SAN FRANCISCO, April 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A prominent
Argentine lawyer filed a multimillion-dollar federal complaint
against Uber for the unimaginable harm Uber inflicted on him as a
result of Uber's recklessly orchestrated entry into Buenos
Aires.
The suit was filed Friday, April
12, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
California. The plaintiff is
represented by McDonald Hopkins LLC. A copy of the complaint can be
found here.
The complaint asserts that Uber's introduction into Argentina's capital city, as has been a
pattern in the company's tumultuous entry into new markets, took
the approach that it is better to ask for forgiveness than
permission. However, Uber's risk was not its own. Uber retained the
plaintiff years before the launch simply to be the legal
representative of Uber and to set up a local subsidiary in
preparation for potential future operations. Instead of consulting
or even giving plaintiff fair warning before beginning operations,
Uber launched operations which – even today – are regarded by city
government and taxing authorities as in violation of applicable
laws. The launch, which the plaintiff only learned about via a spam
email, was disastrous, causing him to endure years of prosecution
under two criminal investigations, including charges for aggravated
tax evasion which could lead to years of imprisonment.
Additional threatened charges of evasion of federal and provincial
taxes and money laundering also loom over the plaintiff's
head. This widely publicized ordeal has been a staggering
blow to the plaintiff.
The complaint details a pattern of deceit whereby "Uber, a
multibillion-dollar international behemoth with near limitless
resources, allowed [plaintiff], who played no role in its
operations, to be thrown to the wolves and bear the brunt of the
eminently predictable public outcry, labor union and taxi driver
rage, political pressure, police actions, and criminal
charges. With [plaintiff] as a scapegoat, Uber's real
Argentine counsel and advisors continued to operate behind the
scenes unscathed." The complaint seeks compensatory and
punitive damages for breach of fiduciary duty, deceit, fraud,
negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional
distress.
Stephen J. Rosenfeld, the
plaintiff's counsel, said "We filed the lawsuit to right an
unspeakable wrong. A good and decent man with a 30-year
career and an impeccable reputation – until his path crossed Uber's
– has been fingerprinted, branded as a criminal, and devastated as
a result of Uber's conduct. His name was synonymous with tax
evasion and illegal activity even though Uber committed all of the
alleged wrongdoing. Uber has yet to even publicly apologize
for what it considers a mere inconvenience or collateral
damage. This abhorrent conduct must be deterred, and the only
way Uber will stop bullying others is to have someone like my
client say enough is enough. Uber cannot trample over others
and the law any longer."
About McDonald Hopkins
Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins
is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with locations in
Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Miami, and West Palm
Beach. With more than 50 service and industry teams, the
firm has the expertise and knowledge to meet the growing number of
legal and business challenges our clients face. For more
information about McDonald Hopkins,
visit mcdonaldhopkins.com.
CONTACT:
David Carducci
McDonald Hopkins LLC
600 Superior Avenue, East, Suite 2100
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Phone: 216.348.5814
Email: dcarducci@mcdonaldhopkins.com
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SOURCE McDonald Hopkins