In an embarrassing volte-face DLA Piper has decided to drop its client Paul Ceglia who was claiming a 50% stake in Facebook.
RollOnFriday reported back in April that DLA had decided to act for Ceglia, an alleged fraudster, after he left the small firm that had represented him when he first launched his $40 billion claim. The colourful Ceglia, now a wood pellet salesman, claimed that Mark Zuckerberg had promised him at least 50% of "The Face Book" in exchange for $2,000 of seed funding.
Not a firm to shy away from a billion dollar claim, DLA leapt on board with partner Robert Brownlie proclaiming "DLA would not have gotten involved if we had any doubts about the facts or evidence in the case". A comment which anyone who has watched The Social Network (i.e. pretty much everyone but Brownlie) knew would come back to haunt him.
And indeed Brownlie's bullishness seems to have backfired, as DLA has dumped Ceglia as a client. Now adopting a more cautious approach the firm has cited attorney-client privilege, refusing to say why it abandoned the man referred to by Facebook's lawyers as an "inveterate scam artist".
As for Ceglia, his battle will continue. He has retained San Diego-based attorney Jeffrey Lake about whom little is known, except that a cache of his website on Above The Law shows that he currently represents nearly 200 Medical Cannabis Collectives. Which suggests Lake may well be better placed to represent Ceglia - who has a 1997 conviction for possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms - than red-faced global giant DLA Piper ever was.
Tip Off ROF
RollOnFriday reported back in April that DLA had decided to act for Ceglia, an alleged fraudster, after he left the small firm that had represented him when he first launched his $40 billion claim. The colourful Ceglia, now a wood pellet salesman, claimed that Mark Zuckerberg had promised him at least 50% of "The Face Book" in exchange for $2,000 of seed funding.
Not a firm to shy away from a billion dollar claim, DLA leapt on board with partner Robert Brownlie proclaiming "DLA would not have gotten involved if we had any doubts about the facts or evidence in the case". A comment which anyone who has watched The Social Network (i.e. pretty much everyone but Brownlie) knew would come back to haunt him.
 |
Two future DLA Piper clients yesterday |
And indeed Brownlie's bullishness seems to have backfired, as DLA has dumped Ceglia as a client. Now adopting a more cautious approach the firm has cited attorney-client privilege, refusing to say why it abandoned the man referred to by Facebook's lawyers as an "inveterate scam artist".
As for Ceglia, his battle will continue. He has retained San Diego-based attorney Jeffrey Lake about whom little is known, except that a cache of his website on Above The Law shows that he currently represents nearly 200 Medical Cannabis Collectives. Which suggests Lake may well be better placed to represent Ceglia - who has a 1997 conviction for possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms - than red-faced global giant DLA Piper ever was.