Background
Weiss, Melvyn I. was born on August 1, 1935 in New York City. Son of Joseph and Jean Weiss.
Weiss, Melvyn I. was born on August 1, 1935 in New York City. Son of Joseph and Jean Weiss.
Baruch College (Bachelor of Business Administration, 1957). New York University Law School (Juris Doctor, 1959).
On March 20, 2008, Melvyn Weiss announced through his attorney that he would plead guilty to making illegal client kickbacks in exchange for an 18- to 33-month prison sentence and fines and restitution of $10 million. In 1962, he was recalled during the Berlin Crisis and served for another year of active duty. After three years with another New York law firm where he practiced litigation, he co-founded the Milberg Weiss firm, which ultimately had offices throughout the country and practiced complex securities, anti-trust and consumer fraud actions predominantly representing plaintiffs in class-actions against major corporations.
Thereafter he handled, as a lead counsel, some of the largest complex actions in the country, such as the Washington Public Power Supply System, a municipal bond default case, which was then the largest ever in the country.
The Michael MilkenDrexel Burnham case, dealing with the collapse of numerous companies, including savings and loans, as a result of the sale of junk bonds. Weiss’ efforts, along with the United States government, led to a joint recovery of over 2 billion dollars.
In addition, he was a lead counsel in numerous other major life insurance marketing fraud cases, such as the Tyco securities fraud case. Bribery charges and incarceration
At one point Weiss dominated the market in securities class-action suits, in which investors who suffer losses typically claim that executives had misled them about a company"s financial condition.
On March 20, 2008, Melvyn Weiss announced through his attorney that he would plead guilty to making illegal client kickbacks in exchange for an 18- to 33-month prison sentence and fines and restitution of $10 million.
Both the Federal judge hearing the case and United States. Attorney called the support for Weiss “unprecedented.”
Weiss was sentenced to 30 months of incarceration on Monday June 2, 2008, where he served half of his sentence at the minimum security Federal Correctional Institution in Morgantown, West Virginia, with the remainder served under home confinement. Weiss is now on probation, and in 2010 he formed MIW Consulting, LCC, in Boca Raton, Florida, to be available as a mediator or arbitrator in complex disputes.
Founder Melvyn and Barbara Weiss Public Interest Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program, New York University. Member executive committee Israel Policy Forum. International chairman Hatikvah Project.
Former board member American Jewish Congress, Salzburg Seminar. Fellow American College Trial Lawyers, New York Bar Foundation. Member American Bar Association, B'nai B'rith (Human Relations award Anti Defamation League 1976), City College of New York Alumni Association (Oustanding Alumni award 1982), New York University School Law (trustee, Vanderbilt medal 1993), Glen Oaks Golf and Country Club, Boca Rio Golf Club.
Married Barbara Joan Kaplan, December 27, 1958. Children: Gary Michael, Stephen Andrew, Leslie Caryn.