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Michael Avenatti Hit With $4.85 Million Ruling in Legal Dispute

Michael Avenatti Hit With $4.85 Million Ruling in Lawyer Lawsuit

(Bloomberg) -- Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who represents adult movie star Stormy Daniels in her fight against President Donald Trump, was ordered to pay $4.85 million to an attorney who worked with him at his former firm.

A California state court judge issued the ruling at a hearing Monday in Los Angeles, according to Eric George, the attorney who represents Jason Frank in the case. Frank, who had worked at Eagan Avenatti LLP, sued Avenatti in May because he had personally guaranteed the money Frank was owed under a settlement with the law firm.

"Any judgment issued against me will be deducted from the over $12 million that Jason Frank owes me and my law firm Avenatti & Associates as a result of his fraud," Avenatti said in an email, which didn’t elaborate on the fraud claim. "We look forward to receiving our check for over $7 million."

To contact the reporter on this story: Edvard Pettersson in Los Angeles at epettersson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Elizabeth Wollman at ewollman@bloomberg.net, Peter Blumberg, Joe Schneider

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