Asides

NEPOTISM AT WORK: Michael Levy finds rapid promotion at taxpayer-fuelled law firm Madgwicks thanks to father Graeme Levy

Nepotism, giving special favours to close family members, is usually something we associate with corruption in the developing world.

Wikipedia explains:

Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement.

Recently, the East Timorese government has disappointed its many supporters in Australia after revelations its Prime Minister authorised a purchase of $3 million of rice from a company partly owned by his daughter.

And while Australia is judged by Transparency International to have one of the lowest incidents of corruption in the world, nepotism in business is certainly common enough.

A legal insider brought our attention to the recently advertised appointment of Michael Levy at the firm Madgwicks as “Senior Associate – Commercial”. Levy’s father, Graeme Levy is a partner at the small City firm that has a number of government-related and publicly-funded clients. After graduating from Deakin University, Levy was unable to obtain Articles at any other firm other than Madgwicks and has been there ever since. His rapid promotion, according to firm insiders has little to do with the quality of the party boy’s work and everything to do with the tightly controlled firm partnership lorded over by Michael Levy.

Madgwicks has been nearly constantly involved a steady stream of ethical controversies, including one incident where strippers were hired to celebrate a partner’s birthday. The firm was also involved in the notorious University of Melbourne Student Union liquidation where they presided over the expenditure of millions of dollars on litigation they later withdrew due to insufficient evidence. Legal insiders say Graeme Levy – who lives in a Toorak mansion worth at least $5 million – personally profited to the tune of $1 million from that taxpayer funded litigation spree. It’s clear he intends to pass his gains on to his slow-witted son.

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