A Los Angeles jury stated this summer time that lawyer Mark Geragos — well-known for representing entertainers and Erik and Lyle Menendez — should pay $100,000 to a youth basketball coach over the lawyer’s function in a 2018 scheme to extort cash from Nike.
However this week, a Los Angeles Superior Court docket choose overturned the six-figure verdict and entered a judgment in favor of Geragos, ruling that he not has to pay a dime to the native coach, Gary Franklin.
Franklin’s authorized malpractice swimsuit had alleged that Geragos and the now-disbarred lawyer Michael Avenatti botched a possible $1.5-million settlement with Nike. Franklin had employed Avenatti after Nike canceled its contract to sponsor Franklin’s youth basketball program. Franklin alleged that each Avenatti and Geragos derailed the settlement by threatening to disclose allegations of misconduct in youth basketball except Nike retained the duo for a profitable inner investigation.
The scheme ended with Avenatti in jail, and whereas Geragos was by no means charged, prosecutors briefly thought-about him an unindicted co-conspirator.
At a trial this summer time, the jury discovered that Geragos aided and abetted Avenatti and finally breached his duties as a lawyer, however the panel decided that Franklin was not considerably harmed by Geragos. Nonetheless, the jury awarded Franklin $100,000 in damages for the “wrongful conduct.”
Geragos’ attorneys moved to have the decision tossed out, noting that jurors had not really discovered him liable.
“California legislation prohibits awarding damages with out an underlying discovering of legal responsibility,” Geragos’ protection lawyer wrote in a quick.
Franklin’s lawyer apparently agreed, and either side reached a stipulation to vacate the decision and enter a judgment in favor of Geragos.
Los Angeles Superior Court docket Choose Steven Cochran signed off on the order this week, which notes that Franklin “shall get better nothing” from Geragos.
Geragos, by way of a spokesperson, touted the victory in a press release to The Instances.
“To cite and paraphrase the good Cardi B, ‘Don’t ever assume that I’m gonna provide you with my cash that I work exhausting for,’” Geragos stated within the assertion.
He continued, “‘I don’t lay in mattress all day, I work all day, and I work exhausting for my cash, don’t you ever assume that you simply’re gonna sue me and I’m simply gonna settle. It’s not gonna occur.’”
Franklin’s lawyer didn’t reply to messages looking for remark.
