Date: 09-29-1999

Case Style: Alan B. Levan, an individual plaintiff, BankAtlantic Financial Corporation, a Florida Corporation v. Capital Cities/ABC, Inc., a new York corporation, William H. Willson, an individual.

Case Number: 97-5380-CIV-CCA

Judge: C. Clyde Atkins

Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida

Plaintiff's Attorney: Alan Harold Fein and Joy Spillis Lundeen of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, Miami, Florida.

Defendant's Attorney: Raymond V. Miller of Kaufman Miller Discstein & Grunspan, P.A., Miami, Florida, and Floyd Abrams, Susan Buckley and Anne Carrell of Cahill Gordon & Reindel, New York City, New York.

Description: Defamation - This action arose from a segment aired on defendant's television program "20/20" that portrayed plaitiffs as unfairly taking advantage of investors in real estate related limited partnerships, by inducing them to participate in transactions known as "rollups." Plaintiffs claimed that in its broadcast defendants made numerous false or misleading statements with actual malice, and that defendants therefore were liable forinjuries that plaintiffs suffered as a result of the story.

Outcome: Plaintiffs' verdict for $10,000,000 in damages

Plaintiff's Experts: Unknown

Defendant's Experts: Unknown

Comments: Vacated and remanded by the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, Florida. See: 190 F.3d 1230 (11th Cir. 1999). Note: The above date reflects the appellate court decision date, not the original trial date. Reported by dss.