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investments and choose whether or not to organize similar
partnerships. Becker relied heavily upon the offering materials
and discussions with persons involved in the matter to evaluate
the Plastics Recycling transactions. He and two other members of
Becker Co., Leicht and Tucker, investigated PI and visited its
plant in Hyannis, Massachusetts, where they saw the Sentinel EPE
recyclers.
During his investigation of the Plastics Recycling
transactions Becker did not hire any plastics, engineering, or
technical experts, or recommend that his clients do so. Becker
discussed the transactions with Michael Canno, of the Equitable
Bag Co., a manufacturer of paper and plastic bags. Canno never
saw the recyclers or the pellets and never wrote any reports
assessing the equipment or the pellets.
Becker retained a law firm, Rabin & Silverman8, to assist
him with the legal aspects of organizing the SAB recycling
partnerships, such as reviewing and/or preparing documents in
connection with the SAB recycling partnerships. Michael D.
DiGiovanna9 (DiGiovanna), a partner at Rabin & Silverman and a
8 Rabin & Silverman has undergone several name changes since
that time. At the time of trial, the successor firm was called
Dornbush, Mensch, Mandelstam & Schaeffer.
9 The testimony of DiGiovanna was stipulated into the record
in docket No. 28082-89 (the Farrell case), but not docket No.
27393-89 (the Spears case). His testimony has been disregarded
(continued...)
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