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美国中文网
2024.8.8
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桑兰维权案,近期因海明叛主反戈,关注的焦点移到海明与桑兰的PK。海明能否解除代理身份不久将会见分晓,本人不妨对未来胜负做个评估。
首 先,说一下本人对“胜负”的定义。本人认为,海明从一开始,就没打算要拿律师费。免费广告和眼球效应是海明的目标。那是他的【得】。他的风险是这场伤天害 理的官司会坏了他的名声。更糟糕的是如果败诉,所带来的职业、商业、以及财务上的损失。那将是他的【失】。胜败的评判在于得失的比例。
若抛开道德良心不说,海明还真是个人物。他不怕自己前后矛盾,一日可出三变。但你注意其言行,万变不离其宗。其实海明还是那个海明。
对一个律师来说,法庭内外就是剧场,律师是身兼编剧、导演、领衔主演三大角色于一身。一切都是为赢得媒体、陪审团、法官的赞同,赢得官司的胜利。
对于桑兰案,明眼人早就看出,完全是个毫无法律依据,丧失良心底线的炒作案。非输不可。海明为了自身利益,显然采取了一个启动官司,让其半途而废的策略。达到炒作目的后设法抽身而出。
海明的表现,都在围绕这一目的演出这场跨国大剧。
桑兰案如果被写入历史,海明也将是名人如册。至今,光这广告效应,就让海明赚得是眼花缭乱。但之后下来,预计会每况愈下。下一步将是海明为其所得利益付出代价的时候。海明越早解除合约,就有越大的主动权。如果海明能全身而退,海明就是大胜。
好了,让我们来看看海明目前面临哪些威胁。
1. 被桑兰告违背律师职责。在律师代理关系解除之前,他们的合约就像是套在狗脖子上的皮带。海明必须在法律上对桑兰尽忠尽孝。所以你们看到,海明无时不刻在表明为桑兰做了多少好事。
2. 被桑兰的合约拖到死。在美国,解除律师代理关系有两条途径。一是桑兰提出解雇或同意海明解约申请。桑兰签个字就可以,非常简单。就目前现状,显然桑兰不肯解约。要与海明同归于尽。二是海明向法官提出解除合约。纽约法律允许律师在如下任意一种情况下解约:
Differing case strategies (律师与客户对诉讼策略有分歧)
A client's failure to cooperate, communicate or fulfill obligation (客户不予律师合作,沟通,尽责)
A client's failure to pay attorneys fee (拒付律师费)
其他可导致解约的情况还有 Conflicts of interest, Personality conflicts, unethical and fraudulent activities 等等。海明对桑兰的攻击都一直围绕这以上几条。
所以,海明要解约不难。只要法官同意即可。当事人(桑兰)无法阻止。只是时间问题。
3. 莫虎的R11 惩罚动议。大家都知道,在美国,比海明更荒诞的律师多如牛毛。这里不是说海明不害人;只是说相比之下,海明是小巫见大巫。R11 惩罚很少被启动。法官一般对惩戒律师没兴趣。海明大概不用担心这点。
4. 滥诉 Frivolous litigation 导致惩罚,偿付律师费。在美国,诉讼费是按照America Rule (相对于English Rule)是原被告双方各自付费。纽约州的法律是:“A corporate or individual litigant must bear its own counsel fees and costs in a lawsuit in the New York state courts.” 同时,为防止滥诉,纽约有四项相关法律惩戒滥诉方(见附文)。但是,莫虎必须要证明桑兰明知故犯(对桑兰起诉)。或是海明明知故犯(对海明起诉)。往往律 师费的诉讼本身会耗上几年。桑兰大概早已不在美国。海明得去收拾这烂摊子。
5. 如果刘谢案败在海明手中,海明就多了一个坏记录。
因此看来,只有第四、五两点对海明有实际威胁。海明势必在全力解除与桑兰的合约。估计胖子不难从法官处拿到许可。这样就去掉了第五点的威胁。第四点上,会取决于刘谢。只要桑兰案没有了结,刘谢估计不会把海明作为重点打击对象。
再 说第四点,即使刘谢莫虎凭着纽约州的State False Claim Act 等有关法律要惩戒海明,海明的退敌之计在于扮演受害者。把脏水都倒在桑兰身上。这就解释了目前海明为什么有选择地爆料一些桑兰的短处的原因。而且作为律 师,公认的是一种服务性的角色。除非桑兰有足够证据,海明不难推卸责任。
这么说来,海明很可能会全身而退。
各位大侠,有何高见?
附文。纽约州滥诉惩戒的四条相关法律。
New York General Business Law § 349: Section 349(a) of the New York General Business Law renders unlawful “[d]eceptive acts and practices in the conduct of any business, trade or commerce or in the furnishing of any service in this state.” To make out a prima facie case under that statute, a plaintiff must show that the defendant’s acts are directed to consumers, that the defendant is engaging in an act or practice that is deceptive or misleading in a material way, and that the plaintiff has been injured by reason thereof. Under N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 349(h), the court may award reasonable attorneys’ fees to a prevailing plaintiff.
New York State False Claims Act, N.Y. State Finance Law §§ 187-194: Section 189 of the State False Claims Act, N.Y. State Fin. Law § 189, prohibits anyone from either knowingly presenting to the state or a local government, for payment or approval, a false or fraudulent claim, or from knowingly making or using a false record or statement to get a false or fraudulent claim paid or approved by the state or a local government. The State False Claims Act authorizes any entity or individual to bring a civil action, on behalf of New York State or a local government, for a violation of section 189 of the State False Claims Act. In such a civil action under the State False Claims Act, a prevailing plaintiff is entitled to recover the attorneys’ fees and costs it incurred in the action.
N.Y. C.P.L.R. 8303-a: Section 8303-a of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules empowers a court to award costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees not exceeding $10,000 against any litigant found to have interposed a frivolous claim or defense either (1) in a lawsuit to recover damages for personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death or (2) in a lawsuit brought by the individual who committed a crime against the victim of a crime.
22 N.Y.C.R.R. § 130-1.1: Rule 130-1.1 of Title 22 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations authorizes, in any civil action, monetary punishment for frivolous conduct. Among other categories of pecuniary punishment, Rule 130-1.1 authorizes a court, in its discretion, to award costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees that reimburse actual expenses incurred by a litigant because of an adversary’s frivolous conduct. The court, as appropriate, may make such an assessment against either a party to the lawsuit, the party’s attorney, or both.