Peter F Vaira

May 19, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

Colleges and universities are increasing targets for cybercrime operators. Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University were both recently hit in cyberattacks. Both schools' networks were shut down for nearly a day. In 2014, Indiana University and the University of Maryland were victims of cyberattacks. Indiana had 146,000 records exposed and Maryland had 300,000 records exposed. Colleges and universities face cybersecurity challenges similar to those faced by government and major commercial institutions.

By Peter F. Vaira

8 minute read

March 17, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

Today's column continues a discussion of the problems with the application and enforcement of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Act, which was initially outlined in my Jan. 20 column in The Legal, "Suggested Changes for Federal, State Criminal Procedure in 2015."

By Peter F. Vaira

9 minute read

March 16, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

Today's column continues a discussion of the problems with the application and enforcement of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Act, which was initially outlined in my Jan. 20 column in The Legal, "Suggested Changes for Federal, State Criminal Procedure in 2015."

By Peter F. Vaira

9 minute read

January 20, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

This column is devoted to suggested changes to be made to federal and state criminal procedure in 2015. I relate the opinions of defense counsel, many of whom are former prosecutors, one current federal prosecutor, and my own. Many suggested changes are long overdue and would benefit both prosecution and defense.

By Peter F. Vaira

7 minute read

January 20, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

This column is devoted to suggested changes to be made to federal and state criminal procedure in 2015. I relate the opinions of defense counsel, many of whom are former prosecutors, one current federal prosecutor, and my own. Many suggested changes are long overdue and would benefit both prosecution and defense.

By Peter F. Vaira

7 minute read

December 16, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

The term white-collar criminal defense has become an oxymoron when describing outside counsel's representation of the corporation, and its officers in an investigation conducted by the government. There is seldom a serious defense effort; cooperation with the government has become the byword. These were the words of Robert Luskin, a nationally known criminal defense attorney, in an address to a meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Philadelphia last month. Luskin knows the role of defense counsel. He has represented presidential assistant Karl Rove, international champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, and a sitting federal judge, among others, in major investigations. He said he is troubled with what has become the role of defense counsel in internal corporate investigations.

By Peter F. Vaira

8 minute read

October 21, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

On Sept. 25, a blue-ribbon commission appointed by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter issued a report on the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections. The report was triggered by the collapse of a building during a demolition June 5, 2013, at 22nd and Market streets in Philadelphia. The building collapsed on an adjacent Salvation Army thrift store, killing six people and injuring 13. One of those killed was the daughter of the treasurer of Philadelphia who was in the thrift shop donating clothing. The demolition process on that building was licensed and overseen by L&I. I served as the executive director of the mayor's commission.

By Peter F. Vaira

7 minute read

August 19, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

Law students spend hours grinding through trial and appellate case reports. They spend hours learning the intricacies of contracts and torts--more hours in trial practice seminars. But seldom is there any emphasis or assistance on how to conduct an interview of a person who may be a helpful or harmful witness in litigation for a client.

By Peter F. Vaira

7 minute read

June 17, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

Cyberattacks are increasing at a startling rate in the business community, not only by hackers for personal intellectual skullduggery, but cyberattacks aimed at obtaining sensitive information that is the heart of the operation of industrial corporations, banks, brokerage houses, and worldwide sales organizations. Law firms have become major targets of these illegal attacks, which are aimed at discovering and pilfering the entire subject matter of a commercial operation. One example is the corporate snooper who will use cyberespionage in an M&A transaction to understand what the competitors are bidding. As discussed below, quite often, such cyberespionage is never discovered or not until a long time after the transaction is completed.

By Peter F. Vaira

10 minute read

April 29, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

This column is for civil practitioners whose professional or corporate clients become involved in a Pennsylvania state grand jury investigation. I concentrate on the major differences between the state and federal grand juries as it affects the witnesses and their lawyers.

By Peter F. Vaira

6 minute read