Fast Eddie Greenspan vs. Patrick "Scooter shooter" Fitzgerald

One of Canada's most important trials is now taking place in the United States. Conrad Black, former head of the Hollinger empire, is fighting for his freedom in a Chicago courtroom, facing numerous securities related charges that could, if convicted, see him spending the rest of his life in jail.

His lawyer? "Fast Eddie" Greenspan, a Canadian lawyer who is so well known that he is nearly as much a household name up here as Lord Conrad is. He's taken on a lot of pro bono work and defended the poor and powerless - but is also the lawyer of choice of the well-connected and powerful. He's everybody's lawyer! His selection as part of Black's defense team is highly unusual, since he is a Canadian lawyer not formally certified for US practice. The judge made Black agree in fact, that Black cannot appeal on grounds of poor representation, should he lose.

The prosecution team? Apparently some actors from hollywood, if their picture is anything to go by. Actually, the four attorneys are from Patrick Fitzgerald's office, he of the Libby trial fame.

As for me, without knowing much yet about the facts of the case - I am rooting for Conrad. He is by far one of Canada's most colourful figures - a man who had a cantankerous relationship with Prime Minister Chretien, such that he ended up renouncing his Canadian citizenship and storming off to England for a while. Conrad also took our once terrible local newspaper - the Ottawa Citizen - and turned it into the flagship paper of his newspaper chain, a high quality paper with excellent writers and interesting living and recreational sections. Of course, Conrad is also known for using eight syllables when one would do. But that just makes him even more lovable. Canada would be a much poorer place if Conrad Black were locked up in a US jail... so here's hoping that Conrad is not actually guilty of what he's been accused of, and that 'Fast Eddie' can pull it off!