This firm has successfully represented clients in a number of actions involving complex fraudulent schemes resulting in multi-million-dollar losses to the victims.

Bank Embezzlement: We represented a foreign bank which was the victim of a fraudulent scheme carried out by a group of West Africans who enlisted an employee of the bank as an ally. The bank's loss exceeded $240 million. Over $40 million was funneled into accounts in banks in South Florida while the lead defendant and his large entourage were present here.

In order to maximize the assets available for recovery at the time the complaint was filed detailing many of the illegal transfers of the bank's money, this firm obtained orders which: temporarily sealed the file from public view; enjoined the defendants from transferring or encumbering the assets of the bank and the proceeds thereof; allowed the service of subpoenas on the banks involved in the improper transfers of the plaintiff's money which required the banks to temporarily not notify the defendants or anyone about their existence; and blocked specific bank accounts. We also filed notices which effectively precluded transfers of various real properties purchased by the defendants. This firm's efforts, in conjunction with those of lawyers, forensic accountants and investigators in Miami, Switzerland, New York, Mali, Gambia and Senegal, contributed to a very significant recovery for the client.

Fraudulent Investment Scheme: We represented a charitable foundation and its principals against sophisticated defendants who gained the victims' confidence by pretending to share their deeply-held religious beliefs. In this case, it was imperative to act promptly and without the knowledge of the defendants in order to prevent them from defeating the purpose of the Miami lawsuit by fleeing the jurisdiction, transferring their assets to distant locations, and/or destroying records that might serve as evidence against them.

This firm addressed these practical problems by obtaining, at the time the lawsuit was filed, a combination of the following court orders: (1) a temporary injunction precluding the defendants from transferring or encumbering any assets which were obtained from the plaintiffs or which were derived from assets obtained from the plaintiffs; (2) an order granting emergency discovery, pursuant to which the court ordered the sheriff to seize all pertinent financial records in the possession of the defendants at their premises, on their persons and in their vehicles; (3) a writ prohibiting the individual defendants from leaving Florida without a court order and requiring them to surrender their passports – or in the alternative to post a multi-million dollar bond as a guarantee to the plaintiffs that they would continue to remain present while the lawsuit was pending; and (4) an order requiring the defendants to sign forms directing all financial institutions holding accounts in their names and/or for their benefit to release information about the accounts when served with discovery requests. Having these orders in place from the outset of the litigation made it possible to put considerably more pressure on the defendants, and obtain considerably more information from them, than would have been possible if only an injunction had been in place.

Bank Fraud: We represented a foreign bank that was the victim of a fraud based on the presentation of falsified documents. Working closely with counsel in Switzerland, we were able to freeze and recover a significant portion of the stolen funds. This representation also involved the extraordinary relief obtained in the examples mentioned above.