Crypto lawyer desires to depose Changpeng Zhao for civil case

Adam Moskowitz, who has been the lead lawyer in various civil circumstances involving crypto companies, filed a movement to take a deposition from former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao.

In a Dec. 8 submitting in the US District Courtroom for the Southern District of Flordia Miami Division, Moskowitz stated Zhao’s testimony can be “essential to the claims and defenses of all events” concerned. The legislation agency filed the movement as a part of a $1 billion lawsuit against Zhao, Binance and crypto influencers, which a courtroom ordered stayed in August.

Moskowitz and his agency have represented a number of purchasers in circumstances in opposition to high-profile crypto companies and associated entities. He was counsel for a lot of victims of the collapse of FTX in a lawsuit targeting celebrities who promoted the crypto trade, in addition to a swimsuit claiming investors suffered losses from soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo touting Binance’s nonfungible tokens.

“Usually, as a result of CZ is a named defendant, we might simply ship a discover for his deposition,” Moskowitz advised Cointelegraph. “In our case, all of us agreed to attend on discovery, till the choose guidelines on Binance’s demand that we litigate our class motion earlier than the AAA arbitration affiliation. Regardless [of] the place we find yourself, CZ’s testimony will probably be essential for all events.”

The crypto lawyer stated the submitting got here in response to a Washington choose ordering Zhao to remain within the U.S. till his sentencing in February 2024. In November, U.S. authorities introduced a $4.3 billion settlement with Binance by which CZ stepped down as CEO and pleaded responsible to at least one felony cost.

“[W]e don’t know how lengthy CZ will probably be sentenced to jail, may very well be 60 years or no years, we have been definitely not concerned within the discussions between CZ and the federal government,” stated Moskowitz. “If he will get no jail time, he definitely flees again to UAE. If he will get jail time, it’s not straightforward to rearrange and require a deposition from jail.”

I can nonetheless publish, however misplaced my humor (if I ever had any) given the boredom…

Watching TV sucks.

— CZ BNB (@cz_binance) December 4, 2023

Associated: Binance says decision to pull Abu Dhabi licensing bid unrelated to US settlement

In accordance with Moskowitz, Zhao’s pleading responsible to federal costs, which alleged a scarcity of safeguards throughout his time as Binance CEO, might assist a few of the plaintiffs’ claims within the civil swimsuit. The case alleged Binance promoted unregistered securities, although the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee — the physique overseeing securities — was not a party to the settlement with Zhao, Binance, and the federal government.

He added:

“The SEC definitely has not slowed down their very own litigation vs. CZ and Binance and nonetheless allege that the BNB token is an unregistered safety, so there are $4 billion in alleged values, that basically may very well be zero in a single minute.”

It’s unclear whether or not a choose will grant Moskowitz’s movement, given Zhao is not CEO of Binance and has stepped again from its management. Cointelegraph reached out to Binance however didn’t obtain a response on the time of publication.

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