Tamman, a former partner at Nixon Peabody LLP, is appealing his conviction and seven-year prison sentence for obstructing two Securities and Exchange Commission investigations.
The Santa Monica resident was convicted on Nov. 13, 2012 in U.S. District Court of all 10 counts of an indictment charging him with trying to prevent the SEC from discovering that his client was running a Ponzi scheme.
Following a two-week bench trial, Tamman was found guilty of one count of conspiring to obstruct justice, five counts of altering documents, one count of being an accessory after the fact to his client’s mail and securities fraud crimes, and three counts of aiding and abetting the client’s false testimony before the SEC.
The client, former fund manager and radio personality John Farahi, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for running the scheme, which involved false promises that investors’ money—more than $24 million was collected, prosecutors said—would be invested in corporate bonds backed by the Troubled Assets Relief Program.
Tamman, who had left the firm while the SEC was investigating, is suing Nixon Peabody, contending that he was “thrown under the bus” by the firm, so that his partners could get their hands on his $1.5 million book of business.
The firm contends that it acted properly in firing him when it learned that he was under investigation by the SEC and had not disclosed that fact to the firm, and in cooperating with the SEC.
Tamman’s interim suspension from the State Bar took effect Feb. 18 of last year. An additional suspension for not paying bar dues took effect last July 2.

There are no vacancies.

U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. was confirmed by the Senate July 22 to succeed Judge Gary Feess, who took senior status March 13

Gov. Jerry Brown nominated Stanford Law School professor Mariano-Florentino Cuellar on July 22 to succeed Justice Marvin Baxter, who announced June 18 that he will not seek retention in November’s election. If confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, voters will decide whether to give him a full 12-year term.
Justice Joyce L. Kennard retired April 5.

Thirteen deputy district attorneys were elected to the court June 3 and will take office Jan. 5. Amy Carter will succeed Judge Michael Solner, who retired in February; Carol Rose will fill the seat last held by Judge Ronald Sohigian, who retired in April; Shannon L. Knight will fill the seat now held by Judge Lance Ito; Chris J. Frisco will succeed Judge Joseph DiLoreto, who is retiring today; Alison Matsumoto Estrada will replace Judge Harvey Giss; Ann H. Park takes the seat now held by Judge Arthur M. Lew; Serena R. Murillo will fill the post now held by Judge Daniel Lopez; Teresa Pineda Magno succeeds Judge David Milton, who retired in February; Joan M. Chrostek will replace Judge Bob S. Bowers Jr.; Stacy Wiese will fill the seat last held by Judge R. Bruce Minto, who retired in March; Carol Najera will replace Judge James B. Pierce, whom she defeated; Donna Hollingsworth Armstrong will take the seat formerly held by Judge Carlos Uranga, who retired in April; and Andrew Cooper will succeed Judge Jessica Perrin Silvers, who retired in February.
Judge Janice Croft retired Feb. 18, Judge John Meigs March 7, Judge Candace Beason April 15, and Judge Wendy L. Kohn June 6.
Vacancies created last year that have not been filled include the seats of Judge Charles W. McCoy, who retired Sept. 1, and Judge Cynthia Rayvis, who took disability retirement Aug. 22 and died Dec. 28.
There is a vacancy in a position that the Legislature authorized but has never funded, and five commissioner positions have been converted to judgeships that have not yet been filled.
Presiding Judge David Wesley said he will ask the Legislature to convert seven more commissioner vacancies—resulting from the retirements of Commissioners James Endman, Anthony Jones, John Green, Carol Halowitz, and James Copeland, as well as the appointments of Joel Wallenstein and Lloyd Loomis to judgeships—to judgeships. Another commissioner, Louise Halevy, is on long-term sick leave.
Brenda Penny, a former probate attorney for the court, was elected commissioner this month.
Commissioner John Johnson is retiring Aug. 30.
Among those whose names have been sent to the JNE Commission as possible judicial appointees to judgeships are Santa Fe Springs criminal defense attorney Lillian Vega Jacobs, Court of Appeal staff attorneys Frank J. Menetrez, Kenneth E. Roberson and Kim Nguyen; Superior Court Commissioners Anthony Trendacosta, Collette Serio, Marilyn Kading Martinez, Robert Kawahara, Alan Rubin, Emma Castro, Jane Godfrey, Sharon Lewis Miller, Mark Zuckman, Dennis Mulcahy and Kenneth Taylor; Deputy District Attorneys Candace Foy Smith, Leonard Torrealba, Kathleen Tuttle and Brentford Ferreira; State Bar Court Judge Richard Honn; Deputy County Counsels Terry Truong and Julie Ann Silva; Glendale attorney Kenneth Wright; Los Angeles attorneys Timothy Martella and Angel Navarro; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wesley Hsu.
The name of Ed Chau was sent to the commission prior to his election to the state Assembly.