Michael Avenatti puts attorney fee lien on Stormy Daniels strip club arrest settlement
Avenatti claims Stormy owes him $2 million, even though his representation of her has been a disaster.
Now for some comic relief.
Michael Avenatti, the once-upon-a-time highly-touted potential Democrat presidential candidate, former favorite anti-Trumper of cable loon TV, and defendant in multiple criminal prosecutions, claims his most infamous client Stormy Daniels (aka Stephanie Clifford) owes him $2 million in legal fees and costs.
For what? After all, Avenatti’s representation of Stormy against Donald Trump completely collapsed, with Stormy being ordered to pay Trump almost $300,000 in legal fees and costs. Avenatti was indicted for a separate representation of Stormy and alleged financial abuse of her.
Avenatti and Stormy had a messy break up, with Avenatti claiming I broke up with Stormy before she broke up with me!
This guy is an incredible piece of work, no offense intended to pieces of work.
Now Avenatti is now laying claim to a settlement Stormy got after an arrest at a strip club. From NBC News:
Attorney Michael Avenatti has filed court papers demanding the $450,000 settlement won by former client Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against the Columbus, Ohio, police department.
Avenatti, who represented the adult film actress in legal action against Donald Trump, filed a lien claim in an Ohio federal court Wednesday that says Daniels owes him more than $2,000,000 for legal services, costs and expenses.
In September, Daniels settled her lawsuit over her arrest last year at a Columbus strip club. Police arrested Daniels on July 11, 2018, at the Sirens Gentlemen’s Club on misdemeanor charges of inappropriately touching customers. The charges were quickly dropped.
Here are excerpts from the Notice of Lien (pdf.)(full embed at bottom of post)
TO EACH PARTY AND TO THE COUNSEL OF RECORD FOR EACH PARTY AND TO ALL OTHER PERSONS OR ENTITIES INTERESTED IN THIS ACTION:
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that, in accordance with the terms of a written and/or oral fee agreement with Plaintiff Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels) (“Ms. Daniels”) and California law, Michael Avenatti, Esq. and Avenatti & Associates, APC have and claim a lien ahead of all others on any and all attorneys’ fees or costs in this action, and on any judgment and/or settlement rendered in favor of Plaintiff in this action, in order to secure payment for legal services rendered and costs and expenses advanced in an amount in excess of $2,000,000…..
Accordingly, demand is hereby made that any and all settlement proceeds paid in connection with this matter: (a) include Mr. Avenatti’s name and Avenatti & Associates, APC as payees and (b) be deposited only after consultation with, and agreement by, Mr. Avenatti as to the proper handling of said funds pending full adjudication of the lien pursuant to California law. Failure to do so will subject the payor and other participating parties/attorneys to significant liability. See id. To be clear, no net settlement roceeds or fees are to be distributed to Ms. Daniels or any of her attorneys without the express, written agreement of Mr. Avenatti and/or a full adjudication of this lien pursuant to California law. [Emphasis in original]
These sort of attorney lien notices can be enforced, but they are not self-executing. The court will have to rule on it. But until then, the lien will freeze any money owed Stormy.
As fun as the Stormy-Mikey fight is, I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop:
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Michael Avenatti Notice of Lien on Stormy Daniels Settlement by Legal Insurrection on Scribd
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Comments
You forgot to prefix with “Creepy Porn Lawyer”
Nah, coolway says he is a highly respected lawyer.
Priceless
Settle it “in trade”.
Pretty sure that is not physically possible..
I was under the impression that Avenatti had fully collected with in kind services. It seems reasonable since they both are of dubious repute.
Did I miss something or did this thread just clean things up. I saw a running dialog about the Jacobin, then it disappeared. Too funny.
Avenatti is a five isles over side show compared to all that is going on with the whistle blower and impeachment.
Looks like he is just made Stormy even madder. Don’t they say Karma is a B#$%$#.
This is the guy who trotted out more “witnesses” in the Kavanaugh witch hunt. Funny how the “progressives” who want to revive the witch hunt seem to have forgotten who he is. LOL
The Trump Boomerang
I wondered at the time that Avenatti was jerking Trump’s chain how long it would take for Avenatti to go down in flames.
His interference in the Democrat Party take down of Kavanaugh likely led to Democrat’s signing off on the indictments of Avenatti.
Not that it matters where these 2 are concerned, but when I have seen such lines used frivolously or even in excess of the award, I have seen the attorney pay a price.
Since when did legal fees have anything to do with competence?
I would think that President Trump and his attorneys would have a better claim than avenatti.
Now his billing records can be subpoenaed, also this opens up avenatti and Avenatti & Associates, APC to an outside audit.
AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
that’s just funny. Avenatti is a thief. Cliffords is a prostitute.
they’re perfect for each other.
Not exactly equivalent. One of those does you harm without your consent, sometimes deliberately, sometimes out of incompetence.
Can he use a lien to pay off the legal fees he is liable to pay Trump after losing?
You may need a levy in order to actually take possession of the asset(s).
Here’s hoping that Avenatti never touches another dime of client money.
Nbut the real question is…is he still running on the Democratic ticket?
A Bimbo and an Attorney walk into a bar…
Oh, you’ve heard this one?
Maybe he wants to “date” her.
Rule number one for Doctors/ Accountants Lawyers etc
dont sue clients for fees – The cost of the counter suit for malpractice will cost a lot more
It’s lawyers like this who give the other 10% of lawyers a bad name.
(Hey, I had to say it. Don’t hurt me.)
George, George, George:
Do you approve of tagging on the word “gate” to the name of every purported scandal as well?
It is equally trite, shopworn, and hackneyed.
Like saying someone’s name 3 times in a row. Wink.
Its “99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name”
Darn, I was close. Overruled on appeal, I suppose.
I am familiar with attorney liens in cases in which the attorney has been retained. But Creepy Porn Lawyer did not represent Stormy in the Strip Club false arrest lawsuit, and has no claim for attorneys fees in that case.
Without researching the issue, I would think that Creepy Porn Lawyer would need to get a judgment against Stormy and seek to enforce the judgment, or get a Pre-Judgment Writ of Attachment against Stormy in a civil lawsuit against her for fees, and then use that Writ of Attachment to attach the proceeds from the false arrest case. I don’t think he can simply file a lien as he seems to have done.
A legitimate attorney’s lien is based upon a contract between the attorney and client, is based on one being an attorney in that jurisdiction (or lawfully admitted temporarily), and is provided for under state law. If Avenatti did not have a contract with Saggy Daniels to represent her in the Ohio action he does not have a legitimate claim of lien. Further, if he is not admitted/licensed in Ohio and not admitted to the district court pro hac vice, his lien will fail as a matter of law.
Saggy Daniels’ counsel should file a motion for a determination that the filing is invalid because Goombah is not admitted in OH, not admitted pro hac vice in the court, and has not filed competent evidence (e.g., a declaration with a contract as an exhibit) demonstrating a contract for representation in the case.
Who is the bigger whore?
That would be Michael Avenatti.
All jokes aside, there is karma here! Two low life’s are at each other’s throats and it is such a rewarding thing to see! They took a shot at the king and missed. But the ricochet was deadly for them.
And I should care, why?
So far, everyone who has tried to crush Trump has ended up crushed, broken, and laying in the gutter. Avenatti and Stormy both fit that.