News & Events
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We’ve Done it Again!
Yet another reason I am proud to manage this award-winning law firm.
Segal & Associates has been ranked “Tier 1” by U.S. News – Best Lawyers; Best Law Firms in the field of Criminal Defense, White Collar Crime. Congratulations to our outstanding attorneys and staff! You have certainly earn this prestigious award!
~Susan Nielsen, Administrator
Segal & Associates, PC
Kings’ Embezzlement Case Has Lessons for Business Owners
An apparent multi-million dollar embezzlement scheme by a former Sacramento Kings executive reflects the reality of such crimes: They can happen to any size of business.
No formal charges have been filed yet, but according to court documents and people familiar with the case, former Kings chief revenue officer Jeffrey David cut side deals with two firms with endorsement contracts with the Kings, and used the money from those deals — about $13 million worth — to purchase Southern California real estate. The two companies, Kaiser Permanente and Golden 1 Credit Union, were apparently unaware David had no authorization to make such deals and believed the money was an advance on what they owed for the endorsements.
For business owners who want to avoid such a situation, the first line of protection is having multiple sets of eyes on the books, said local attorneys who’ve worked on embezzlement cases.
“We all need to check in on our financial controls,” said Tom Johnson, a criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor. “It really can happen anywhere.”
For all financial transactions, at least two people should review what a business is collecting and spending, attorneys said. Ideally, company directors should also commission independent annual audits to check everything again, Johnson said.
Other preventive steps take a more personal touch. Malcolm Segal, a white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, said company owners and managers should have regular discussions with employees about making sure transactions are correct and properly executed.
He said he knew of a small business owner who had an employee who bought a new coffee pot with company funds but without authorization. The owner used the relatively innocent purchase as the basis for a discussion about what the employee had the power to do or not do, Segal said. “It’s a teaching moment,” he said.
Another way to prevent future problems starts in hiring, Johnson said. It’s potentially dangerous to hire someone with a past history of leaving previous jobs in a hurry, or even a demonstrated lack of trustworthiness with money.
The size and culture of the business can also create a situation where embezzlement can be more tempting. Segal said that in family businesses, it’s easy to give someone too much autonomy because they’re blood. A similar dynamic can happen when a business is small enough that its employees feel like family, Johnson said.
“Every time you tell an employee, ‘we’re instituting financial controls,’ it’s manifesting itself sometimes as a lack of trust,” he said. “It’s a difficult conversation to have, but it has to be done.”
At a smaller business, embezzlement often stems from an employee’s personal crisis, such as excessive debts, Johnson said. At larger companies, it can come from an employee seeing large financial transactions pass through and developing a sense of envy, entitlement or under-appreciation, Segal said.
Stories like David’s gain notoriety because of the principals involved. But Johnson said he suspects embezzlement is far more common than is reported, with many business owners able to resolve the matter internally, or embarrassed to file a police report.
Segal said to avoid such situations, business owners have to establish their own accountability.
“It’s certainly not the victim’s fault, but it is faulty management when you find yourself losing track of the day-to-day operations, or you lose interest,” he said. “Don’t send the message that you don’t care.”
By Ben van der Meer – Staff Writer, Sacramento Business Journal, September 7, 2018
Introducing the Influencers: Law
By Mark Mensheha
July 4, 2018
Three Sacramento lawyers selected to national list of influential attorneys…
Produced by the Business Journals, this list spotlights 100 attorneys‚ including three from Sacramento, who are having an impact on business and legal matters in communities across the nation.
The lawyers featured here represent both large, nationally recognized firms and smaller, locally focused businesses. Some are long-tenured executives while others have found success relatively early in their careers. And while some might be familiar industry names and others less so, as a group nationally, these individuals are having an impact on matters of business and law in myriad areas.
The Sacramento lawyers on the list are Gary Bradus, managing partner of Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corp.; Malcolm Segal, CEO of Segal and Associates PC; and Bill Warne, chairman of Downey Brand LLP.
These executives were identified in conjunction with editors and staff writers across The Business Journals’ network of more than 40 publications, including the Sacramento Business Journal. Each has been featured as part of The Business Journals’ continuing coverage of the newsmakers in those cities. These are executives to know for entrepreneurs and companies that are looking to expand their businesses to new locations or to grow further in the cities in which they’re now operating.
Malcolm Segal
Segal & Associates, PC
From the Sacramento Business Journal
Malcolm Segal has built his career working as a defense attorney for some of the most notorious defendants in Sacramento courts, often pitted against prosecutors from his professional alma mater, the U.S. Department of Justice. Prominent people come to Segal & Associates when they face allegations that threaten significant jail time or to end their careers. People come to him when they have everything to lose, according to Segal, “because I can find a solution.”
Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar
Sacramento’s top lawyers as chosen by their peers
What a fabulous night spent with so many remarkable honorees at the Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar!
Special thanks to Malcolm Segal (my boss) of Segal & Associates, PC for including me in this event each year. It is so nice to celebrate this fine honor with my employer of more than 25 years. Congrats Malcolm for being named Best of the Bar, along with all of the other awards you have received this year… 2017 is in the bag!!
~ Sue Nielsen, Administrator / Segal & Associates, PC
Best witness ever!
Best witness ever! One of the five remaining survivors of the USS Arizona and an American Hero.
Segal & Associates would like to recognize this man for his contribution to our country.
Thank you sir, it was a pleasure visiting with you!
The Best of the Bar
Sacramento Business Journal’s Best of the Bar
Sacramento’s top lawyers as chosen by their peers
It was another fabulous event hosted by the Sacramento Business Journal at Cafeteria L in downtown Sacramento. Malcolm Segal was honored as one of Sacramento’s Best of the Bar. All of those awarded had been nominated and then vetted by a panel of their peers. When it comes to searching for legal help, there’s nothing more reliable than a list compiled by professionals who have worked extensively with (and even against) one another.
Various articles featuring Malcolm Segal and the Firm. Please follow these links:
Local Attorney Represents Some of Area’s Most Notorious
Bearpaw Owner Negotiating with Officials
Alleged Bribes, Palm Springs Mayor
Napa Doctor Settles Medicare Fraud Case
Former Fast-food King Admitted to $22 Million Fraud
Ex-doctor Sentenced for Charges Related to Botched Surgeries