Paul Hastings LLP Appointed as Miles Guo’s Trustee Bankruptcy Case Reveals CCP’s Infiltration of DOJ

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm announced on October 27, 2015, a joint venture with Blumberg Investment Partners on behalf of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China to invest in long-term net-leased assets throughout the US.

Shan Weijian, the director and CEO of Pacific Alliance Group (PAG) which is a leading private equity group headquartered in Hong Kong with a focus on APAC, was one of the first senior Chinese Communist spies and bagmen who was sent to the US for higher education after the Cultural Revolution.

It was reported by Law360 on September 26th, 2018, PAG engaged in various investment strategies through its PAG Real Estate with full representation by Paul Hastings LLP. Law360 also reported that under Paul Hastings LLP’s legal guidance, PAG Real Estate had launched a HK$5.24 billion (US$671 million) takeover bid for Spring Real Estate Investment Trust to protect and preserve its existing investment.

It is noteworthy that Paul Hastings LLP represented PAG’s unit investment practice during the same period that Miles Guo was dragged into an unrestricted legal warfare by PAG in New York. For more than two years, from April 24th, 2018 to September 16th, 2020, the plaintiff, PAG, intensely took advantage of motions to attack Miles Guo in court. Subsequently, Miles Guo went on to appeal. In a landmark victory, the judge disqualified attorney Edward Moss from representing PAG.

However, in a recent ruling from the New York Court, the judge believed that Miles Guo shall be liable for repaying debts to PAG. In order to end the unrestricted legal warfare launched by PAG, Miles Guo decided to file for bankruptcy. The Connecticut Court finally ruled that the bankruptcy case shall be taken over by an independent trustee, who will work with PAG to develop a scheme to repay the so-called debts. Attorney Joe D. Whitley was then appointed as a trustee and he signed to accept the commission on June 30th, 2022.

Surprisingly, however, the Department of Justice ignored the apparent conflict of interest and changed the trustee assigned to Miles Guo’s bankruptcy case from a highly respected Republican, Mr. Joe D. Whitley, to Luc A. Despins, a partner at Paul Hastings LLP. As mentioned above, the Paul Hastings LLP has a long-term relationship with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and represented numerous Chinese clients as well as PAG’s investment-related legal consultancy in Hong Kong.

This significant change exposed the CCP’s infiltration of the U.S. Department of Justice. Appointing a trustee with conflict of interest to engage in Miles Guo’s bankruptcy case is undoubtedly a violation of professional ethics.

Miles Guo talked about the case on a GETTR post. He said the newly-appointed trustee is a long-term partner with PAG that has huge economic interests in Communist China. Why so many cases are related to the CCP’s corruption? For example, all the unusual legal proceedings, which constantly happened in Miles Guo’s repatriation case and other lawsuits, came from the US Department of Justice.