I am counsel to Brian Mullaney for the continued, and hopefully final, saga of Charles Wang’s multi-year crusade against him. By their own admission, Mr. Wang and his lawyers have spent tens of millions in funds that were otherwise meant for charitable pursuits to smear Mr. Mullaney.
Ultimately, it was a single arbitrator’s decision, not subject to appeal or review by any court, that forced Mr. Mullaney’s charity WonderWork into bankruptcy. There can be no question Mr. Wang and his attorneys made multiple complaints to regulators in their relentless pursuit of Mr. Mullaney, not one of which was ever deemed worthy of pursuit.
Ordinarily i would not comment on a pending matter. However, this case clearly stinks.
A billionaire’s power to use charitable funds to enrich his lawyers while destroying an otherwise hard working, well intentioned, successful businessman. It is no secret that the matter was triggered by Mr. Wang’s animosity for Mr. Mullaney.
Consider that for the tens of millions Mr. Wang spent of otherwise charitable contributions on legal proceedings he achieved the closure of WonderWork which had to that point raised and spent in excess of $50 million in five years towards wonderful life saving surgeries that lift human spirits, and is left with what the WonderWork bankruptcy court has found to be a poorly drafted complaint against Mr. Mullaney.
The court’s careful examination of that complaint has eliminated the vast majority of damages claimed in it. A textbook example of the abuse of power.
In any event, my understanding is that some people may have concerns about the litigation, and the publicity surrounding it. I would wholeheartedly endorse Mr. Mullaney, having worked closely on the matter with him.
This has been a real travesty, for a person who simply did not deserve it.
Bijan Amini
Bijan Amini is an executive officer and principal of Amini, LLC.
His practice is national in scope and he specializes in litigating complex commercial disputes, both in the civil and bankruptcy contexts, and excels at negotiating transactions. Bijan has tried cases in both federal and state courts nationwide, as well as various arbitral tribunals nationally and internationally, including the American Arbitration Association, JAMS, and the ICC.
Bijan represents a number of bankruptcy trustees in various matters, including proceedings against professionals formerly employed by Debtors, the Debtors’ former officers and directors, and in preference actions in selected matters. In both the civil and bankruptcy context, he regularly handles malpractice actions both for and against attorneys, accountants and other professionals, and has extensive experience in litigating coverage disputes with insurance carriers.
Additionally, Bijan counsels and litigates on behalf of clients in employment disputes with major brokerage and other financial institutions, generally at the managing director level. He also negotiates contracts on behalf of start-up companies with angel investors, certain hotel and restaurant-related management contracts, and contracts for professionals in the media and film industry.
Bijan has prosecuted and defended claims under federal antitrust, securities, bankruptcy and RICO statutes. He also has extensive experience in commercial, employment and intellectual property litigation. Bijan regularly acts as a court-appointed referee and mediator in complex commercial cases pending in the New York Courts.
Bijan has received Martindale Hubble’s highest AV rating from his peers, and was named a top rated business litigation attorney in New York by Super Lawyers in 2009. He received his J.D. and M.A from the University of Michigan, and is licensed to practice law in New York and Washington D.C.