…Researched and contributed by Jack Sylva.
The Moskowitz Law Firm, which represents victims affected by the FTX collapse, has publicly appealed to NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal to accept their legal complaint.
The law firm has attempted several times to serve O’Neal, who endorsed the now-defunct crypto exchange, but his security guards have not allowed them to do so.
The Failed Attempts to Serve O’Neal:
In an April 7 court filing, it was stated that plaintiffs have made numerous attempts in various locations to serve O’Neal, but have been unsuccessful.
The legal courier in Texas received a threatening message after making the “eighth most recent attempt” to serve O’Neal at his Texas residence.
The plaintiffs have stated that it is “finally time” to start attempting to contact O’Neal via other means, such as “direct messages to his verified social media accounts.”
The Appeal to O’Neal:
The Moskowitz Law Firm has publicly appealed to O’Neal to show “courtesy and honor” by accepting their legal complaint.
The law firm has been standing outside O’Neal’s TNT studios in Atlanta all week to serve him on behalf of FTX investors, but his security guards have reportedly not let them in.
The law firm has emphasized that O’Neal is the only one among the “FTX celebrities” who has not yet been served and should allow their process servers to deliver the legal complaint on his behalf so he can defend himself in the matter.
The Court’s Decision:
On March 9, it was reported that U.S. District judge Kevin Moore is considering dismissing O’Neal and tennis athlete Naomi Osaka from the lawsuit, after pointing out it is unclear whether the two had been served.
A paperless order was issued by Moore, giving FTX customers until December to provide justification on why both stars should be included in the lawsuit.
Commentary:
The legal battle against FTX and its celebrity endorsers continues, with Shaquille O’Neal being the only one among the “FTX celebrities” who has not yet been served.
The Moskowitz Law Firm’s public appeal to O’Neal to accept their legal complaint shows the extent of their efforts to hold those responsible for the FTX collapse accountable.
The court’s decision to consider dismissing O’Neal and Naomi Osaka from the lawsuit highlights the importance of proper service of legal documents.
The outcome of this legal battle will have significant implications for the crypto industry and the regulation of celebrity endorsements.