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Class Actionの病理
少し前から話題になっていたが、Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulmanという法律事務所とその2人のパートナーが本日Class Actionの原告に対してキックバックを支払っていたということで起訴された(U.S. Indictment for Big Law Firm in Class Actions (NYTimes))。
According to the charges, the scheme involving Mr. Lazar and two other paid plaintiffs worked like this: Plaintiffs would buy securities anticipating that they would decline in value, hence positioning themselves to be named plaintiffs in the securities class actions.

After the court in a lawsuit awarded lawyers fees, to conceal the payments to the paid plaintiffs, the firm and Mr. Bershad and Mr. Schulman gave cash directly to the plaintiffs or to intermediary lawyers.

The firm also falsely accounted for the payments as referral fees or professional fees, the indictment said.

Under New York law, it is illegal for a lawyer to promise or give anything of value to induce a person to bring a lawsuit or to reward a person for having done so, the indictment said.

Furthermore, the payments created a conflict because the paid plaintiffs had a "greater interest in maximizing the amount of attorneys' fees awarded to Milberg Weiss than in maximizing the net recovery" to others in the class, the indictment said.
アンダーセンと異なり、法律事務所一つが崩壊したところで特にダメージがあるとは思えないのが、防御しにくいところか(笑)。消費者団体訴訟制度のパブリックコメントでも損害賠償については団体に認めておらず、ほかにClass Actionに代わる制度設計をしていないのも、Class Actionそのものの制度設計の困難さを示しているとも思う。日本では少なくとも当面は個別訴訟の集団化のみで対応ということになるだろう。
by neon98 | 2006-05-19 11:31 | LAW FIRM
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