Legal Staff Profile

The Price for Doing the Right Thing - Cynthia Garcias Efforts of Protecting an Heiress
By Donna McGill Few people will ever find themselves in the predicament New York paralegal Cynthia Garcia is now facing. Not to be swayed by those who might have ulterior motives, Garcia takes her responsibilities - to clients, the legal field as a whole and more importantly, herself -seriously and allows her ethics and convictions to be her driving force. Shes this weeks Legal Staff Member Spotlight.

What does a 104 year old heiress, and 78 year old attorney and half a billion dollars have in common? The answer is Cynthia Garcia, who is now being questioned by one of New York Citys DA Elder Abuse Unit investigators. Cynthia Garcia and Huguette Clark are an unlikely duo, but when youve lived to be one hundred plus years old, and if youre the heiress to a copper miners wealth, you need all of the allies you can get who have no ulterior motives for your money. It all began when Ms Clark began giving gifts to her nurses and other employees that sometimes included homes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in one case, the same employee received at least four properties from Clark. Enter Wally Bock, the attorney who, along with an accountant, has tried desperately to get Clark to alter her will. Charging incredible attorneys fees, Cynthia Garcia know something wasnt quite right. Garcia at one time was employed by Bocks law firm. In her interviews with the district attorneys office, Garcia told the tales of Clarks generosity. Although the reason isnt exactly clear, someone convinced the elderly woman to sell a $6 million violin and one Renoir painting estimated to be worth nearly $24 million. Unfortunately, her estate is managed by Bock and an accountant who incredibly is a convicted felon! Neither Bock nor the accountant, Irving H. Kamsler have been charged with any criminal wrongdoing in this case, although Kamsler remains on probation for sending pornography via the internet to what he believed was an underage teen, but

who was in reality an undercover detective. That could change if Garcias efforts pay off. She also revealed in one of her many interviews with law enforcement, some of which were conducted over the phone and lasting for hours, that Bock accepted $1.5 million from Clark to build a bomb shelter at his home in Israel. Bock also reportedly allowed Clark to purchase a doll house worth more than $10,000! While these reports, if true, are more than disgusting, if not for Garcia, we might not have learned of how her former boss speaks of his client. She is ridiculed and laughed at by Bock. It was a joke, Garcia said. What theyre doing to her is horrible, says Garcia. She goes on to explain that she received a phone call recently from her former boss asking her to not speak with authorities. He sounded patronizing and so desperate to placate me, Garcia told one reporter. Since then, Bock hired a spokesperson who promptly released a statement, We believe Ms Garcia is confused about the facts. They might believe this, but the district attorneys office believes otherwise. What began as Cynthia Garcia paralegal has come full circle for this brave woman who is now more of Cynthia Garcia protector. For now, Clarks 42 room apartment on New Yorks Fifth Avenue remains unoccupied, as do her many mansions scattered across the U.S. Her estate pays millions of dollars in taxes while Clark resides at a New York hospital. Garcia continues to live her life, confident in that shes done the right thing and for the right reasons. Unfortunately, this battle will likely continue for months and possibly years.

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