Look who is going to help administer the NAMA honeypot...

jetsonx

http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/mail-on-sunday-london-england-the/mi_8003/is_2010_Feb_7/nama-appoints-tax-dodger-lawyer/ai_n49414257/?tag=content;col1


Damien Tansey has real pedigree it seems, according to people who have
used his services before.


http://www.rate-your-solicitor.com/index.php?section=details&id=10347


It really is sickening.

Sticky_Fingers

Jesus, having read through some of the comments posted about this guy on the rate my solicitor site it really beggars belief. I wont quote anything because it may get boards into trouble for liable but if even a fraction of what they say about this guy is true he should should be stripped of his license to practice and be put behind bars instead of being handed a cherry like NAMA. This country is turning into a sick parody of itself.

Sand

Not to worry, NAMA reports to the Minister in secret, so dont worry your heads about it. No oversight is needed because everyone in NAMA is honest.

And shure arent we going to make a massive profit on NAMA? So what if a few quid go here or there...we need to pay the most to get the best afterall.

Mr Benevolent

Jobs for the boys. It's not going to stop anytime soon unless

hinault

jetsonx wrote: »

http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/mail-on-sunday-london-england-the/mi_8003/is_2010_Feb_7/nama-appoints-tax-dodger-lawyer/ai_n49414257/?tag=content;col1


Damien Tansey has real pedigree it seems, according to people who have
used his services before.


http://www.rate-your-solicitor.com/index.php?section=details&id=10347


It really is sickening.

Thanks for this information.

It is beyond a joke that this solicitor should be appointed to any State function given the reported history of this guy.

NAMA reports directly to Brian Lenihan in his capacity as Minister for Finance.

Here is Lenihans email.
brianlenihantd@gmail.com

Each of us should write to Lenihan asking him why this man has been appointed.

jetsonx

Thanks for the email address. I will be writing.

This is probably the tip of the iceberg when it comes the corruption
that will ensue for the next 10 years or more when it comes to
administration of NAMA.

Who in their right mind would employ a solicitor with previous
form looking after public funds?

Scofflaw

Can I ask people please to refrain from using potentially libellous terms - otherwise, it will be necessary to shut this thread, which would be a pity.

moderately,
Scofflaw

hinault

jetsonx wrote: »

Thanks for the email address. I will be writing.

This is probably the tip of the iceberg when it comes the corruption
that will ensue for the next 10 years or more when it comes to
administration of NAMA.

Who in their right mind would employ a corrupt solicitor with previous
form looking after public funds?

If the Daily Mail report is correct, then he should not be allowed anywhere near State appointed positions.

I've mailed Lenihan as well.

I'll publish any replies he deigns to send to me here.

FactSeeker

This is worse, from the same article:

" It emerged on Thursday that two partners at another legal firm which is advising the agency - Limerick-based Dermot G O'Donovan & Co - are major shareholders of Fordmount, a property company that has gone into liquidation owing more than E200m. Despite owning 25pc of Fordmount, and facing responsibility for up to E50m of the debt, the two solicitors tendered for and were awarded the contract to provide legal advice to Nama.

Fordmount's biggest creditor is Anglo Irish Bank - one of the biggest recipients of Nama cash - which is owed over E180m.
Nama will be using taxpayers' money to buy E77bn of devalued property from five Irish banks.
Seoirse Clancy, owner of Seoirse Clancy Builders, which claimed it is owed E1m by Fordmount, said there was a clear 'conflict of interest' in the two solicitors, Michael Sherry and Adrian Frawley, providing legal advice to Nama while simultaneously being directors of a company which owes E180m to Anglo. He said: 'They all have responsibility and shared in the proceeds - when it comes to the bad times they have to stand up too.' Dermot G. O'Donovan solicitors insisted that it had told Nama about any 'potential conflicts of interest'. "

Orchard Rebel

A couple of things on this.

Firstly, the Daily Heil - always a good friend to Ireland. How anyone can describe 66 law firms as a "coterie" is beyond me - particularly given the 66 were appointed by public tender.

Secondly, Rate your Solicitor seems to be populated by rather sad people who use it as a chance to libel people with little or no right of reply. Hard to tell those with genuine grievances from the nutters.

Finally, Arthur Cox will get all the work anyway.

GSF

Orchard Rebel wrote: »

A couple of things on this.

Firstly, the Daily Heil - always a good friend to Ireland.

Hilarious. Attack the press for trying to publish something that might be in the public interest. The allegations seem pretty clear and specific. If they aren't true I'm sure the solicitors will know how to sue the said paper.

Orchard Rebel

GSF wrote: »

Hilarious. Attack the press for trying to publish something that might be in the public interest. The allegations seem pretty clear and specific. If they aren't true I'm sure the solicitors will know how to sue the said paper.

You miss the point. The article uses emotive language like "coterie", suggesting backdoor deals. This was a public tender. Given that the Mail group has a long history of anti-Irish sentiment, I tend to question their agenda.

Tansey can answer for himself. However, I doubt that NAMA did biographical checks on every lawyer across 66 firms.

There are certain to be conflicts of interest - this is a very small market. From what I hear though, the actual work is being distributed amongst a minority of the firms.

egan007

Anyone who ever lived in Sligo will be reading this thread with wide eyes and gaping mouth.

GSF

Orchard Rebel wrote: »

You miss the point. The article uses emotive language like "coterie", suggesting backdoor deals. This was a public tender. Given that the Mail group has a long history of anti-Irish sentiment, I tend to question their agenda.

so you attack one word in the article. intersting approach.

Orchard Rebel

GSF wrote: »

so you attack one word in the article. intersting approach.

No, I'm questioning the agenda of the source. By my reckoning there are at least 1,500 lawyers across the firms slected in the NAMA tender. The Mail have managed to find one with a black mark against his name in a property matter and another in trouble with the Revenue.

Moreover, the Mail failed to notice that it was Tansey's firm that was appointed to the NAMA panel and not Tansey personally.

What's your view on the selection process? Do you have one?

hinault

Orchard Rebel wrote: »

No, I'm questioning the agenda of the source. By my reckoning there are at least 1,500 lawyers across the firms slected in the NAMA tender. The Mail have managed to find one with a black mark against his name in a property matter and another in trouble with the Revenue.

Moreover, the Mail failed to notice that it was Tansey's firm that was appointed to the NAMA panel and not Tansey personally.

What's your view on the selection process? Do you have one?

Do you not agree that given the need for transparency/accountability/best practice, that the appointment of Damien Tansey's company falls some way short of transparency/accountability/best practice?

Orchard Rebel

hinault wrote: »

Do you not agree that given the need for transparency/accountability/best practice, that the appointment of Damien Tansey's company falls some way short of transparency/accountability/best practice?

I suppose it depends on whether best practice requires NAMA to vet each and every lawyer in a tender process such as this. Given the sheer scale of the tender I would say it was understandable if the odd chancer was missed in his/her firm's application.

Tansey was foolish to apply, as it was always likely that something like this would come out. I'd tend to give NAMA the benefit of the doubt here (which are not words I ever thought I'd utter).

AlekSmart

What's your view on the selection process?

I`m still unsure Orchard Rebel as to whether I could bring myself to describe it as a "process".

Could I ask your view on the somewhat suspicious "secrecy clause" in relation to NAMA`s reporting to the Minister ?

The Raven.

This article from the Sunday Independent Sunday 16 October 2005 is also worth reading. It is hard to believe.

Top lawyer contests abuse victim's overcharging claim

THIS is the only solicitor in Ireland who is the subject of a "live complaint" to the Law Society of Ireland for wrongly charging a victim of institutional abuse legal fees in addition to the costs and expenses recoverable by him from the Residential Institutions Redress Board.

Sligo-based Damien Tansey, one of Ireland's most prominent and colourful lawyers, is the principal of a firm of solicitors against which a victim of institutional abuse, identified only as Ms K, made a complaint earlier this year.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/top-lawyer-contests-abuse-victims-overcharging-claim-473490.html

But on 17 May 2006:

Fury as overcharging claim against solicitor rejected

THE Law Society has rejected a claim of overcharging against one of the country’s most prominent solicitors.

However, despite being cleared, Sligo-based solicitor Damien Tansey has now offered to cancel all his fees in relation to the case.

The claim, by a victim of child abuse, was in relation to a case brought before the Residential Institutions Redress Board.

The survivor of institutional abuse, identified only as Ms K, made a complaint last June that Mr Tansey charged her legal fees in addition to the costs recoverable by his firm from the Redress Board.
...
The complaint was first lodged with the Law Society on June 9, 2005.

Ms K is a single mother living on benefits of stg£116 per week.

Ms K was awarded €120,250 compensation for the suffering and sexual abuse she endured while resident of an orphanage. She claims Mr Tansey’s firm retained €11,670 of her award as a contribution towards her overall legal costs.

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2006/05/26/story4420.asp

Orchard Rebel

AlekSmart wrote: »

I`m still unsure Orchard Rebel as to whether I could bring myself to describe it as a "process".

Could I ask your view on the somewhat suspicious "secrecy clause" in relation to NAMA`s reporting to the Minister ?

The provision of legal services to NAMA was done by tender competition (http://www.nama.ie/TendersIntro.php). As for the selection of the firms concerned, it seems to me that NAMA have simply picked 60-odd of the largest commercial firms in the State - presumably to minimise the possibility of conflicts.

To be honest, the real story isn't who gets on the legal panel but who on the panel is being (or will be) awarded work by NAMA. That will be the clearest indication of the transparency of the whole process. Hence my earlier jibe about a certain Big 5 firm getting a lot of the work.

On the secrecy clause, I absolutely agree. How can an institution ultimately underwritten by the taxpayer be immune from public scrutiny? My suspicion is that it has deliberately been structured (with half of its ownership in the private sector) so as to minimise disclosure.

jetsonx

How Damien Tansey got onto this "approved" advisors for NAMA list beggars complete belief.

jmayo

so is michael lynn on the list ?

After all he does have plenty of experience of property deals and he is damm good at extracting money from banks.

Mr.Micro

jmayo wrote: »

so is michael lynn on the list ?

After all he does have plenty of experience of property deals and he is damm good at extracting money from banks.

and don't forget the solicitor guy in Cork in the news this week who spent 2 million of clients money on the stock market....he might come in handy as well.

jetsonx

jmayo wrote: »

so is michael lynn on the list ?

Yeah..its amazing Michael Lynn is not on the list..lol

Btw,Mr Micro, what is the name of the solicitor in Cork who went on a stock market shopping spree with his clients money?

Jaysoose

Orchard Rebel wrote: »

You miss the point. The article uses emotive language like "coterie", suggesting backdoor deals. This was a public tender. Given that the Mail group has a long history of anti-Irish sentiment, I tend to question their agenda.

Tansey can answer for himself. However, I doubt that NAMA did biographical checks on every lawyer across 66 firms.

There are certain to be conflicts of interest - this is a very small market. From what I hear though, the actual work is being distributed amongst a minority of the firms.

I seriously would hope that they would look at each every one of the parties involved in minute detail considering the scale of the undertaking, any other way of appointing these people would be an ABSOLUTE disgrace.

Yet another example of how half assed this goverment really is.

Jaysoose

Orchard Rebel wrote: »

I suppose it depends on whether best practice requires NAMA to vet each and every lawyer in a tender process such as this. Given the sheer scale of the tender I would say it was understandable if the odd chancer was missed in his/her firm's application.

Tansey was foolish to apply, as it was always likely that something like this would come out. I'd tend to give NAMA the benefit of the doubt here (which are not words I ever thought I'd utter).

Why do you keep repeating this as if its ok? its not alright if a few chancers got through its completely unnaceptable.

Tony_Yeboah

Seriously, has this government learned nothing. As if it's not bad enough that we're shelling out billions to the banks, we're also lining the pockets of people like him.

GGGGGrrrrrrr

teddy_303

Business as usual is all this is

Duke Leonal Felmet

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

Jesus, having read through some of the comments posted about this guy on the rate my solicitor site it really beggars belief. I wont quote anything because it may get boards into trouble for liable but if even a fraction of what they say about this guy is true he should should be stripped of his license to practice and be put behind bars instead of being handed a cherry like NAMA. This country is turning into a sick parody of itself.

well, if its on the internet it must be true. factoid.

hip_priest

Duke Leonal Felmet wrote: »

well, if its on the internet it must be true. factoid.

Well, if Mr Tansey went to the trouble of having inaccurate or untrue statements removed from the RYS site before, why did he not have the subsequent inaccuracies removed also, if that is the case?

Duke Leonal Felmet

hip_priest wrote: »

Well, if Mr Tansey went to the trouble of having inaccurate or untrue statements removed from the RYS site before, why did he not have the subsequent inaccuracies removed also, if that is the case?

Perhaps he learned the golden rule: 'Trying to remove information from the net is like scooping p*ss from a swimming pool'.

Anyway, you should take it to the conspiracy theory forum.

teddy_303

Five co - conspirators are required for a conspiracy to exist last time I checked. I didn't see that being suggested anywhere. How come you are acting as such a big defender of the highly questionable as an independent person anyway?

Duke Leonal Felmet

teddy_303 wrote: »

Five co - conspirators are required for a conspiracy to exist last time I checked. I didn't see that being suggested anywhere. How come you are acting as such a big defender of the highly questionable as an independent person anyway?

I dunno, something tells me that unsubstantiated bull-**** and internet forums go hand in hand...

Crazy, I know.

Duke Leonal Felmet

I require it not to be on boards.ie. that would make it seem more truthful, for a start. this may come as a shock to you, but, people have a tendancy to make things up on the internet. especially begrudging types, of which Ireland has a fair share of. so boards.ie is like the perfect bull**** storm.

hip_priest

When the law society not only refuses to investigate complaints against Mr Tansey, as stated repeatedly on RYS, as well as even acknowledge receipt of these complaints, you need to ask what the hell is going on in this banana republic? But theres no shortage of useful idiots, who don't believe anything they are informed about, to help cover up "events" the political elite would prefer went unreported..for some inexplicable reason?

hip_priest

Just out of interest, how many other threads do you go on disputing their content repeatedly, without any reason other than seemingly taking the content personally?

You'll probably say that Ireland isn't corruption addled next?

Duke Leonal Felmet

not very many, there is so much bull**** on message boards, and I am only one guy...

hip_priest

no doubt...

It would make someone wonder why you read it if thats the case, nevermind replying on here?

Duke Leonal Felmet

I often find myself bored, with smartphone in hand. such as sitting on the train right now. or else Im this guy your talking about, who knows?