Renowned litigator David Boies, and his firm, Boies Schiller Flexner, have found themselves embroiled in a controversial case involving the deceased multimillionaire financier, Jeffrey Epstein. Co-executors of Epstein’s estate are pressing forward with the application for sanctions against Boies and his co-counsel in the case, Sigrid McCawley.
The estate executors argue that Boies and his firm cannot neglect their clients’ previously signed liability releases “simply by invoking” Epstein’s name. This refers to the settlements that resulted in numerous accusers signing releases of liability that expressly stipulated Boies Schiller’s clients could not sue Epstein or his estate.
The filings, according to the co-executors, included a barrage of unjustified lawsuits against Epstein’s estate. They argue that these releases obstruct Boies, Schiller, and their clients from having any legitimate claim towards Epstein’s estate. Moreover, they express that the lawsuits are a blatant attempt at grabbing headlines rather than any legitimate pursuit of justice.
In defense, Boies and McCawley have categorically denied any wrongdoing. They assert that the lawsuits they filed were entirely in the interest of helping the victims get due justice and that the releases were procured through Epstein’s fraudulent conduct.
Whether or not the court will impose sanctions against Boies and his firm remains to be seen. If the sanctions are granted, it would signal an important shift towards the accountability of attorneys when dealing with contentious and high-profile cases.
For further reading, the detailed account of this ongoing saga can be found here.