitation. He returned to the gym in February. "It's not my thing to be a runner. I usually do weights, cycling, treadmill and cardio," said Mr Whiteford, now 37. "My doctors say the run is beyond what my stress levels should be, but I've been through the worst of the worst. It's something I can achieve." Since he finished treatment, he's had two three-monthly checks that were "all clear". "Everything is stable, which is really positive to hear," he said. "It was a big weight off our shoulders. Any time we get to appreciate life, we take it." Shane Whiteford says the nurses who helped care for him during cancer treatment are "angels". He is raising money for the Calvary Mater Newcastle oncology nurses, so they can do something nice for themselves. "I will be attempting to run 200 kilometres - about six kilometres a day over the month of June," he said. He felt for the nurses who see many "highs and lows every day". "The nurses bring an uplifting experience to people stuck in a bed for eight to nine hours a day. It's amazing," he said. "I wanted to do something to make their life a little bit brighter." He started a GoFundMe for the "amazing nurses who looked after me". Mr Whiteford, of Charlestown, was diagnosed in December 2023 with a Ewing sarcoma in his neck at age 35. "I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly shaped," the father of two young kids said. "I monitored it for a few weeks, but didn't think much of it." His wife Johanna urged him to see a doctor. "A biopsy was inconclusive. I saw a surgeon, who said I had a very aggressive cancer in my neck. It was shocking." He had major surgery while facing the risk of his face being disfigured due to the cancer being wrapped around major nerves. "They removed as much of the cancer as they could without severing the nerve," he said. "After the surgery I had a bit of facial droop, very dry eyes and loss of smell. "My face came back, so I don't have a different physical appearance. And I can still wear contact lenses." A group of oncologists, including some at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, worked on a treatment plan over several weeks. He then had about nine months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation at the Calvary Mater. He had a portacath inserted in his chest for the treatment, which finished at the end of October. "It was very hard. I had about eight blood transfusions and countless ambulance calls," he said. "I was admitted into hospital six times with high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees and infections. "Having such a low immune system (due to the treatment) is very challenging. "All up, it was about 100 days in hospital." He said the Mater's nurses were "my rock and a shoulder to cry on". "Everybody who goes through treatment has their own way of managing it. The nurses knew everyone on a first-name basis," he said. "They have a knack of tailoring the way they talk about what people are going through." The run will be part of his rehabilitation. He returned to the gym in February. "It's not my thing to be a runner. I usually do weights, cycling, treadmill and cardio," said Mr Whiteford, now 37. "My doctors say the run is beyond what my stress levels should be, but I've been through the worst of the worst. It's something I can achieve." Since he finished treatment, he's had two three-monthly checks that were "all clear". "Everything is stable, which is really positive to hear," he said. "It was a big weight off our shoulders. Any time we get to appreciate life, we take it." Shane Whiteford says the nurses who helped care for him during cancer treatment are "angels". He is raising money for the Calvary Mater Newcastle oncology nurses, so they can do something nice for themselves. "I will be attempting to run 200 kilometres - about six kilometres a day over the month of June," he said. He felt for the nurses who see many "highs and lows every day". "The nurses bring an uplifting experience to people stuck in a bed for eight to nine hours a day. It's amazing," he said. "I wanted to do something to make their life a little bit brighter." He started a GoFundMe for the "amazing nurses who looked after me". Mr Whiteford, of Charlestown, was diagnosed in December 2023 with a Ewing sarcoma in his neck at age 35. "I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly shaped," the father of two young kids said. "I monitored it for a few weeks, but didn't think much of it." His wife Johanna urged him to see a doctor. "A biopsy was inconclusive. I saw a surgeon, who said I had a very aggressive cancer in my neck. It was shocking." He had major surgery while facing the risk of his face being disfigured due to the cancer being wrapped around major nerves. "They removed as much of the cancer as they could without severing the nerve," he said. "After the surgery I had a bit of facial droop, very dry eyes and loss of smell. "My face came back, so I don't have a different physical appearance. And I can still wear contact lenses." A group of oncologists, including some at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, worked on a treatment plan over several weeks. He then had about nine months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation at the Calvary Mater. He had a portacath inserted in his chest for the treatment, which finished at the end of October. "It was very hard. I had about eight blood transfusions and countless ambulance calls," he said. "I was admitted into hospital six times with high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees and infections. "Having such a low immune system (due to the treatment) is very challenging. "All up, it was about 100 days in hospital." He said the Mater's nurses were "my rock and a shoulder to cry on". "Everybody who goes through treatment has their own way of managing it. The nurses knew everyone on a first-name basis," he said. "They have a knack of tailoring the way they talk about what people are going through." The run will be part of his rehabilitation. He returned to the gym in February. "It's not my thing to be a runner. I usually do weights, cycling, treadmill and cardio," said Mr Whiteford, now 37. "My doctors say the run is beyond what my stress levels should be, but I've been through the worst of the worst. It's something I can achieve." Since he finished treatment, he's had two three-monthly checks that were "all clear". "Everything is stable, which is really positive to hear," he said. "It was a big weight off our shoulders. Any time we get to appreciate life, we take it." Shane Whiteford says the nurses who helped care for him during cancer treatment are "angels". He is raising money for the Calvary Mater Newcastle oncology nurses, so they can do something nice for themselves. "I will be attempting to run 200 kilometres - about six kilometres a day over the month of June," he said. He felt for the nurses who see many "highs and lows every day". "The nurses bring an uplifting experience to people stuck in a bed for eight to nine hours a day. It's amazing," he said. "I wanted to do something to make their life a little bit brighter." He started a GoFundMe for the "amazing nurses who looked after me". Mr Whiteford, of Charlestown, was diagnosed in December 2023 with a Ewing sarcoma in his neck at age 35. "I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly shaped," the father of two young kids said. "I monitored it for a few weeks, but didn't think much of it." His wife Johanna urged him to see a doctor. "A biopsy was inconclusive. I saw a surgeon, who said I had a very aggressive cancer in my neck. It was shocking." He had major surgery while facing the risk of his face being disfigured due to the cancer being wrapped around major nerves. "They removed as much of the cancer as they could without severing the nerve," he said. "After the surgery I had a bit of facial droop, very dry eyes and loss of smell. "My face came back, so I don't have a different physical appearance. And I can still wear contact lenses." A group of oncologists, including some at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, worked on a treatment plan over several weeks. He then had about nine months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation at the Calvary Mater. He had a portacath inserted in his chest for the treatment, which finished at the end of October. "It was very hard. I had about eight blood transfusions and countless ambulance calls," he said. "I was admitted into hospital six times with high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees and infections. "Having such a low immune system (due to the treatment) is very challenging. "All up, it was about 100 days in hospital." He said the Mater's nurses were "my rock and a shoulder to cry on". "Everybody who goes through treatment has their own way of managing it. The nurses knew everyone on a first-name basis," he said. "They have a knack of tailoring the way they talk about what people are going through." The run will be part of his rehabilitation. He returned to the gym in February. "It's not my thing to be a runner. I usually do weights, cycling, treadmill and cardio," said Mr Whiteford, now 37. "My doctors say the run is beyond what my stress levels should be, but I've been through the worst of the worst. It's something I can achieve." Since he finished treatment, he's had two three-monthly checks that were "all clear". "Everything is stable, which is really positive to hear," he said. "It was a big weight off our shoulders. Any time we get to appreciate life, we take it."
