The lawsuit claims, “In this action, 98 Colombian nationals who filed suit against Chiquita Brands, International, for wrongful death and related violations of international law, bring an action against the law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner, LLP (hereinafter “Boies Schiller”), for fraud, tortious interference with contractual relations, malpractice, anti-trust violations, and negligence, in relation to Boies Schiller’s filing a lawsuit in their names without their knowledge or consent. All but five of Doe Plaintiffs are already represented in this action in this Court by co-plaintiff Paul Wolf …”
According to the lawsuit, apparently, Boies Schiller convinced many of his clients through a Colombian law firm to sign over their powers of representation, by telling them either that they were associated with Wolf, or that they were signing applications for benefit. The lawsuit alleges, “Not a single Doe Plaintiff said that she had even intended to change attorneys … They either believed Defendant’s agents were Paul Wolf’s employees, or that he had lost or given up on the case, which was not true.”
According to Wolf, Boies Schiller filed duplicate claims on behalf of his clients and of conspiring with other lawyers to convince his clients into signing retainer agreements that would prevent them from filing other claims pending litigation in Florida.
The general counsel of Boies Schiller, Nicholas Gravante Jr., has issued a statement in response claiming the lawsuit to be without merit, and observing, “A contract attorney at a law firm not even involved in the MDL proceedings against Chiquta filed this complaint after Boies, Schiller & Flexner declined his requests for substantial and improper payments and importantly, after the MDL plaintiffs group comprised of a number of reputable law firms excluded him from the group for uncooperative and inappropriate behavior.”