The Seoul District Court in South Korea sentenced five people to jail Monday for spying for North Korea. Group ringleader Korean-American Michael Jang received a nine-year sentence for encouraging anti-US sentiment in South Korea under orders from North Korea in 2005. Jang initiated contact with North Korean agents in 1998 and first established a spy ring to pass secret information to North Korea in 2002. The other group members were sentenced to between four and six year terms for violating an anti-communist National Security Law.

The group was indicted by South Korean officials last December in what has been labeled the largest spy case since the two countries began reconciliation at a North-South summit in 2000. North Korea has accused the case of being a plot by pro-US forces to bolster anti-North Korean feelings in the south.

Lowell is one of the premier white-collar defense lawyers in the United States and has successfully represented clients in investigations and trials all across the country.  He is widely recognized as one of the top lawyers in America and has been named one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers" in America by The National Law Journal, one of the top white-collar litigators by Best Lawyers in America, one of the "Top Ten White Collar Defense Attorneys" by Legal Times, as one of Washington's best attorneys numerous times by The Washingtonian magazine, one of the "most winning" trial attorneys by The National Law Journal, and "one of the people you have on your rolodex" by Roll Call, the newspaper covering Capitol Hill.

His clients have included dozens of high-profile public officials, CEOs and directors of publicly traded companies and financial institutions, Fortune 100 companies and government institutions.  His clients, both current and previous, include Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons; former CEO of ImClone Sam Waksal; former CEO of Healthsouth Richard Scrushy; former D.C. lobbyist Jack Abramoff; Mississippi mayor Henry Espy; former Congressmen Bill Boner, Harold Ford, Austin Murphy, Joe McDade and Gary Condit; the actor Steven Seagal and lobbyists of the American Israel Policy Affairs Committee (AIPAC).  In addition, Lowell served as Chief Counsel to the Minority in Congress for the Impeachment of President Clinton, previously served as Special Counsel to the House of Representatives Ethics Committee, and was appointed to be Special Counselor to the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights in Geneva.  Prior to entering private practice, Lowell served in numerous posts in the U.S. Department of Justice, including as a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division, a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and a Special Assistant to the Attorney General.

In announcing the addition of Lowell to the Firm, Harvey W. Freishtat, chairman of McDermott, said:  "We are very pleased that Abbe has joined McDermott.  He is a superb lawyer and has earned an international reputation for his white-collar defense and special litigation work.  He will play an important role in our ability to represent our clients in their most difficult matters."

Jeffrey E. Stone, head of the 275-lawyer Trial Department, stated:  "We are excited that Abbe has chosen to join us over the many firms who would have loved to count him among their ranks.  His decision to join us validates and contributes to our growing reputation as one of the world’s pre-eminent trial firms.  He will work closely with our existing team and will add to our already very deep pool of talent in our national white-collar defense practice."

Lowell, who will be leaving the New York-based law firm of Chadbourne & Parke, said:  "This was a very difficult decision to make because Chadbourne is a wonderful firm and place to work.  But the chance to be part of an international white-collar and special litigation practice with so many offices where I have cases and clients, with as many colleagues who have government and defense trial experience, and with as many clients for whom I can be part of the representation is truly an irreplaceable opportunity.  McDermott is a cutting-edge law firm, and I could not pass up the chance to be part of its future."

Bobby R. Burchfield, co-head of McDermott’s D.C. office added:  "We are delighted to have Abbe as a partner.  As one of the most respected and well-known lawyers in the country, he adds immediate profile and depth to our litigation, trial and congressional investigation practices."

In addition to his practice, Lowell will continue to teach criminal law and evidence as an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law Center and Columbia Law School, and he will continue to write on legal issues for national and legal periodicals.

Also joining McDermott will be Pamela Marple, who will be a partner in the Washington, D.C. office.  Before private practice, Marple served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, as Minority Chief Counsel to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and as Minority Deputy Chief Counsel during the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee's special investigation into campaign finance activities in 1996 and 1997.  She is an experienced attorney with deep knowledge of internal investigations, white-collar cases, federal regulatory actions, civil litigation and congressional inquiries.

Charter Communications is suing a Los Angeles-based law firm, claiming its malpractice cost the cable operator and its holding companies more than $150 million in a cable acquisition.

The suit, filed April 6 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Santa Ana, claims St. Louis-based Charter's legal counsel in the deal ' Irell & Manella LLP ' erred in legal preparations for a transaction in which Charter holding companies acquired Bresnan Communications systems from the Bresnan family and investors that included AT&T.

Bresnan owners were to get units in a Charter holding company, which could later be converted to Charter Communications stock or cash.

Beatles recordings may soon be legally available online after Apple Corps Ltd. settled a royalties dispute with EMI record label, the two companies said Thursday.

"It was settled on mutually acceptable terms last month," Apple Corps and EMI said in a joint statement. They refused to provide details of the settlement.

Apple Corps Ltd. is owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison. The company sued EMI Group PLC in 2005 to recover what the band said was more than 30 million pounds (60 million U.S. dollars) in unpaid royalties. EMI releases Beatles recordings under the Apple label.

Apple Corps is a zealous guardian of The Beatles¡¯interests. In February it settled a long-running trademark dispute with computer company Apple Inc. over the distinctive apple logo and name.

The Beatles have consistently refused to license their songs for music download sites, despite the desire of EMI to do so.

The legal settlement leaves EMI and Apple Corps free to negotiate a new royalties agreement that would include Internet sales.

Neither company would comment Thursday on whether such an agreement was imminent. At a news conference last week, however, EMI Chief Executive Eric Nicoli said the company was seeking to make the Fab Four catalog available online

PORTSMOUTH - A local attorney was arrested Friday on four charges alleging he used the address of his downtown law office to register three cars, in spite of living in Kittery, Maine.

According to Katie Daley, spokeswoman for the New Hampshire Highway Patrol, Richard Foley, 53, was charged at the Newington Police Department on three felony counts of title fraud.

If convicted, according to Daley, Foley could be sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison. The convictions could also be punishable by a maximum $4,000 fine for each of the four felony counts.

Foley was also arrested on a misdemeanor count of tampering with public records, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,200 fine.

The Division of Motor Vehicles Highway Patrol reports that Foley's arrest followed a two-month investigation. That investigation, according to the state, was based on information that Foley was using his 414 State St. law office to claim New Hampshire residency for the purpose of registering and titling three of his own vehicles.

Daley said the state is not releasing the attorney's Kittery street address.

Automobiles registered in New Hampshire are not subject to an excise tax, as is the case in Maine, where auto insurance is also mandated. The amount of the Maine tax is determined by the age of the vehicle and the suggested retail price.

Following his arrest, Foley was released on $4,000 personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to be arraigned May 23 in Portsmouth District Court.

In his 25-page statement, Gonzales apologized for embarrassing the eight U.S. attorneys and their families by letting their ousters erupt into a political firestorm that has engulfed the Justice Department since January. He maintained the firings were not improper, but said he remembers having only an indirect role in the plans beyond approving them.

"I have nothing to hide, and I am committed to assuring the Congress and the American public that nothing improper occurred here," Gonzales said in prepared testimony released before he appears Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The panel, which oversees the Justice Department, is investigating whether the firings were politically motivated.

"I am sorry for my missteps that have helped to fuel the controversy," he said.

Gonzales added: "In hindsight, I would have handled this differently. ... Looking back, it is clear to me that I should have done more personally to ensure that the review process was more rigorous, and that each U.S. attorney was informed of this decision in a more personal and respectful way."