Miami Heat Owner Now Threatening To Separately Sue The Lawyer Defending Blogger Who Linked To Unflattering Image

from the the-plot-thickens dept

Tue, Jun 26th 2012 11:08am — Mike Masnick

So... remember that story we just had about Raanan Katz, a real estate developer and a minority owner of the Miami Heat suing a blogger for defamation (and seeking to have her entire blog shut down and stop her from future posting) and then for copyright infringement over a hotlink to an "unflattering" photo of Katz? We'd mentioned that the blogger was defended by lawyer Marc Randazza, who has now revealed that Katz's lawyers are now threatening to sue him directly if he doesn't give up confidential attorney-client communications.

Katz's lawyers sent Randazza a "draft complaint" they say they are prepared to file against him, claiming that he "acted in concert" with the blogger, and "substantially assisted or encouraged her in unlawful activities or have given substantial assistance to her in accomplishing a tortious result, and your own conduct, separately considered, constitutes a breach of duty."

Randazza has responded, in court as part of the ongoing lawsuit, asking for a protective order against this "threatened litigation," which Randazza suggests is really intended to get access to communications between him and his client, breaking lawyer-client confidentiality.

This letter seeks discovery of facts and circumstances outside of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.... This letter seeks exculpatory data from a Defendant's attorney which is clearly attorney-client communications. In order to avoid being sued by RKA, defense counsel must tell RKA's lawyers how and why defense counsel did not assist or promote Defendant's critical blogging about the RKA Plaintiffs.

Given the activity in this case already, this certainly feels like an attempt to bury the case in more paperwork. We've seen this kind of thing before, with wealthy individuals who file a bunch of lawsuits, including against the lawyers who defend those they sue. It certainly seems like an attempt to create a nuisance, rather than to address any actual legal conflict (and, yes, to Katz's lawyers: that's an opinion).

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Filed Under: civil procedure, confidentiality, defamation, marc randazza, raanan katz
Companies: miami heat

18 Comments

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Glen, 26 Jun 2012 @ 11:18am

Almost sounds like the Carreon effect. Almost!!
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Josef Anvil (profile), 26 Jun 2012 @ 11:18am

smh
I'm actually surprised that TechDirt doesn't get sued daily.
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Almost Anonymous (profile), 26 Jun 2012 @ 11:20am

Official proclamation
I officially declare 2012 as the "Year of the Double Down."
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weneedhelp (profile), 26 Jun 2012 @ 11:28am

Carreon
In full effect.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jun 2012 @ 11:33am

Re: Official proclamation
What does a chicken sandwich have to do with the Miami Heat?

insert appropriate "Why did the chicken joke".....
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el_segfaulto (profile), 26 Jun 2012 @ 11:45am

Re: Official proclamation
To borrow from the game of poker...all in. When my friends and I are dealing with our significant others and we do something wrong, the rest of the group will inevitably goad the other into going all in. In this instance, if you're going to go to crazy town, go all the way.
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WTF?, 26 Jun 2012 @ 11:51am

how did this guy even get his job? hes acting like he is ####### 4 years old.

grow the hell up katz.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jun 2012 @ 12:06pm

Now you've done it! You've reset the clock on the statute of limitations on his libel complaint! =P
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OldGeezer (profile), 26 Jun 2012 @ 12:25pm

Coo-Coo Coo-Coo
This is a case where this idiot is so wealthy where everyone in his circle including his attorneys won't tell him how insane this whole legal tantrum is. The whole rest of the country is mocking him for just how stupid this makes him look.
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Ninja (profile), 26 Jun 2012 @ 12:27pm

Re: smh
Reminds me of that part of TPB site where they post the takedown notices and their hilarious responses. TD should have such section. The replies might not be as hilarious but it would be quite fun to read the whole thing ;D
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jun 2012 @ 12:47pm

the guy is angry about a photo. big deal. if he was going to get so upset, he shouldn't have pulled the face in the first place.
out of curiosity, is this site going for a record of some sort concerning the number of dick heads it can write about that are suing god knows who over god knows what ridiculous claim?
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The eejit (profile), 26 Jun 2012 @ 1:03pm

Re: Re: Official proclamation
Why did the chicken play for the Heat?

To get more column inches!
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jun 2012 @ 1:26pm

GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jun 2012 @ 2:01pm

Is that the same Ranaan Katz who gambled away all his wifes money and loves to have unprotected sex with great danes while being spanked by black transvestite prostitutes? What a dirt-bag.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jun 2012 @ 7:12pm

Re: Coo-Coo Coo-Coo
Maybe it is a bid to win Sports Jerk of the Year from Tank McNamara in the comics. Snyder has done it twice.
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Wolfy, 26 Jun 2012 @ 7:20pm

This Katz character sounds like a walking, talking advertisement for retro-active birth control.
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BeeAitch (profile), 26 Jun 2012 @ 8:12pm

I have to take umbrage with the continued reference to Katz being referred to as a "minority owner".

What does his ethnicity have to do with anything, anyway?

;)
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jun 2012 @ 8:56pm

Re: Re: Coo-Coo Coo-Coo
I suppose all publicity is good publicity then
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