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from the won't-anyone-think-of-the-lawyers? dept.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is taking Shakespeare's phrase "let's kill all the lawyers" to a different level. On Monday, he sued many of the attorneys who represented a New Yorker named Paul Ceglia, the man who claimed Zuckerberg promised him half of Facebook back when Zuckerberg was an 18-year-old Harvard University student.
"The lawyers representing Ceglia knew or should have known that the lawsuit was a fraud—it was brought by a convicted felon with a history of fraudulent scams, and it was based on an implausible story and obviously forged documents. In fact, Defendants’ own co-counsel discovered the fraud, informed the other lawyers, and withdrew. Despite all this, Defendants vigorously pursued the case in state and federal courts and in the media," Facebook said in a New York Supreme Court suit [PDF].
Ceglia faces trial next year on accusations that his lawsuit—in which he claimed half ownership of Facebook—was a fraud. He has pleaded not guilty and faces a maximum 40-year prison term if convicted.
(Score: 2) by skullz on Tuesday October 21 2014, @09:46PM
Maybe I'm being naive here but I saw it as someone with the clout to do so defending a tech company from moochers.
I know that it is all about the money and people with money wanting MOR money but hopefully it will send a message to lawyers that they can't just make stuff up to get money or they might lose their money.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Tuesday October 21 2014, @09:57PM
I'd feel better if he was suing them for their licence to practice law.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @01:29AM
The way most legal bars work, being convicted of something like this is a direct prescription to losing your license to practice law. So they just might lose their license. And frankly, I hope they do. As much as I despise facebook, I despise lawyers more, and having more lawyers losing their license's when the pull stunts like this would deter the other bottom feeding fools from trying it themselves.