Craig Wright still hasn’t paid a $143 million judgment almost two years after it was ordered, and lawyers tasked with getting it back have made no attempt to “enforce sanctions,” according to the brother of Wright’s late friend and associate Dave Kleiman.
In a court filing submitted last month, Ira Kleiman claimed that a “stay” issued by W&K Info Defence Research attorneys on June 5, 2024, which paused the deadline for Wright to pay back the fee, is being used to delay the retrieval of millions of dollars in funds.
The stay would be lifted if Wright found new counsel or if W&K attorneys permitted it. However, neither has happened 11 months after the stay was issued upon W&K’s counsel’s request.
Now, Kleiman says the stay has become a tool for “indefinite action.”
He claims that, despite repeated requests, “Counsel has declined to pursue the sanctions materially undermining the ability to locate and secure assets.” Kleiman added, “This delay has allowed Dr. Wright to evade accountability, despite the court’s explicit order.”
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Judge says W&K already has representation
Judge Beth Bloom rejected Kleiman’s motion, stating that he cannot file on W&K’s behalf as the estate is still represented by legal counsel.
She added, “Even if the estate was not represented by counsel, Mr. Kleiman would still be unauthorized to represent the estate as a pro se party, given there is no indication that Ira Kleiman is the sole beneficiary, nor is there an indication that there are no existing creditors.”
Wright’s $143 million judgment was the conclusion of Kleiman’s case against him back in 2023. Wright was fined for converting W&K’s intellectual property. Kleiman argued, “almost no steps have been taken to enforce it.”
Kleiman claims he is acting as a personal representative for his late brother’s W&K estate. In this pursuit, Kleiman claims he delayed the dissolution of Wright’s UK investment firm this year, which listings suggest held £1.5 billion ($2 billion) in cash.
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He said, “This action, taken independently of W&K attorneys, underscores the urgency for court-assisted enforcement.” He also claims that no third-party discovery has occurred, and that W&K attorneys have not collected any attorney fees the court ordered Wright to pay.
Kleiman had asked Judge Bloom to lift the stay and allow his counsel to pursue Wright over his unpaid judgment, hiring specialists to collect his assets, and issuing injunctions preventing Wright from moving his assets.
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