A Legal Crisis Expatriates in Panama

U.S. News

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:50:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - When American multimillionaire Wilson C. Lucom died in 2006, he left most of his fortune to a new foundation dedicated to feeding Panama's poor children _ not to his politically-connected Panamanian widow, nor to her children.

Read "Bequest to feed Panama children spawns legal fight, By CURT ANDERSON, AP Legal Affairs Writer":
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=615&sid=2615634

Racketeering lawsuit $732 million - panama supreme court

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:56:00 +0000

This information taken from public records posted on www.lucompublicdocuments.com

COMPLAINT AND JURY TRIAL DEMAND
Plaintiffs, Richard S. Lehman, individually and in his capacity as the duly appointed Executor of the Domiciliary Estate of Wilson C. Lucom (“Lehman”); Richard S. Lehman, P.A., a duly organized Florida professional association (“Lehman, P.A.”), and Wilson C. Lucom Trust Fund Foundation (“Foundation”), by and through its Sole Trustee, Lucom World Peace, a Panamanian corporation, sue Defendants and allege as follows:

NATURE OF THE CASE
This is an action for damages in excess of Seven Hundred Thirty-Two Million Dollars ($732,000,000) arising from multiple violations by the Defendants of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), 28 U.S.C. § 1961 et. seq., involving predicate acts of extortion, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, theft, dealing in stolen property, and multiple violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Federal Travel Act, as more fully alleged below. These acts were committed by the Defendants in this District with the assistance of others, known and unknown, with the singular purpose of stealing for themselves the vast fortune of Wilson C. Lucom, deceased, who left that fortune through his Last Will and Testament, to his Foundation for the benefit of the poor and needy children of the Republic of Panama.

INTRODUCTION 
This action involves a criminal conspiracy targeting the Plaintiffs and conducted by Defendants in Florida and abroad. This Complaint details how a group of U.S. and Panamanian individuals, lawyers, judges and prosecutors set about to fraudulently loot millions of dollars from a decedent’s estate, and destroy the estate’s Executor’s ability to carry out the decedent’s wishes, the primary directive being to use the estate’s millions to feed the poor children of Panama. The criminal conspiracy had one objective: thwart the only person who was appointed the Executor of the Estate of Wilson C. Lucom (the “Estate”), through acts of intimidation extortion, corruption, theft, money laundering, and bribery of foreign officials, so that the Defendants could steal the Estate assets for themselves. The Defendants’ criminal conspiracy could not succeed (even as it continues today) absent the combined acts of the Defendants in the United States, Panama and the British Virgin Islands.

Download the full 84 page "Complaint and Jury Trial Demand" in Download 84 pager in English or en espanol

Fla. lawyer claims Panama court stealing millions from orphans

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:06:00 +0000

A half-decade ago, Richard Lehman was just a tax lawyer in South Florida who happened to have a very wealthy friend and client. Lehman's fishing buddy, Wilson Lucom, was a curmudgeonly millionaire, a onetime member of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration who went on to found the conservative group Accuracy in Media. In his old age, Lucom relocated to Panama and began buying up prime oceanfront land-more than 7,000 acres by the time he died in 2006.

Lehman spent a lot of time in Panama with Lucom in his friend's waning months. He signed the will in which Lucom left his entire estate, then valued at more than $50 million, to a foundation dedicated to feeding Panama's impoverished children. In 2006, Panama's version of probate court named Lehman the sole executor of Lucom's estate, which included property in Florida and Texas as well as the land in Panama, on which Lucom had envisioned a shining model city.

That didn't sit well with Lucom's widow, a Panamanian aristocrat named Hilda Arias Lucom, nor with Hilda's children by her marriage to onetime Panama finance minister Gilberto Arias. Lucom's will specified a yearly allowance for Hilda, but cut out the Arias children.

Thus began a fantastical probate battle that has led the tax lawyer down paths he never imagined. According to an 84-page civil racketeering complaint he filed Friday in Miami federal district court, Lehman has witnessed rampant corruption at the highest levels of the Panamanian judiciary, has been accused of murdering Lucom and attempting to extort his onetime family, has been falsely arrested in Panama and placed on an Interpol alert list, and has been on the wrong end of a $2 million Florida state court judgment for misusing Lucom estate assets. The Arias family has argued that Lucom never spoke of wanting to help children. He never even liked children, according to Hilda's 2008 interview with The New York Times. The foundation, according to the Ariases, was Lehman's concoction. READ THIS FULL ARTICLE ONLINE

A Legacy of Corruption Marches on: New Insight into Panama’s Infamous Lucom Case

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:11:00 +0000

A Legacy of Corruption Marches on: New Insight into Panama’s Infamous Lucom Case

August 17, 2011

This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Natalie Simpson

One year after COHA’s first publication, Richard Lehman continues to fight for the rights of the poor children of Panama

The Supreme Court’s corrupt ruling triggers a District Court prosecutor to take a stand, resulting in a judicial stalemate

Panama’s underhanded politics exponentially increase value of Hacienda Santa Monica, the most precious asset in the Lucom estate

Click here to read full article from COHA

Lucom Public Documents

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:23:00 +0000

All public documents that relate to this case. In english and spanish:
http://www.lucompublicdocuments.com

Recent Panama Actions

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:16:00 +0000

Summary of Lucom’s Will: download pdf
Lucom’s Will: download pdf
Panama Supreme Court Decision: download pdf
Criminal Complaint to the Panama Congress by Mario Chizmar, Notary: download pdf

ABC NEWS Article

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:12:00 +0000

Court Awards $50M to Widow Over Poor Kids - Rich Versus Poor: An American Millionaire's Will Resolved in Panama. read online

Council on Hemispheric Affairs

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:42:00 +0000

by COHA Research Associates Alexander Brockwehl & Devin Parsons

• Feisty Miami Lawyer Takes on Panama’s Political Mafia
• Panama’s Financial Carnivores Salivate over $50 million Bequest
• The Country’s Corrupt Judicial Establishment in Deep Distress

Read Full article

Through this five-year ordeal, Lehman has learned how to navigate the Central American legal and banking systems centralized in Panama

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:16:00 +0000

Beware! Don’t believe widespread reports that Central America will become a haven for retirees or a center for business growth. It will only be that way if you find the right answers.

Many American have gone to this region only to become victimized by corrupt legal systems, inconsistent business regulations, and a banking industry that is a far cry from what we have in the United States. Much of this corruption is based on a class system that rewards cronyism and views foreigners not as allies but as victims. Keep in mind you are still a gringo.

Surprised? Make sure you are not.

Richard S. Lehman, a South Florida attorney has seen the ugly side of doing business in Central America. Lehman has been jailed, threatened, and victimized by the highest courts in Panama. His basic human rights were ignored. Lehman has hired body guards to escort him through the streets of Panama City. All of this was orchestrated by a well known law firm in the country.

Sounds like the plight of a common criminal.

Hardly.

Because Lehman is a lawyer and because he found the right legal teams, he overcame it all. Lehman is not a criminal, but rather a United States attorney who has tried to enforce the last will and testament of a late client who wanted to leave over $50.0 Million dollars to feed the “poor children of Panama.” The wealthy and powerful family of his client had other ideas to steal it by nullifying the will and Lehman has made sure that the will was survived and the fortune is intact. Lives of street children hang in the balance. If the law is followed, these children will survive.

Through this five-year ordeal, Lehman has learned how to navigate the Central American legal and banking systems centralized in Panama, he has assembled the finest legal teams in the region.

And, he’s ready to represent you – The United States citizen considering retiring there or the business person hoping to establish a presence in this market.

Lehman has learned the hard way how to bridge the legal and corruption gap that harms Americans. He has developed, tested and devoted relationships that can keep Americans out of trouble from the start and get them out of trouble if things go wrong. His experience will benefit you.

Lehman’s message is clear: “I have seen it and lived it all when it comes to corrupt legal systems. There is a way to deal with it with dedicated and intelligent lawyers at every level. Lawyers who know the system."

Central America can be a haven, but not without a clear understanding of how these countries function – financially, legally, and culturally.

Lehman has assembled a comprehensive program that will meticulously guide clients through the mine fields that are common in Central America. This program offers a variety of options that include:

A full analysis of a client’s personal and business objectives and if they are attainable in Central America.
Orientation to the culture of these countries.
An introduction to his legal teams.
An introduction to his wide array of professionals, both in and out of government.
Full legal and business representation.

Prior to venturing into Central America, we hope you’ll take advantage of the expertise offered by Richard S. Lehman, Attorney at Law. You owe it to your future and your financial well being.

Richard S. Lehman, Attorney at Law
2600 N. Military Trail, Suite 270
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone: (561) 368-1113
Fax: (561) 998-9557
www.lehmantaxlaw.com

Executor of Lucom estate commits $50 million For ‘poor children of panama’ To panamanian institutions

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:17:00 +0000

Recent rulings clear path for largest donation in country’s history

BOCA RATON, FL – In an international estate battle marred by greed, viciousness, and corruption, the now legally recognized executor has placed the fate of the “poor children of Panama” in the hands of the country’s most powerful institutions – the Church and the Panamanian government.

After four years of defending the Will of Wilson Lucom, South Florida-based attorney Richard Lehman, Lucom’s friend and attorney of 31 years, who was appointed as the Executor of Lucom’s Will by two Panamanian courts gave his irrevocable commitment that two Panamanian entities would receive any judicial award that is made to carry out the intentions of the Will of Wilson Lucom.

Once completed this would give $50 million to the Fundacion De Apoyo a Los Ninos Pobres de Panama, a Panamanian charity and the Panamanian Ministry of Social Development. The latter is the Panamanian government agency responsible for addressing malnutrition in the country.

“As the legally recognized executor of this estate, I am going to give all proceeds of the Lucom estate that will result from any judicial award in Panama to these two leading institutions,” said Lehman. “Based on recent rulings, it is apparent that I can now use my powers as executor to carry out the wishes of my late client and to best protect this Estate. This action protects the Estate for the kids.

Lehman’s position as the Executor was confirmed by several Panamanian Court rulings that recently held that Lehman has been illegally and unconstitutionally prevented from carrying out his duties as Lucom’s Executor for four years. Lehman’s path was also made easier by a Panamanian district court that awarded Lehman a $3.8 million judgment against the Panamanian law firm, Infante & Perez Almillano P.A. The ruling states that the firm abused the country’s legal system and that its strategies to restrain Lehman’s efforts as executor were illegal.

This case centers on Lucom, an American expatriate who died in Panama in 2006 and left a Panamanian will with an approximate $50 million gift to “feed the poor children of Panama”. The will appointed Lehman as executor. Lucom’s third wife, 87-year-old Hilda Arias, has sued to nullify the will in Panama and keep the entire fortune for herself.

Until now Lehman was prevented from fulfilling his legal role as executor by illegal and unconstitutional actions. This was accomplished through a mixture of illegal Panama probate court rulings and through a concerted effort to position Lehman as a criminal. The case has featured a series of Panamanian prosecutorial and judicial corruptions affecting Lehman. He was falsely charged with 15 crimes, including murder and gang conspiracy. Five false arrest warrants were issued against him and he was falsely arrested and imprisoned on two occasions when no crimes existed.

These actions, according to Lehman, were implemented as a way to intimidate and force him into resigning as executor and dropping the case. Another tactic involved having Lehman and his Panama lawyer wrongly placed on Interpol’s “Red Notice Alert – Dangerous Criminal” list.

Lehman continued to persevere despite that fact that he has not been able to go to Panama for two years for fear of being arrested and jailed. Every false charge against Lehman has since been dismissed by the Panama Courts.

Despite the efforts against him, Lehman has been able to prevent the will from being nullified for four years and helped organize a strong grass roots campaign that has led to demonstration marches by children through downtown Panama City. He also received strong support and endorsements from the most prominent charities and religious groups in the country. These activities were coordinated by Lehman from the United States with his legal team in Panama.

Through his efforts, the estate remains intact.

“As an American standing alone in Panama and fighting a corrupt legal system and one of the most powerful families in the country, I am now in a position as Executor to make this commitment to the rightful recipients – the starving children on Panamanian streets,” said Lehman.

“All of Panama knows what is happening in this case. The only way to truly guarantee that Lucom’s gift will reach Panama’s poor kids is for the Panamanian government and religious institutions to defend Lucom’s gift and insist on justice. The choice to do the right thing is Panama’s” said Lehman.

For further information, see www.lucompublicdocuments.com

Daily Business Review Media coverage

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:09:00 +0000

Daily Business Review - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - read online

Lucom Public Documents

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:35:00 +0000

http://www.lucompublicdocuments.com

Attorney turns Lucom land over to Panama

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:23:00 +0000

http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/news.html?news_id=61966

http://www.lucompublicdocuments.com/DBreview_4_20_2010.html

In the past four years, Boca Raton attorney Richard Lehman has been thrown in a Panamanian jail, put on Interpol’s highest red flag status, sued in both Panama and in the United States and slapped with a nearly $2 million judgment. He responded by filing a complaint with the Organization of American States, accusing the government and courts of Panama of widespread corruption.

He says he barely kept his tax law practice alive.

Lehman, executor of Wilson Lucom’s estate, said it’s all because he’s been trying to carry out the wishes of his longtime client and friend, an eccentric millionaire who died in Panama in 2006 and wanted his beachfront land worth $50 million to go to the poor children of his adopted country.

If it sounds like a movie script, it’s that, too. Screenwriter David Griffiths, who co-wrote “Collateral Damage” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is writing a screenplay based on Lehman’s experience.

“What’s happened to Richard is outrageous,” Griffiths said. “He’s been hugely heroic.”

Lucom was an ardent anti-communist, conservative activist and co-founder of the media watchdog group Accuracy in Media. He’d served in the Truman and Roosevelt administrations.

Twice he married into wealth. He was first wed to the heiress to the Willys Jeep fortune, Virginia Willys de Landa. After she died, he sold a massive tract of land in Palm Beach County for $10 million that became Greenacres.

In 1982, Lucom wed Hilda Arias, former wife of Panama’s minister of finance.

Lehman has been battling Lucom’s widow, Hilda, a powerful relative of former Panamanian presidents whose family owns one of the country’s biggest newspapers. The widow and her attorneys claim Wilson Lucom’s will was not properly executed. They went as far as asking Panamanian authorities to bring manslaughter charges against Lehman and others in connection with Lucom’s death. Lehman and his attorneys called the charges ridiculous, and Panama’s attorney general dismissed them with prejudice.

Web Extra:
Judge's order

Lehman letter to Panama charity

Another Lehman letter to Panama charity

Last year, after leaving a meeting in Panama, Lehman had boarded a plane when police escorted him off the aircraft and took him to jail. He sat there for 16 hours until his lawyer awakened the judge and prosecutor on a Saturday morning. Lehman was released but vowed to never step foot in Panama again. He said his arrest was due to a slander and extortion lawsuit filed against him by the Lucom family attorney.

“My lawyer stayed with me, outside the jail, the whole time,” Lehman said. “He said he was afraid I would disappear otherwise.”

Later, Lehman and his Panamanian lawyer, Victor Crosbie, mysteriously wound up on the Interpol red flag alert — the highest warning for criminals and terrorists sent to 183 countries — and his lawyer was subsequently arrested.

As if the saga wasn’t dramatic enough, a human rights activist who organized a march to protest the delay in transferring Lucom’s gift to the poor was shot and wounded. The activist claims the shooting was tied to his protests.

Well-litigated

Lawsuits and orders in the case, accusing parties of slander, murder, theft, misrepresentation and a variety of other charges, have flown back and forth, reaching the Panama Supreme Court.

The case made it to the United States when one of Hilda Lucom’s attorneys, Charles Weiss of Palm Beach Gardens, filed a suit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court to block Lehman’s appointment as personal representative of Lucom and to declare his use of $600,000 in Lucom’s U.S. bank accounts unlawful.

Judge John Phillips ruled in March 2009 after a jury trial that Lehman lacked authority to spend the $600,000 and that he had failed to set up a trust account and commingled funds. The judge ordered the money to be returned with attorney fees. Weiss said he is still trying to collect a $1.9 million judgment against Lehman.

In a scathing order, Phillips labeled Lehman a “covetous opportunist seeking personal advantage and control of assets in the $25 [million] to $50 million domiciliary estate.”

Lehman hired appellate lawyers Arthur England of Greenberg Traurig and Bruce Rogow, special counsel with Alters Boldt Brown Rash & Culmo, to defend him. England filed a motion to overturn the verdict based on the reversal of a key Panamanian ruling. If the motion fails, Lehman will appeal to the 4th District Court of Appeal.

Asked his opinion about how Lehman was treated in Panama, England said dryly: “We’re fortunate we live in a country where attorneys are not thrown in jail for their status as personal representative. That country’s judicial system is out of sync with what I’m used to.”

Not the hero?

But Weiss said Lehman is not the hero he paints himself to be. He accuses Lehman of rushing to drain Lucom’s Palm Beach account right after his death and misrepresenting facts to the judge.

“He talks about the poor children of Panama. Well, when presented with all the facts, people will come to the conclusion the judge did,” Weiss said.

But others call Lehman heroic and commend him for all he has endured over the past four years. Griffiths has spent two years researching the film and traveling to Panama numerous times. His working title is “The Poor Children of Panama.”

“What’s happened to Richard is outrageous,” Griffiths said. “It’s a very corrupt world there. We have to wait until the end to see what happens — and see if any of the kids see any of that money.”

Lehman hopes the end is in sight. In an attempt to wash his hands of the matter, he formally turned over a 7,000-acre former ranch to a charity, the Fundacion De Apoyo a Los Niños Pobres de Panama, and the government of Panama.

The charity was organized to receive Lucom’s money along with the Panamanian Ministry for Social Development, which is responsible for feeding the poor, in the form of an irrevocable commitment.

In a letter to the agencies, Lehman stated: “Even though I had all the legal authority I needed under the law in Panama, I have not been permitted to distribute one penny to Panama’s poor children for four years. All of it as a result of judicial corruption, and it continues now to illegally prevent me from carrying out Wilson Lucom’s written intentions.

“I am told that every three days in Panama, one child dies of malnutrition-related diseases. Lucom’s gift would have stopped this four years ago if Panama law had been allowed to prevail.”

Julie Kay can be reached at (305) 347-6685.

Update on Lucom Case

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Documents Related to Florida Case

The following documents provides a history of a portion of the Lucom case in Florida whereby Richard Lehman, in spite of his appointment as Executor in Panama, was found to have spent funds incorrectly when he paid funds from an Lucom Estate account to third parties to defend the Will of Wilson C. Lucom in Florida and Panama and other places.

This finding was based principally upon what the Florida Judge called “irrefutable evidence” that Richard Lehman was never properly appointed Executor of the Lucom Estate in Panama. Therefore he had abused The Florida Court by claiming the right to be an Executor in Florida that was based upon his Panama position.

Within months after the decision in Florida was arrived at, several Panama rulings were issued by the Panama Appellate Court that proved under Panama law that Lehman was appointed the Executor of the Lucom Estate since July 5, 2006 and had continued to remain the Executor through the present time. These rulings declared the Panama court ruling against Lehman (Order No. 952), that was considered to be “irrefutable evidence” of Lehman’s wrong doing) was illegal and unconstitutional.

Lehman has appealed the Florida judgment and will shortly be requesting a new trial based upon the new Panama court rulings. The following is a summary of Panamanian legal abuse of Lehman as Executor and the Panamanian cases involving the illegal and unconstitutional Panamanian Order that was the basis for the Florida judgment and stopped Lehman from acting as the Executor in Panama for four years.

Documents:

1. Summary - download pdf

2. Appeal to Florida Court - download pdf

3. Panama Court Documents with Explanation - download pdf

Petition Alleging Violations Of The Human Rights Of Richard S. Lehman By The Republic Of Panama, With A Request For An Investigation And Hearing

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:35:00 +0000

To The Honorable Members Of The Inter-American Commission On Human Rights, Organization Of American States:

Petition Alleging Violations Of The Human Rights Of Richard S. Lehman By The Republic Of Panama, With A Request For An Investigation And Hearing On The Merits And Request For Precautionary Measures Under Article 25.1 Of The Commission's Regulations

DOWNLOAD this entire human rights lawsuit in ENGLISH or SPANISH

DOWNOAD 261 page of Exhibits

. . . "Mr. Lehman further requests that the Commission, in accordance with Article 25 of the Commission Rules, call upon Panama to adopt precautionary measures to guarantee that Mr. Lehman can carry out his duty as executor of Mr. Lucom's will without further harassment or endangerment. Because Mr. Lehman has been unable to travel freely to Panama, he has been unable to fulfill the final wishes of Mr. Lucom, and charities that perform life-saving services to Panama's poor children are being deprived of the funds that should rightfully be put to such work. If the organs of the Panamanian State continue to be abused, to permit the looting of Mr. Lucom's estate by members of the Arias family, it will be impossible for Mr. Lehman to carry out his duties as executor. Precautionary measures, therefore, will guard against irreparable and potentially devastating harm to the rightful beneficiaries of Mr. Lucom's will, the poor children of Panama. In light of the attempted murder of Mr. Avila, an outspoken proponent for carrying out the will bequest of Mr. Lucom, Mr. Lehman may also be at risk. Although the attempted murder of Mr. Avila is unsolved, the fact that he was attacked shortly after his participation in a very public protest related to this dispute, could be a sign that the situation is escalating to violence. Indeed, two U.S. Congressmen have written to the U.S. Embassy in Panama to express their concern for the safety and wellbeing of Mr. Lehman during his trips to Panama to fight the charges against him and address the legal matters related to Mr. Lehman's estate. (Exh. 13.)"

Read this petition online at www.LucomChildren.com

Corruption in Panama and Human Rights Abuse of Richard Lehman

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:55:00 +0000

Dear Senator Martinez:

I am writing you regarding a serious foreign relation matter regarding the Republic of Panama and the corruption of its legal system and regular and organized abuse of US Citizens and their Civil and human rights.

I am one of many Colorado businessmen (and a number of CO Corporations and LLC’s) who have been actively doing business in Panama for the past 3 years. During that time, I have witnessed first-hand the extend of the corruption of the Panama legal system, and the systematic robbing of US and Canadian investors (both professionals and retiree’s) by cabals of Panamanian attorney’s, prosecutors, law enforcement officials and other government officials - all the way to the Supreme Court.

The most public example of this is in the case of a US Citizen, Richard Lehman, a Florida attorney who has been for 2 1/2 years attempting to prevent one of the Panamanian oligarchy’s from stealing the large estate of Wilson Lucom, a past advisor to the US Secretary of State. The Panamanian government/authorities have relentlessly abused the civil and human rights of Mr. Lehman as he tried to protect the Lucom state, which has been valued at between $50M and $150M—the majority of which Mr. Lucom left in his Will for the poor children of Panama. . .READ this entire letter to local state senator

You can see the full litany of false charges, false arrests, assaults on the Civil and Human Rights of this US citizen in the documents filed with the Organization of American States, at:
http://www.lehmantaxlaw.com/RSL_/62667387_1.PDF
http://www.lehmantaxlaw.com/RSL_/62667382_1.PDF

Attorney Richard Lehman Sues Panama for Human Rights Abuses in $50 Million Food Aid Case

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:46:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Richard Lehman, a Florida attorney who was falsely charged with murder and over a dozen other crimes in Panama for his efforts to defend a $50 million food aid donation, recently filed a human rights lawsuit against the country with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Organization of American States).

“Panama continues to foster an atmosphere of corruption in the legal system which has caused it to be in violation of several human rights treaties,” said Lehman, a tax attorney and executor of the estate of Wilson Lucom, an American expatriate who died in Panama in 2006. “Not only have my human rights been violated, but the largest private donation ever made in Panama’s history is now at risk of vanishing completely.”

Lehman has spent the last two and a half years – and over $2 million of his own money – defending Lucom’s legally sanctioned will in Panama, which gave a $50 million donation to prevent childhood malnutrition. Since 2006, this money has been blocked by an influential family (which produced two former presidents), and corrupt government actions.

As executor of the estate, Lehman has been the target of numerous illegal actions because he is the last remaining obstacle to the family’s claim on the entire Lucom fortune. These include:

Falsely arrested without charges on Feb. 6th and held under armed guard for 15 hours in an airport police detention center. (This arrest ignored the Panama Supreme Court’s weeks-old ruling that cleared Lehman of all charges in the case.)
Falsely charged with murder, extortion and 12 other crimes.
Five illegal arrest warrants issued against him.
Illegally listed on Interpol’s “Red Notice Alert” using expired legal documents issued from a private law firm.
Blocked from re-entering Panama to defend the case for over a year and a half.

A new national charity (Fundacion de Apoyo a Los Ninos Pobres de Panama) has been established to distribute Lucom’s donation – if it is released by the courts. The money is badly needed in Panama. According to UNICEF, it's one of two Central American countries to experience a rise in childhood malnutrition. One in five children is affected, and hundreds die each year.

Learn more at www.lucomchildren.com

Boca attorney in international showdown

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:34:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, FL -- Richard Lehman is a tax attorney in a small corner office overflowing with paperwork and right now he's preparing to sue the nation of Panama for violating his human rights.

"This is what can be done under a judicial system gone wild," says Lehman.

Lehman had a wealthy client, Wilson Lucom who lived in Panama and who had cut his wife's children out of his will.

Instead, Lucom had decided to donate 50-million dollars to the starving children of Panama.

When Lehman went there to execute the will however, the attorney was charged with the murder of Wilson Lucom.

"Can you imagine waking up and your lawyer calls and says 'Guess what they just accused you of murdering Mr. Lucom, who's 89-years old, in the hospital, who was hooked up to tubs and died."

Since 2006, Lehman has been falsely charged with dozens of crimes in Panama, from murder to extortion.

He's even been named by Interpol as one of their most wanted. All of this he says started because Lucom's family in Panama has produced two former presidents of the nation and they want that money.

He says they are creating false criminal charges in an effort to prevent the will from being executed.

Even though all of the charges had been dropped against him for lack of evidence in February Lehman was still arrested, and held at gunpoint for 14-hours.

"You were scared?" asks Holmes.

"S--t, yeah I was scared," says Lehman.

He was detained in a hotel for five days and was only able to get out through a border town and cross into Costa Rica.

All this because a powerful family thinks where there's a will there's a way, and an attorney and the starving children of Panama are paying the price.

"You can't stop somebody from being a fiduciary across borders by using criminal laws against them. What kind of world would you have?"

# # #

http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story/Boca-attorney-in-international-showdown/ABu1Ga0ag0aj7DF3WZWcKQ.cspx

Legal case clouding Panama/U.S. commerce

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Half of Panama’s population of children under the age of five is in grave danger of death from malnutrition. The country’s staggering 40 percent poverty rate is one of the worst in Central America.

The late Wilson Lucom reportedly left $50 million to a trust intended to aid these starving children according to a secret will revealed upon his death in 2006. Lucom’s Panamanian wife Hilda and her children from a previous marriage are contesting the will and over two years of legal haggling between the two parties has not resulted in the resolution of the case.

So far lower courts have ruled twice in favor of Richard Lehman, executor of Lucom’s estate, but the Supreme Court of Panama has agreed to hear the case amid charges of illegal tactics and corruption on both sides. Accusations and allegations fly back and forth as a reputedly dysfunctional system of justice attempts to deal with a weighty matter with far-reaching implications.
Read full article here.

Foundation to Support Children is Created

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Read original story in Spanish from La Estrella

Lucom's inheritance is still in litigation. The poor children of Panama are waiting for a Court ruling that will benefit them with $50 Million.

Panama - A new foundation became public yesterday and its objective will be to administer the funds in favor of the poor children of Panama.

It is a Private Interest Foundation for the Support of the Poor Children of Panama, that arose from the $50.00 Million inheritance left by the decedent, Wilson C. Lucom, and which is presently in a legal battle at the Supreme Court of Justice.

The Foundation, which is leaded by Sister Lourdes Reiss from the San Jose de Malambo Orphanage, is formed by six charities: the Asociacion de Aldeas Infantiles S.O.S. de Panama, the Asociacion Nacional Pro Nutricion Infantil, the Asociacion Religiosos Mercedario, the Pro Ninos de Darien Foundation, the San Jose de Malambo Orphanage and the Patronato de la Ciudad del Nino.

Lucom, a U.S. diplomat and investor, passed away in June of 2006, he lived here and loved this country.

During the press conference held yesterday, in which assisted attorneys Octavio del Moral, Jose Acevedo; Sister Lourdes, Richard Lehman and the ex-comptroller Ruben Carles, they explained that Lucom's Will has been object of lawsuits in the courts and is presently at the Supreme Court of Justice.

Sister Lourdes further explained that “one of the objectives of the new foundation is to support any organization or person that submits a viable program in accordance with our benefactor. We trust in the Panamanian Justice.”

Carles' assistance was to give his testimony of his friendship with Lucom and to give faith of that he had disposed to leave $50.0 Million to the poor children of Panama in inheritance before his death.

“He always preferred the country to the city. We went together to many places in Cocle. He made his fortune through real estate investments in Florida. Given that he grew up being poor he considered his Will to be a good way of paying back for the good luck he had”, indicated Carles.

The U.S. attorney and former executor of Lucom's Will indicated that there are persons that do not want Lucom's will to be fulfilled. He also added that these three years of legal disputes have been a blessing and a spiritual experience. “It is not just the fact of giving the funds to the poor children of Panama, but to have justice served”.

Lehman claimed that he has been accused of everything by the Arias family; however he has been acquitted of every accusation, having only one pending. “With the creation of this new foundation, I can just step aside, so they can't use me as an argument”, expressed Lehman.

Meanwhile, Gilberto Arias, the son of Hilda Arias de Lucom, the widow, says he sees the formation of this new foundation very positively, “I hope for good omens for these charities that our family has supported for decades”.

Arias explained that Lehman has no response faculty towards Lucom's Estate, given that “he has been removed or resigned in all of the jurisdictions. The inheritance is not in debate, but who will be the executor”.

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Institutions created a charitable foundation to administer an estate millionaire

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Read article in Spanish - click here

Panama .- Six charitable institutions of Panama formed today at the Foundation for the Support of Poor Children in the country to receive and administer the estate in a will left millions for over two years by a U.S. investor.

Formed by the Pro-Children of the Darien National Association Pro Nutrition (Nutrehogar), the Association of Religious Mercedarios The Orphanage "San Jose de Malambo," SOS Children's Villages City and the patronage of the Child, the group aims to support "viable programs in accordance with the needs of children" proposals by third parties.

The members of this foundation, all long-and prestige in the country, were invited by Richard Lehman, executor of the deceased, legally constituted as "natural recipient" of the will of his client, as he explained today in a wheel press.

Upon his death in June 2006, Wilson C. Lucom, diplomat and investor based in Panama, left an estate valued at 50 million dollars to poor children in Panama ", without defining how to share his legacy.

The family of his widow will protest and engaged in a legal process that has reached the Supreme Court, which is pending for a year.

In the event that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the will of Lucom, the new foundation would be its main beneficiary, according to an agreement reached with Lehman lawyer.

"It is in the hands of Panamanians to join me to speak before the Supreme Court in defense of the nation's children," noted Lehman through a translator.

The challenge will also let different amounts of cash and annuity pension to his widow, Hilda Piza, friends and colleagues.

On behalf of his mother, the children of Piza (84), challenged the will and for more than two years the parties have conflicting arguments ventilated in the courts of justice and international media, ranging from attempted murder , extortion, bribery and criminal association removed to another reason.

According to Octavio Del Moral, counsel for the case in Panama, despite the High Court ruling in favor of Lucom testament to his political family filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, which he hoped "to be resolved soon."

On November 26 the National Council of Transparency of Panama, responsible for identifying and preventing acts of corruption in government, charged that the heirs of the widow of Lucom, not directly related to the testator, "brought more than 13 fraudulent criminal allegations "against the executor of the will, causing the suspension and delay the process of succession.

Information on the case with which the executive secretary of the Council, Alma Montenegro, was that "two prosecutors acted irregularly in the investigation of allegations that, on the other hand, were dismissed for lack of consistency.

Property Lucom ceded testament "to the poor children of Panama is known as the Santa Monica, an area of 3,000 hectares along the Pacific coast of Panama, currently dedicated to the cultivation of grains and fruits and livestock.

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THE LUCOM CASE 2009 – How The Expatriate Community Can Help

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:12:00 +0000

Dear Panamanian Expatriates:

I would like to use this blog to establish a dialogue regarding the Wilson C. Lucom case. I welcome and encourage your comments and help.

I would like to introduce myself to you as the American lawyer who is the executor of the Estate of Wilson C. Lucom and in addition, I would like to introduce myself on a professional level.1/

I know that many of you have been following the Lucom case and I feel that now that I have completely cleared my name in Panama of illegal criminal charges raised against me it would be a good time to bring you up to date and start a dialogue with you so that together we may be able to help stop corruption of the Panamanian legal system and get these malnourished kids their money.2/

1./ A lot has been written about this case. You will find my most recent Report to the Attorney General of Panama that was distributed to her in April of 2008 on the Website devoted to this case:

English version: www.lucomchildren.com

spanish version: www.lucom-ninospobresdepanama.com

The Report is on the Website together with an extensive document Exhibit package. While those of you in Panama might by now be used to the type of treatment I received to one degree or another, I think you will see the Report spells out a very difficult picture. Since many readers of the Report have said “this can't be true”, I felt it necessary to attach the Exhibit list on the Website which proves with written documents all that is said in the Report.

2./ On a professional level, I have been a Federal income, estate and gift tax lawyer in both U.S. government and in private practice for almost 40 years. During this time I have concentrated in the area of international taxation. I define this area of the tax law as the “taxation of non resident aliens immigrating to and investing in the United States and Americans immigrating from and living or investing outside of the United States”. Please see www.lehmantaxlaw.com for a more complete description of my professional qualifications and law practice.

Since there have been many changes in the tax laws affecting expatriates that I am familiar with, I will also use this blog to try to provide a resource for tax and related issues in that area of the law.

THE LUCOM CASE 2009 – How The Expatriate Community Can Help

Much has happened since the delivery of the Report mentioned in Footnote 1. At the time of the delivery of that Report, I was still subject to many false criminal filings against me and an illegal arrest warrant that kept me out of the country. Furthermore I was not aware of the full extent of the on going attempt, (now exposed), to steal all of the assets of the Lucom Estate so that even if the will contest was won, the Estate would be empty of assets and holding nothing but debt.

The Lucom case has been an education in corruption in Panama. However, all of the following will show great progress has been made.

Recent Developments

1. The Supreme Court Ruling of October 8th, 2008.
(Attached Exhibit 1)

On October 8, 2008, in a ruling released in November, the Panamanian Supreme Court ruled that an arrest warrant issued against me in Panama was illegal and unconstitutional and that there was no proof of any underlying crime. This ruling dismissed a criminal charge brought against me by Hector Infante, Hilda Lucom's lawyer, personally. It was a false allegation that I “extorted” Mr. Infante.

The Supreme Court ruling was the last in a series of three Panama Court opinions that overturned14 false criminal charges brought against me by the Arias Family and two false unconstitutional arrest warrants brought against me by the Arias Family. Even though the Supreme Court opinion dealt only with the extortion case, the Supreme Court ruling made several important findings relevant to Lucom's Will that are very positive and indicate their belief that the Will is valid.

2. The Request for Investigation by the National Transparency Council against Corruption Dated November 25, 2008.
(Attached Exhibit 2)

The Report noted in Footnote 1, has resulted in two unique consequences. On November 25th the National Transparency Council against Corruption, a special Presidential Commission established to root out corruption in Panama, requested that the Panama Supreme Court open an investigation of the corrupt legal abuse against me by the Arias Family in this case.

On December 2nd of this year, the Panama Supreme Court opened such an investigation and has requested that all of the files in this case be transferred to the Panama Supreme Court for its review. All of the tactics and ramifications of this case will now be reviewed by an independent body that is making its decision in the presence of the whole country.

3. The Official Formation and Filing of Red De Apoyo A Los Ninos Pobres de Panama. (Attached Exhibit 3)

In December of 2008, the Articles of Red De Apoyo A Los Ninos Pobres de Panama were officially filed in Panama. This is a new Panamanian charitable foundation that will be a “United Fund” of all of Panama's charities that apply and qualify for the benefits of Lucom's Will. This Foundation is open to all of Panama's charities and we have already started signing up charitable participants from all over Panama. I have given my written pledge, as the Executor, that after paying bequests to the beneficiaries and all Estate expenses I will vote to contribute Lucom's charitable funds to this new charity.

The new charity has received the support of six very prominent founding members and will be open to all charities that qualify to benefit from Lucom's gift. This is a major victory and not only proves that I have no designs on Lucom's fortune but now most of the important well meaning people in Panama will act as the spokespeople for the children. It forever puts to rest the claim by the Arias Family that my purpose was to steal Lucom's fortune. The new group of spokespeople will strive hard to help end the unnecessary starvation of Panama's children. We are actively recruiting as many charities to participate as possible and intend to have charities from all over the country involved very shortly.

There finally is a Panamanian voice who can cry out against the abuse by the Arias family of Panama's children. The contest no longer involves me personally. It is now between Hector Infante and the Arias family against the charities and the people of Panama.

Even with the validation of Lucom's Will, I still expect delaying tactics by the Arias Family in Panama. However, now the Country of Panama at many levels of its society knows that the delaying tactics are resulting in the unnecessary deaths of Panamanian children from malnutrition. Therefore, we are prepared to deal with future delays once the Supreme Court has ruled.

The Theft of the Assets

While I was busy overturning multiple false criminal charges in Panama against me, two attempts were made to steal all of the Estate assets.

A. Theft of Hacienda Santa Mónica. Hacienda Santa Mónica, a 7,000 acre plot of land in Panama on the Pacific Ocean, is the main asset of the Estate. The land has been appraised at $62 million as the minimum value. The professional appraisal of the land by the court-appointed Administrator was $144.0 million. Hacienda Santa Mónica has been stripped of its value over the last two years through criminal and fraudulent real estate agreements.

Furthermore, in the absence of administration on the ranch, crops have disappeared, illegal leases have been signed, bank accounts have been pillaged, etc.

Key to Hacienda Santa Mónica's value is that the entire Hacienda Santa Mónica property is adjacent to the beach on the Pacific Ocean. In spite of criminal laws barring the sale of this property, the entire area fronting the beach (100 acres of property) has been purchased for a trivial amount by an unknown group through a foreign corporation. They have damaged Hacienda Santa Mónica. All transactions thereon are criminal in nature. SEVERAL DENUNCIAS HAVE BEEN FILED TO HALT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PROPERTY.

B. Theft of Valores Globales S.A. The second asset that was stolen was the share certificates of a personal corporation of Lucom's. Valores Globales S.A. is a British Virgin Islands corporation that belonged to Lucom at the time of his death.

Valores Globales owns $4 million in cash and $2 million in promissory notes. The shares for this corporation were stolen by Hilda from Lucom's files. She alleges they were a last minute gift from Lucom. Florida and British Virgin Island laws have assisted in protecting this asset of the Estate which is valued at $6.0 million. In Florida there is an injunction that bars the Arias Group from using the Valores Globales assets. I was able to obtain this injunction in defense of the assets of the Estate.

Present Situation

As it stands now, the Lucom Will has been approved by the Panama Probate Court and approved by the Panamanian Superior Court. The case has been before the Panama Supreme Court for approximately one and one-half years and we are expecting a ruling in the near future.

There, of course, has been a great deal of lobbying of the Panama Supreme Court by Hector Infante, Esq. and the Arias family. However, we have finally gotten to the point where the truth of the matter is obvious.

Now that there is the support of the Panama charities, that together with the previous approvals of the Lucom's Will by the Panamanian lower courts and the overturning of all of the false charges and arrest warrants against me signals that the tide has turned.

At this point the poor children of Panama need nothing other than a ruling on the law in Panama. There is no need to lobby for a desired result, the Supreme Court need only adhere to the law. However, the longer this case continues, the more deaths from malnutrition mount in Panama. Certainly any help that can be provided by the expatriate community to lobby for a speedy resolution by the Panama Supreme Court of this case can only help this situation. It would be much appreciated.

Very truly yours,

RICHARD S. LEHMAN
rlehman@lehmantaxlaw.com

Millions of Dollars in Food Aid Hanging By a Thread

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:19:00 +0000

U.S. Attorney Warns That Wilson Lucom’s $100 Million Donation to Children’s Charities in Panama At Risk of Vanishing, Thanks to Theft and Corruption

BOCA RATON, FL - The largest donation ever made in the history of Panama is on the verge of disappearing, thanks to an incredible case of corruption and government malfeasance in this Central American country.In 2006, Wilson Lucom, an American expatriate, willed the bulk of his estate – now estimated to be worth over $100 million – to be donated to help eradicate hunger-related deaths among poor children in Panama. However, a corrupt legal system and the refusal of the government to intervene has allowed this donation to be delayed for over two years by a multitude of frivolous lawsuits, while the family of Lucom’s widow, Hilda Arias, and their team of lawyers have launched a methodical effort to steal and partition the estate.

“The Wilson Lucom case is the most remarkable example of injustice I have ever seen in my three decades of practicing international law,” said Richard S. Lehman, a Florida-based attorney who serves as chief executor of the Lucom estate. “This country will never outlive the shame it deserves if the Arias family and their lawyers are allowed to steal this money from the poor children of Panama.”

After more than a year of being kept out of the country, threatened with arrest, being listed on Interpol’s red notice alert as a dangerous criminal and having to take extraordinary methods to stop the theft of over six million dollars in his client’s assets, Lehman has recently discovered that the Arias family, its lawyers, an affiliated real estate group and several California-based companies have been secretly destroying the only item of value still left in the multi-million dollar estate that was supposed to be donated to children’s charities – the 7,200 acre Hacienda Santa Monica.

This highly coveted parcel of land, located one hour outside of Panama City on the west coast, with roughly three miles of beachfront property, was appraised as high as $144 million by the formal administrator in the case.

During the two years that the Wilson Lucom will dispute has continued in the Panamanian courts, 100 acres of beachfront property in the Hacienda Santa Monica have been secretly partitioned – using a clever ploy involving several fishermen who were told to claim tenant rights – and sold to several California investment groups. These land sales are illegal, but nonetheless they will wreck the value of the estate and lead to years of litigation to resolve the estate’s true ownership rights. The partitioned hacienda will also prevent the original developer from continuing with plans to buy the property, in which the proceeds would have gone to charity – either in full, or by incorporating a lifetime real estate tax on the developed properties.

The multi-million dollar Lucom estate is now “hanging by a thread,” according to Lehman, as it is on the verge of becoming completely worthless. These illegal land sales could ruin any chance for the estate to donate millions of dollars, as Lucom wished, to the “poor children of Panama.”

Childhood malnutrition is a major problem in Panama, and this multi-million dollar donation is badly needed. According to UNICEF:

Panama is one of two Central American countries that have experienced a significant rise in childhood malnutrition in recent years

Roughly 19-percent of kids are affected

More than half of indigenous children are severely underweight

More than half of children under five live in poverty

2,000 children under the age of five die each year

More information at www.LucomChildren.com

About Richard Lehman

A former senior attorney for the IRS, Richard Lehman is a prominent U.S. attorney specializing in taxation and international law. In addition to U.S. law, Lehman is an expert on Panama's complicated and problematic legal system. Lehman is a graduate of Georgetown Law School and has a master's degree in taxation from NYU. Web site: www.lehmantaxlaw.com .

U.S. Attorney Richard Lehman, Announces Panama Supreme Court Overturns Illegal Arrest Warrant in Dispute over Food Aid to Poor Kids

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:53:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- An illegal Panamanian arrest warrant against U.S. attorney Richard Lehman has been overturned by that country's Supreme Court in a recent ruling that highlights the growing tensions between American interests and the country's alleged corruption-plagued lower courts, Lehman announces.

In its ruling, the Panamanian Supreme Court overturned a November 2007 ruling by the First Judicial Circuit of Panama that wrongly charged Lehman with defamation, slander and extortion in the high-profile Wilson Lucom case. The charges were made by a Panamanian attorney in an alleged effort to prevent Lehman from re-entering the country to defend Lucom's multi-million dollar donation to poor children in Panama. This is the second of two false arrest warrants and the last of 14 criminal charges that Lehman has had to overcome in his effort to defend his client's will in Panama.

"The Supreme Court's ruling, which adjudicates me of any wrongdoing, is a vindication of my legal crusade in Panama to defend the will of a deceased American expatriate against corruption and to protect his wish to donate millions in food aid to help the poor children of Panama," Lehman said.

In 2006, Wilson Lucom, an American expatriate living in Panama, willed the bulk of his estate -- now estimated to be worth over $100 million -- to be donated to help eradicate hunger-related deaths among poor children in Panama. However, due to aggressive efforts by Lucom's widow, Hilda Arias, and her attorneys -- including a multitude of lawsuits, criminal charges, arrest warrants and a false red notice alert on Interpol -- this badly needed food aid has been indefinitely delayed and is in danger of vanishing completely.

Lehman also recently uncovered alleged evidence of a widespread conspiracy by the Arias family and others to illegally claim ownership of a 7,200 acre beachfront estate that represents the bulk of Lucom's donation to charity.

According to Lehman, the Wilson Lucom legal saga is a prime example of the legal misconduct prevalent in the Panamanian courts which is often used against American expatriates and other foreign citizens, costing millions of dollars each year in legal expenses, fines, bribes and illegal detainment.

For more information about the Wilson Lucom case, visit www.lucomchildren.com, www.youtube.com/expatriatejustice or www.lehmantaxlaw.com.

SOURCE: U.S. Attorney Richard Lehman

Top Legal Risks for American Expatriates in Panama

noreply@blogger.com (LTL_blogger) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:22:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, FL – Panama is being called one of the most sought-after retirement destinations in the world, with over 30,000 Americans believed to already live there. But many in the U.S. have overlooked the serious legal risks posed by Panama’s corruption-plagued judicial system.

“There is often very little recourse for American expatriates in the Panamanian justice system, as it is highly susceptible to bribery and political interference” said Lehman, a U.S. attorney specializing in taxation and international law, who’s spent the last two years dealing exclusively with a high-profile legal case in Panama.

“There’s also a very low threshold for filing aggressive legal actions against foreigners, such as arresting persons in advance of a hearing and trial, or attaching preventive injunctions to an individual’s entire personal assets. This makes Americans extremely vulnerable in every civil case, regardless of its legitimacy.”

A number of international nonprofit groups have reported corruption levels in the Panamanian government and judiciary. Transparency International (www.transparency.org) ranks Panama 94th in the world in its 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index. The Heritage Foundation’s (www.heritage.org) 2008 Index of Economic Freedom gives Panama low ratings in two important categories: 31-percent for corruption and 30-percent for property rights.

According to Lehman, the top five legal risks facing expatriates in Panama are:

“Calumnia Y Injuria” – The country’s infamous defamation law is open to liberal interpretation and widely misused, particularly against foreigners.
“Preventive Injunctions” – The court system makes it easy for attorneys to file injunctions against a person’s assets, allowing them to be frozen with little due process.
“Ex Parte Proceedings” – Panamanian courts allow one party in a trial or civil suit to meet with judges and prosecutors without the presence of the opposing party. Private judicial proceedings without notice to the other party in the case. This means a party in a legal case may not have knowledge of all the actions being taken against them.”
“Preventive Detention” – The preventive detention law allows authorities to detain persons for long periods of time without any due process.
“Corruption” – Bribery, extortion and political interference are widespread.

Lehman has recently gained international recognition for his legal efforts in the Wilson Lucom case in Panama, for which he is fighting to ensure the validity of the American expatriate’s Panamanian will which gifted over $50 million to help eradicate childhood malnutrition in a country with a high mortality rate.

Millions of Americans are moving from the U.S. every year with no real knowledge of the lack of legal protections in other countries which could potentially put them in harm’s way. For more information, visit Lehman’s Web site at www.lehmantaxlaw.com or the Wilson Lucom case at http://www.lucomchildren.com

About Richard Lehman
A former senior attorney for the IRS, Richard Lehman is a prominent U.S. attorney specializing in taxation and international law. He is currently defending the Wilson Lucom will in Panama, which gifted $50 million to charity. In addition to U.S. law, Lehman is considered an expert on Panama’s complicated and problematic legal system, which often compromises the interests of U.S. businessmen, investors and retirees. Lehman is a graduate of Georgetown Law School and obtained his master's degree in taxation from New York University. Web site: www.lehmantaxlaw.com