Law Office of Max Rodriguez

We are very excited to have @vanessabraganza.bsky.social joining us this summer in our first ever class of summer law clerks!

19.02.2025 15:32 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

It will be several months before a three-judge panel decides whether to reverse the lower court’s decision. If we prevail, the case will return to the District Court and proceed to discovery.

Indebted to my dogged legal team led by @max-e-rodriguez.bsky.social and Rylee Somers-Flanagan. 🙏 3/3

30.12.2024 21:24 — 👍 30    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

PRESS RELEASE Nina Jankowicz Appeal Filed in Defamation Suit Against Fox Today, Nina Jankowicz filed an appeal in her defamation suit against Fox News Network and Fox Corporation. Jankowicz’s appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Delaware lays out why the lower court applied the wrong legal standard when granting FOX’s motion to dismiss. “As we argue in the brief,the lower court’s ruling in this case did not give Nina’s allegations the deference they deserved. This principle has been laid out repeatedly in precedent from the Third Circuit and the Supreme Court,” said Max Rodriguez, one of Jankowicz’s lead attorneys in this case. “As laid out in the brief, these errors and others were made throughout the lower court’s decision and the Third Circuit must reverse and remand.” Jankowicz’s defamation suit was filed against Fox after the network’s months-long drumbeat of false narratives about her and her tenure as Executive Director of the DHS Disinformation Governance Board created disastrous consequences for her, including Fox’s audience harassing her, calling for her death, inviting her to commit suicide, revealing personally identifying information like her home address, and threatening her family. Jankowicz’s appeal explains how the District Court committed one error that permeated every issue it reached and made each of its holdings erroneous. Despite citing the well-established rules for the standard of review on a motion to dismiss, the District Court failed to accept Jankowicz’s well-pleaded allegations as true, failed to draw all inferences from those allegations, and failed to draw inferences in her favor. Instead, the District Court rejected the truth of Jankowicz’s allegations, drew its own inferences not based on the Complaint, and drew inferences in Fox’s favor.

In the brief, my team argues that the lower court applied the wrong legal standard when granting Fox’s Motion to Dismiss. Despite citing the well-established rules for the standard of review on a motion to dismiss, the District Court failed to accept our well-pleaded allegations as true. 2/

30.12.2024 21:24 — 👍 19    🔁 4    💬 1    📌 0

Ending the year on a busy but proud note, today our team along with Upper Seven Law filed an appellate brief in the 3rd Circuit on behalf of @ninajankowicz.com in her defamation case against Fox News. We are deeply honored and proud to represent Nina and help her fight for the justice she deserves.

30.12.2024 21:41 — 👍 16    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0

Real-Estate Manager Lafayette Settles Covid Fraud Case The $1 billion private investment firm counts Carlyle Group as a partner.

Thank you to @wsj.com for covering this landmark case. We are so grateful to have helped whistleblower Jesus Nunez-Unda shed light on this wrongdoing and hold the defendants accountable.
www.wsj.com/articles/rea...

20.12.2024 16:37 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 2

Private Asset Manager, Majority Owner Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan A private asset manager based in New York City and its founder and majority owner have agreed to pay $680,000 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly making false ce...

Read the DOJ press release for more info on this settlement, and check out our website to learn more about qui tam whistleblower cases. Links in bio!
www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr...

19.12.2024 15:22 — 👍 2    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 1

Whistleblowers are key to holding companies accountable for their fraud on American taxpayers. It takes bravery and determination to shed light on wrongdoing, and we are grateful to our clients for allowing us to help them do just that.

19.12.2024 15:22 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

Although PPP fraud has been a high priority for DOJ in the last several years, most cases have turned on simpler schemes like fake employees or concealed affiliates. This is the first PPP fraud case resolved based on an applicant’s fraudulent certification of economic necessity.

19.12.2024 15:22 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

Instead of using the funds to pay existing employees in the face of extreme economic uncertainty as Congress intended, the defendants fraudulently used PPP funds as free capital to expand and hire new executives while their business wasn't in jeopardy. This is a landmark case.

19.12.2024 15:22 — 👍 2    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0

As successful operators with sophisticated analytics, the defendants saw their business improving in real time as renters fled multi-family housing for safety during the pandemic. Still, they took advantage of the PPP program, claiming they needed funds for ongoing operations.

19.12.2024 15:22 — 👍 2    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

BREAKING NEWS: Whistleblower helps DOJ reach $680,000 settlement in groundbreaking PPP fraud case. Logo: Law Office of Max Rodriguez

BIG NEWS! DOJ has settled a whistleblower lawsuit filed by our client against a large real estate asset manager who wrongly obtained PPP loans. This is the first time a company has been held accountable for claiming to need aid while business was booming during the pandemic. 🧵👇

19.12.2024 15:22 — 👍 7    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 3