Civil Procedure
Crypto platform accused of trying to intimidate lawyers suing it
A cryptocurrency platform is accused of threatening investors and attorneys who are suing it in New York. (Image from Shutterstock)
A cryptocurrency platform being sued in New York is now accused of trying to intimidate the lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case against them, according to Law.com.
In a Saturday filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the plaintiffs alleged that crypto platform Pump.Fun’s operator, Baton Corp. Ltd., harassed and threatened the opposing counsel outside the courtroom as the litigation progressed.
“Threats and intimidation directed at our clients, my mother and disabled sister, and our staff fall far outside anything a civil litigator should ever encounter,” plaintiffs attorney Max Burwick of Burwick Law said in a statement to Law.com. “The court filings speak for themselves, and we remain focused on litigating the merits of the RICO claims against the … defendants in court.”
Stephen D. Palley, a partner at Brown Rudnick who represents Pump.Fun, did not respond to a request for comment from Law.com.
The underlying case is a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that the company failed to properly register with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and effectively operates as an illegal casino.
The harassment included a campaign with the theme “Rape Max Burwick,” spread by members of the platform’s community, and imagery depicting Burwick in an “ISIS-style execution” that also targeted his sister and mother, as well as threats to kidnap women interning at his law firm, Law.com said.
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