“Words Can Hurt You”:  In one of the largest defamation verdicts in Miami Dade County history, Lead Counsel Scott Mager represented a well-known CPA.

The suit arose out of a CPA who was allegedly defamed by a former partner. The disgruntled former partner of Plaintiff, after purportedly being terminated, wrote a letter to many of the Plaintiff’s clients, alleging (among other things) that he was under the influence of illegal drugs. Plaintiff claimed that he lost substantial business as a result. Defendant claimed that he had evidence supporting his allegations, and that in any event, the Plaintiff could not prove any specific damages were linked to the letter. Mager was able to show the utter absence of any evidence, showing that the wrongful conduct should never have occurred.

As many know, the challenge in defamation cases is illustrating the amount of damages suffered by the plaintiff, both from an economic loss and personal injury standpoint. Mager handled the case with class and elegance, and neatly depicted the damages through devastatingly emotional testimony from the victim/plaintiff, coupled with wonderful visual aids and detailed evidentiary showings of specific loss business as a direct result of the defamation, also utilizing.

The jury truly felt the harm suffered by the victim, and through the presentation of the evidence and what a live witness referred to as a “brilliant and emotionally moving” closing argument, Mager was able to secure a $9,400,000 verdict, including $1,000,000 in punitive damages.