Sheppard Mullin Litigators Make Big Screen Debut
New York litigators Rob Friedman, Kevin Puvalowski and Sarah Aberg are featured in the new documentary, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, that will make its big screen debut at the IFC Center in New York on May 19. The documentary, which is directed by Steve James (the director of Hoop Dreams), spotlights the 2015 trial against client Abacus Federal Savings Bank. In May 2012, Abacus and 11 former employees were charged with conspiracy and substantive fraud charges alleging that the bank knowingly approved mortgages to unqualified borrowers based on falsified documentation and then sold those fraudulent mortgages to Fannie Mae. Abacus Bank is the only bank to face trial on criminal charges in connection with the financial crisis, and the first bank indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office since 1991. In June 2015, following a four-month trial, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all 142 counts against the bank. The documentary will also be screened in theaters in other major U.S. cities this summer.
Click here to watch the trailer.