Trial Lawyers Behaving Badly (Continued)…
December 17, 2008
Walter Olson over at Overlawyered called our attention to this item today. Seems that two men in New Orleans had to be forcibly separated after escalating verbal taunts turned into a full-fledged brawl that left one man with a sore neck, while the other was led away in handcuffs, fined and ordered to spend the night in jail.
A couple of drunken fans at a Saints game? Late night French Quarter revelers who had a few too many “go” cups?
Nope – just a pair of greedy personal injury lawyers fighting it out for a potential $5 million payday in a case against an insurance company.
According to a report in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, attorneys Madro Bandaries and J. Robert Ates (age 63) were in Orleans Parish Civil District Court on Monday for a hearing on their rival class action lawsuits against Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Accounts differ. Attorney Bandaries, “his voice shaking,” claims Mr. Ates put his hands on his shoulders, made a sarcastic comment, then the “next thing you know, he has me on the floor.” Attorney Ates claims it was Mr. Bandaries who made the “snide remark” and later “attempted to kick me in the scrotum” – a tactic so low, dirty and underhanded even Kimbo Slice shuns it.
That’s when things started getting ugly. A couple of observers had to jump in to break up the melee, while a stunned Judge Kern Reese rushed from his chambers to mete out the punishment. “The one thing I am not going to tolerate is lawyers being unprofessional,” Judge Reese pronounced as bailiffs slapped the cuffs on Mr. Ates. It’s bad enough that money-grubbing lawyers have turned our courtrooms into casinos…but a cage fight?
Posted by Dan Pero in the categories: Class Action, Tort Reform, Trial Lawyers
One Response to “Trial Lawyers Behaving Badly (Continued)…”
Like I’ve said before… I’m not a bit surprised. Honestly, I can be truthful and say that I am related to Madro Bandaries. I’m his oldest grandchild. He has always been pretty hard to get along with (or so my grandma has told me) and I am sure he said something innappropriate to the other lawyer (albeit I was not there). He has a penchant for causing commotions. Very educated, smart, brilliant, etc. But I think its funny. We are all laughing.