A Los Angeles jury said this summer that attorney Mark Geragos — famous for representing entertainers and Erik and Lyle Menendez — must pay $100,000 to a youth basketball coach over the lawyer’s role in a 2018 scheme to extort money from Nike.
But this week, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge overturned the six-figure verdict and entered a judgment in favor of Geragos, ruling that he no longer has to pay a dime to the local coach, Gary Franklin.
Franklin’s legal malpractice suit had alleged that Geragos and the now-disbarred lawyer Michael Avenatti botched a potential $1.5-million settlement with Nike. Franklin had hired Avenatti after Nike canceled its contract to sponsor Franklin’s youth basketball program. Franklin alleged that both Avenatti and Geragos derailed the settlement by threatening to reveal allegations of misconduct in youth basketball unless Nike retained the duo for a lucrative internal investigation.
The scheme ended with Avenatti in prison, and while Geragos was never charged, prosecutors briefly considered him an unindicted co-conspirator.
At a trial this summer, the jury found that Geragos aided and abetted Avenatti and ultimately breached his duties as a lawyer, but the panel determined that Franklin was not substantially harmed by Geragos. Nevertheless, the jury awarded Franklin $100,000 in damages for the “wrongful conduct.”
Geragos’ lawyers moved to have the verdict tossed out, noting that jurors had not actually found him liable.
“California law prohibits awarding damages without an underlying finding of liability,” Geragos’ defense attorney wrote in a brief.
Franklin’s lawyer apparently agreed, and both sides reached a stipulation to vacate the verdict and enter a judgment in favor of Geragos.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steven Cochran signed off on the order this week, which notes that Franklin “shall recover nothing” from Geragos.
Geragos, through a spokesperson, touted the victory in a statement to The Times.
“To quote and paraphrase the great Cardi B, ‘Don’t ever think that I’m gonna give you my money that I work hard for,’” Geragos said in the statement.
He continued, “‘I don’t lay in bed all day, I work all day, and I work hard for my money, don’t you ever think that you’re gonna sue me and I’m just gonna settle. It’s not gonna happen.’”
Franklin’s lawyer did not respond to messages seeking comment.
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