On another post Anonymous wrote:
New post:
In the current agenda review under business and finance item #30
Ira Weiss's law office is on a $20,000/month retainer plus expenses ($240,000/year)with additional services (litigation, investigation, and other matters not previously categorized as retainer work) billed at $110/hour
This amendment to his previous contract is to save on overall legal expense as the Board is currently paying by contract (outsourcing) law firms $175-$250/hour.
Weiss's office gets more business because PPS has alot of lawsuits. He makes out like a bandit. Is this really about saving PPS money? Lawyers can certainly add up the billable hours.
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Isn't Weiss the same attorney that gave back his taste of the Veon BIG money?
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/some-of-veons-charges-dropped-342957/
Weiss' Pittsburgh work is so profitable he's walked away from other clients:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-west/weiss-resigns-goehring-new-solicitor-in-montour-210608/
Yes, looks like he also walked away from Keystone Oaks:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/new-keystone-oaks-board-overturns-decision-to-close-two-elementary-schools-224211/?print=1
Pittsburgh must be the money tree: he backed out at Carlynton too:
http://www.carlynton.k12.pa.us/01-19-12%20Agenda.pdf
How much have they spent on the Fadzen case?
Ira Weiss saves the PPS District a mint! He has skills that they need desperately given the rampant levels of incompetence or worse.
Too much for no good reason. Bring back the Chief!
The Securities and Exchange Commission certainly took a liking to Weiss' mint skills when they prosecuted him - successfully - for violating anti-fraud provisions.
http://www.sec.gov/litigation/opinions/33-8641.pdf
Fadzen's hearing. Let's calculate. September through July, 10 months, 8 days of testimony, billable hours for Ira, Admin's law firm Vernalis, Mr. Baird,the lawyer who acted as judge, and the court reporter. I'd guess probably $400,000 and of course that would include transcripts of the 8 days of the hearing for all nine board members, and all of the Admin lawyers, assistants,etc. Yes, that would be my guess. Anyone think I'm close?
Easily much more than that! And we don't have an official decision yet.
This is pretty amusing. The attorneys that started the ball rolling on the latest Countywide reassessment are now trying to make a buck pitching their services to counties facing a reassessment:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/breaking/pittsburgh-residential-assessments-jump-46-percent-226345/?print=1
http://weisslawoffices.com/app/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/FACING-COUNTY-WIDE-PROPERTY-REASSESSMENT-BROCHURE.pdf
He's certainly taken our legal fees to historic heights.
Isn't there a conflict of interest regarding his law firm representing the district he represents? If not, please explain why.
LOL, I don't like Weiss and thinks he makes a lot of money from the district for not so great work. But no, that's like hiring a contractor and then wondering if his using his workmen and hiring others to do the work is a conflict!
I guess I misunderstood Ira Weiss's role. Is he appointed by the board, and gets paid? Does PPS use his law firm exclusively? I really don't understand how this works and it seems shady.
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