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<\/p>\non the money
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Maybe Goldman Sachs isn’t migrating to Florida, after all
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Markets eerily silent amid surprise report on capital-gains tax hikes
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NFTs getting a closer look from FINRA
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Nancy Pelosi privately opposes repeal of SALT deduction cap
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Sifting through this week\u2019s explosive lawsuit against Leon Black by an ex-Russian model, there may be a bright spot for Black: The case isn\u2019t likely to dig up any dirt about the billionaire\u2019s alleged ties with Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because the defamation suit filed Tuesday by Guzel Ganieva — a single mother who denies Black\u2019s claim that the pair had a \u201cconsensual affair,\u201d instead accusing him of \u201csadistic sexual acts\u201d — doesn\u2019t mention Epstein, and therefore doesn\u2019t provide grounds for digging into matters pertaining to the dead pedophile, legal experts say.<\/p>\n
Another potential positive for Black: While the lawsuit includes a gruesome allegation of a 2014 rape, it isn\u2019t likely to spur an investigation by the New York District Attorney, according to experts.<\/p>\n
“Winning a rape case is so difficult,\u201d says New York trial lawyer Mark Moody. \u201cIt happened seven years ago. Presumably, there is no evidence. It also looks like a \u2018he said, she said\u2019 story. It would be difficult to prove it criminally.”<\/p>\n
It could be, however, that the positives end there. That\u2019s because the series of graphic accusations in the suit, filed in New York state court, threaten to dwarf concerns around Black\u2019s ties to Epstein, which until now have only been established as financial.<\/p>\n
The legal battle with Ganieva, which may very well result in a trial, could drag on for years.<\/p>\n
“Ms. Ganieva’s allegations of harassment and other inappropriate behavior are categorically untrue,\u201d Black said in a statement on Tuesday (His reps declined to comment further on Wednesday). \u201cThis frivolous lawsuit is riddled with lies, and is nothing more than a wholesale fiction.”<\/p>\n
Black will likely aim to narrow the case to the defamation claims and seek confidentiality as often as possible — a request that won\u2019t necessarily be granted by a judge, according to experts. In about a year, look for Black to file a motion to dismiss the suit before offering Ganieva any money, says Patrick Boyd of the Boyd Law Group.<\/p>\n
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Ganieva\u2019s lawyers didn\u2019t speak with Black\u2019s legal team before filing the suit, according to a source briefed on the situation. That\u2019s \u201cslightly unusual,\u201d according to Boyd, who says Ganieva may have feared Black would preempt her suit with a media offensive of his own, making it difficult to air her allegations. <\/p>\n
Ganieva\u2019s law firm Wigdor declined to comment. Nevertheless, Moody says Ganieva\u2019s case looks strong and will survive a motion to dismiss. A jury trial is three to six years away, sources said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s difficult to see how a narrative can be created by Black to counter the claims and get a summary judgment,\u201d Moody said.<\/p>\n