Law

Friday’s sentencing hearing included a choked-up Hild addressing the court, apologizing to his former employees, his wife and even the city of Richmond.

The former Live Well Financial CEO will stand before a federal judge this afternoon in Manhattan to learn his fate. His attorney calls for no prison time, while prosecutors want up to 15 years.

Seven years after expanding into Richmond, the firm has doubled its local attorney headcount in one fell swoop.

The judge said he had considered up to 15 years for the “Richmond famous” contractor who was convicted of embezzling funds from his main lender.

The former Live Well Financial CEO’s attempt to invoke legal arguments tied to the case of fallen crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried wasn’t enough to delay his looming sentencing date set for later this month.

In a potential last-ditch attempt to change the course of his conviction, Michael Hild is looking to capitalize on a judge’s recent recusal from the high-profile criminal case of notorious crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried.

Plenty of high-profile white-collar criminal cases played out in local courtrooms this year, while the local legal industry saw changes from mergers, lateral moves and expansions by out-of-towners.

The day after Hild’s conviction was upheld by a judge in Manhattan, the bankruptcy trustee of his collapsed mortgage company looked to capitalize on the long-awaited decision.