In today's dire financial climate, what exactly should a CEO say when it's time to hold that quarterly earnings call with analysts and the media?
Miami lawyer Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. attorney and frequent CNN guest analyst, takes a wry look at the best and worst the legal world had to offer in 2006.
A Houston judge Tuesday vacated Enron founder Kenneth Lay's fraud and conspiring convictions from the company's 2001 collapse, citing Lay's inability to appeal, according to a court administrator.
Almost five years since Enron's infamous implosion, the company's former financial chief Andrew Fastow likely will soon trade his business suit for prison garb.
The federal government said Thursday that it agreed to cap at $12 million the amount of money that Enron workers who lost their pensions could try to recover from the estate of Ken Lay, the former Enron chairman who died in July.
As government prosecutors see it, Jeffrey Skilling will have to pay for both his and Kenneth Lay's Enron crimes.
Shocking. That's the first word everyone uses to describe the death of former Enron CEO Ken Lay from a heart attack at 3:11 A.M. on July 5 in Aspen. But after that, the words run the gamut. Tragic....
SHOCKING. That's the first word everyone uses to describe the death of former Enron CEO Ken Lay from a heart attack at 3:11 A.M. on July 5 in Aspen. But after that, the words run the gamut. Tragic. Suspicious. Infuriating.
Enron founder Kenneth Lay, the man vilified as the personification of corporate malfeasance, proved he was a mere mortal after all.
Is Ken Lay, a Fortune 500 power broker who rubbed shoulders with world leaders and the jet set elite, really dead?
The rise and fall of Ken Lay, the founder of Enron, has often been described as a Greek tragedy. If so, there almost could not be a more dramatic ending than his death this morning of a massive heart attack.
Kenneth Lay, who rose from a poor preacher's son to become a millionaire before being convicted of corporate fraud, died early Wednesday in Aspen, Colo., a family spokeswoman said.
A Houston jury convicted both Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, despite the fact that Kenny Boy packed his Bible to the courtroom every day.
Jeffrey Skilling was once a hard-charging poster boy for energy deregulation. Kenneth Lay was once a big political fund-raiser for George W. Bush.
Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling were convicted of conspiracy and fraud Thursday in connection with the energy giant's collapse in 2001.
Reactions from former Enron employees to Thursday's verdict in the Enron criminal trial were swift and unambiguous.
Enron former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling and founder Kenneth Lay were both found guilty Thursday of conspiracy and fraud in the granddaddy of all corporate fraud cases.
Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling face another day of waiting as jurors in the biggest corporate trial in recent history begin their sixth day of deliberations Thursday.
Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling face another day of waiting as jurors in the biggest corporate trial in recent history ended their fifth day of deliberations Wednesday.
Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling will face a fifth day of waiting as jurors in the corporate trial of the century left the courthouse a half-hour early Tuesday without reaching a verdict.
Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling faced another day of waiting Monday as jurors in the biggest corporate trial in memory continued their third day of deliberations.
The wait is on for the verdict in the trial against Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling, as the jury ended its second day of deliberation.
After three and a half long months, the Enron trial has drawn to a close.
"I was the one left holding the bag but Lay and Skilling are able to get their day in court," said Debra Johnson, who worked as a coordinator in the Enron International office until the company's 2001 bankruptcy. "I'm the one left with no insurance. I don't have anything. Nothing."
The fates of Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling are now in the hands of the jury, which ended its first half-day of deliberations Wednesday afternoon.
How much do closing arguments really matter?
The defense teams for Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling summed up the prosecution's case against the defendants Tuesday in two words: "smoke" and "mirrors."
The light at the end of the tunnel continues to be elusive for Enron founder Kenneth Lay who could find himself spending life in prison even if he is acquitted by a jury for allegations that he helped bring about Enron's collapse.
It's not looking too pretty for Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling as the corporate trial of the century enters its final stretch.
Back in late January, when we arrived in Houston for the start of the epic Enron trial, we were sure that greed, arrogance, and deceit had helped destroy America's seventh-largest company. But even...
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - It's not looking too pretty for Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling as the corporate trial of the century enters its final stretch.
Depending on what jury verdict emerges from the Enron trial, the defense of former CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling will either be viewed as the most brilliant victory in the history of white-collar criminal defense -- or the most expensive bungle ever.
HOUSTON (CNNMoney.com) - In his sixth and final day on the stand, Enron founder Kenneth Lay testified that the most painful moment in his life was watching Enron go into bankruptcy.
Back in late January, when we arrived in Houston for the start of the epic Enron trial, we were sure that greed, arrogance, and deceit had helped destroy America's seventh-largest company.
Government prosecutors concluded their cross examination of Enron founder Kenneth Lay Monday, but not before painting a portrait of a man who put himself and his financial interests ahead of his own employees.
In his fourth day on the stand, Enron founder Kenneth Lay tried to convince jurors Thursday that he was fully compliant with the Securities and Exchange Commission's regulations regarding public disclosure of his approximately $70 million in stock sales in the final months before Enron collapsed.
On the third and last day of direct questioning by his lawyer, Enron co-founder Kenneth Lay testified Wednesday that he was confident in the company's strength, but was forced to sell large amounts of stock in order to meet margin calls and repay a line of credit that he borrowed from Enron.
Tempers flared at the trial of Enron's co-founder and ex-CEO Wednesday as government prosecutor John Hueston started cross-examining Enron founder Kenneth Lay.
A strong company ... a barrage of bad press ... and a traitor sent packing.
Enron founder Ken Lay testified Monday that he met with former vice president Sherron Watkins to discuss Enron's accounting but that at no time did she suggest the transactions were illegal.
Enron investigated allegations made by then-vice president Sherron Watkins in 2001, but found some of her concerns were based on office gossip and found no evidence the company's accounting was inappropriate, a witness for the defense of the company's two former CEOs testified Wednesday.
"Drive-by shootings." That's how lawyers in the defense camp privately describe the Enron Task Force's prosecutorial methods.
Act 2 of the Enron trial got underway Monday when the first witness for the defense tried to cast doubt on Enron's former head of investor relations, saying he pleaded guilty under pressure from the government.
For Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling, the man in the mirror may prove to be their best bet for an acquittal.
The judge in the Enron case dismissed three counts against former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling and one count against founder Kenneth Lay as the government rested its case against the two former executives Tuesday morning.
Just over two months into the corporate trial of the century, Enron prosecutors are ready to take their seats and let defense attorneys for Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling claim the spotlight.
At about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, prosecutor Kathy Ruemmler finished questioning Ben Glisan, who was Enron's treasurer.
Enron's most prominent whistle blower Sherron Watkins took the stand Wednesday and described a company that increasingly became mired in accounting fraud in 2001, prompting her to send an anonymous letter to Enron founder Kenneth Lay in August warning him that the company "had a hole in the ship and we're going to sink."
So Andy Fastow is a greedy, lying thief -- and a cad, to boot. After a day of scathing cross-examination, Skilling lawyer Dan Petrocelli hasn't really revealed much about the former Enron CFO that we didn't already know.
A former Enron employee told the jury Thursday that he lost nearly all of his retirement savings as a result of investments he made based on what then CEO Ken Lay was telling workers at the failed energy company.
Former Enron Chairman and CEO Ken Lay has seen his personal fortune eaten away by the collapse of the energy trader and his legal problems, and he could be forced to file for bankruptcy protection, according to a published report.
Former Enron investor-relations deputy Paula Rieker, the fourth witness to testify in the criminal trial of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, finished up on Thursday afternoon. (Well, for now: The defense has said it may still recall her.)
Court opened for the week Tuesday morning, after a holiday break, with Randall Oppenheimer, one of Jeff Skilling's lawyers, finishing his cross-examination of Enron accountant Terry West.
If there's one word to describe the Enron defense team, it's gutsy.
Mark Koenig, the former head of investor relations at Enron, faces a seventh day on the witness stand when the criminal trial of ex-Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling resumes in federal court in Houston next week.
Former Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling might want to rethink their chances of getting off scott-free, according to a Web site where traders can bet on future events.
The first thing you notice is that the courtroom is far smaller than you'd expect. The business trial of the century ought to play out on a grand stage. But the trial of Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skillin...
The corporate trial of the century kicked off this week with Enron prosecutors painting a grim picture of a company governed by greed and self-interest, with little respect for its employees or for the investment community that sunk billions of dollars into its shares.
Peter Elkind and Bethany McLean literally wrote the book ("The Smartest Guys in the Room") on Enron's collapse. Here's what they are seeing at trial ....
Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling were aware of efforts to mislead the investor community about the true financial health of the company, a former Enron executive testified Wednesday.
Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling knew there was a "ticking time bomb" at Enron Corp. but chose not to disclose the accounting problems that would eventually lead to the biggest business failure in history, a U.S. prosecutor said Tuesday at the trial of the two former CEOs.
And so it begins.
Enron founder Ken Lay said Sunday he is "very optimistic" about his trial despite a judge's denial of his attorneys' request for a change of venue.
Enron founder Ken Lay told CNN Sunday he is "very optimistic" about his coming trial and "ready to go" despite a judge's denial last week of his attorneys' request for a change of venue.
The countdown to the long-anticipated trial of Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling is underway but not without its fair share of last-ditch efforts to delay by the defense.
Suppose as an epilogue to The Emperor's New Clothes, the humiliated potentate had been brought up on charges of public lewdness. Putting aside sovereign-immunity issues, what should the jury's verdict be?
They stand together against the world: the poster boys of corporate malfeasance, the yin-and-yang former CEOs of Enron finally coming to trial in a drab federal courtroom in downtown Houston. But in truth, Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling never much cared for one another. The charming Lay wasn't comfortable with Skilling's sharp edges; the brainy Skilling considered Lay a lightweight glad-hander.
The beginning of the end at Enron actually dates back almost four months before the company's bankruptcy filing -- to the day when Jeff Skilling publicly announced he was quitting as CEO. For many people, both inside and outside Enron, that was when it became clear something was seriously wrong at one of America's biggest companies. After all, men who have worked and schemed for years to reach the top don't just quit after six months on the job. Enron's stock fell 6 percent the next day, to $40.25. It would never close that high again.
To Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, Enron's CFO wasn't always the bad guy. Indeed, Fastow was a longtime Skilling protege, and Lay had always viewed him as indispensable. In fact, after Lay became CEO again, one of his early moves was to negotiate a lucrative extension of Fastow's contract.
They stand together against the world: the poster boys of corporate malfeasance, the yin-and-yang former CEOs of Enron finally coming to trial in a drab federal courtroom in downtown Houston. But i...
Suppose as an epilogue to "The Emperor's New Clothes," the humiliated potentate had been brought up on charges of public lewdness. Putting aside sovereign-immunity issues, what should the jury's ve...
Former Enron accounting chief Richard Causey's guilty plea to securities fraud Wednesday for his role in the financial scandal that drove the energy company into bankruptcy in 2001 is being hailed as a big win for the government in their case against former top executives at Enron.
Attorneys for three former top executives of Enron have filed a motion seeking dismissal of their criminal charges, as a published report says they allege that federal prosecutors threatened witnesses to keep them from helping the three defend themselves.
Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay has won an unusual court ruling as he prepares an aggressive defense ahead of his criminal trial on charges he helped bring the Houston energy giant down nearly four years ago, according to a new report.
It could be a restless night for Kenneth Lay, Richard Scrushy and Dennis Kozlowski.
Either we are losing our capacity for moral outrage, or George W. Bush is presiding over the ultimate Teflon Administration.
A DAY IT SEEMED WOULD NEVER COME IS FINALLY NEAR. It's the day--or, more correctly, three days--of justice, when we finally learn the fate of the three most important defendants in the scandal wave...
Ken Lay, the ex-Enron CEO facing felony charges over the energy giant's collapse, thinks prosecutors are attacking his wife to pressure him.
Former Enron Chief Executive Ken Lay argues Wednesday in The Washington Post that the timing of his July 8 indictment and the pace of his trial are not so much practical as they are political.
Was Ken Lay really clueless?
Former Enron Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Kenneth Lay said Monday in a television interview that he takes full responsibility for events at Enron -- both the positive and negative -- but denies he is to blame for criminal conduct that caused the collapse of the Houston energy giant.
Ex-Enron Chairman Ken Lay surrendered to authorities Thursday and pleaded innocent to charges that he lied to investors and the public about Enron's financial condition in late 2001.
For a man who had just been portrayed as a scheming mercenary who looked out for No. 1 as Enron Corp. crumbled in late 2001, Kenneth Lay was forceful but calm as he appeared before television cameras Thursday afternoon to insist that he did nothing wrong.
Ex-Enron Chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay surrendered to authorities Thursday after being indicted in what experts called the centerpiece of the government's crackdown on the scandals that have rocked corporate America.
Former Enron Chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay has been indicted by a grand jury in Houston, his spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday.
Former Enron CEO and Chairman Kenneth Lay will likely be indicted this week, sources close to the investigation told CNN Monday.
Former Enron Corp. CEO Jeffery Skilling and Chairman Kenneth Lay were told of market moves that improperly hiked electric costs for West Coast utilities, according to a published report.
I don't like reading the business news that much these days. A lot of the time it's just the same old thing dressed up for the new millennium. Mergers driving mass consolidation. Unfriendly acquisi...
Federal officials are exploring whether there are grounds to bring criminal charges against former Enron Corp. chairman Kenneth Lay regarding what he knew about the energy company's festering, yet still largely secret, financial problems in the months before its collapse, Monday's Wall Street Journal reported.
Seven years ago, Enron was one of the fastest-growing companies in the nation. And Richard Kinder, a tough-minded, straight-talking, 52-year-old lawyer, was supposed to be named its CEO. Kinder, wh...
Ethics and Management Courses FALL 2002*
Opening Ceremonies Event Federal officials apply so much heat to Enron's Ken Lay that he spontaneously bursts into flames and ignites the Olympic torch.
What's America's most innovative company? You probably wouldn't guess Enron, yet it ranked No. 1 in innovation--among 431 companies--in FORTUNE's latest survey of corporate reputations. In the natu...
Kenneth Lay skied down Ajax Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, on a cold dark afternoon last December, blissfully unaware that the stock of his Houston-based energy conglomerate was taking an even steepe...
HAS KENNETH LAY been inhaling too much natural gas? The Enron CEO says he will turn his pipeline company into the first ''gas major'' -- a giant comparable in size and global reach to Exxon and Mob...
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