Ed Fagan
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Ed Fagan (born October 20, 1952 in Harlingen, Texas as Edward Davis Fagan) is an American reparations lawyer. He is best known for suing Swiss banks on behalf of Holocaust victims. He grew up in San Antonio, Texas, has two children, and is active in the Jewish community.
Notable Lawsuits
In the 1990s, Fagan filed lawsuits against Swiss banks who had refused to repay money which belonged to Holocaust victims. The banks in question settled the claims outside of the court, resulting in a payout of USD1.25 billion. In 2000, Fagan represented some 82,000 Holocaust victims and family members (many of whom later accused him of negligence)[1], suing governments and companies in Germany and Austria based on the Alien Tort Claims Act.
In recent years, he represented the victims of the mountain railway disaster in Kaprun, Austria, which killed 155 people. In 2004, he led a suit against the government of South Africa on behalf of apartheid victims. In 2005, he initiated a lawsuit on behalf of tsunami victims[2].
Controversy
Fagan is the subject of an ethics investigation that could lead to his disbarment. The New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics has accused him of "knowing misappropriation" of client money. [3] [4] [5]
He has been accused of abandoning personal injury clients in favour of the more lucrative Holocaust reparations cases. One personal injury client sued Fagan, and won a $3.2 million malpractice award. [6]
Fagan has also been accused of having wasted over $500,000 of his clients' money. [7]
Bankruptcy proceedings started
According to recent news reports, Ed Fagan has filed for protection under federal bankruptcy laws in Tampa, FL, in Feburary of 2007. Court documents are said to show that he owes about $9.4-million to creditors.
Borat lawsuit
In 2006, Fagan initiated legal proceedings, suing the makers of the film Borat for $30 million damages, on behalf of two inhabitants of the village of Glod for human rights violations. He plans to submit lawsuits in New York and Florida state courts, as well as in Frankfurt, Germany. [8]Fagan said that he hoped to "teach Hollywood a very expensive lesson." The lawsuit was thrown out by U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska in a hearing in early December 2006 on the ground that the the charges were too vague to stand up in court. Fagan plans to refile. [9]
See also
References
- ^ "The Case of Ed Fagan"
- ^ "Tsunami Lawsuit Over Inadequate Response Gains Media Attention Again as Prosecutors Begin Probe"
- ^ "Ethics Charges Leveled at Lawyer Who Fostered Holocaust Settlement"
- ^ "Update: Ed Fagan disciplinary hearings"
- ^ "Lawyer's 'hero' image tarnished"
- ^ "Personal Injury Client Wins Malpractice Award Against Holocaust Victims' Lawyer" August 12 2004, New York Law Journal
- ^ "Holocaust-Entschädigung : Schwere Vorwürfe gegen Star-Anwalt Fagan", February 18, 2005, 'Der Spiegel'
- ^ "Villagers to sue 'Borat'"
- ^ "NYC Judge Questions Viability Of Villagers' 'Borat' Lawsuit"