MEDIA – A Philadelphia law firm and one of its Delaware County-based attorneys have launched a defamation and slander lawsuit against individuals the firm says falsely accused it of stealing money from its investors.
Keller & Goggin, P.C. of Philadelphia and Robert S. Goggin III of Newtown Square filed suit in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas on Nov. 22 versus Jack Lane and Lori Lane of Berwyn and Joseph Cooney, of Collegeville.
“All three defendants manufactured a false story detailing the theft of investor monies, and that of James Gautieri Jr., by the law firm of Keller & Goggin P.C. and Robert S. Goggin III. All three defendants published these false stories of the theft of investor monies, and that of James Gautieri Jr., to friends, business associates and colleagues of plaintiffs, and to Robert S Goggin III’s and Keller & Goggin’s clients,” the suit says.
“All three defendants published these false stories of the theft of investor monies, and that of James Gautieri Jr., both in writing and by spoken word, and to the damage and detriment of Keller & Goggin P.C. and Robert S. Goggin III.”
Goggin continued that he and his firm were accused of misappropriating $1.1 million of investor funds by the defendants, who intended to cause damage to the plaintiffs’ reputation.
“All three defendants published these false stories of the theft of investor monies of by Robert S. Goggin III, specifically by accepting a $1,100,000 dollar investment, thereafter producing an investor note for the investor and failing to deposit the $1,100,000 in the investments’ account, instead converting the monies for plaintiffs’ use,” the suit states.
“The third parties to whom these false allegations were published by whatever means understood the defamatory nature of the communication. Plaintiffs Robert S. Goggin III and Keller & Goggin P.C. are private persons as defined in the statute and applicable law. As a result of the defamatory and untrue nature of the communication to third parties both plaintiffs has suffered damages, special damages and punitive damages.”
For counts of defamation, slander, intentional infliction of emotional distress and conspiracy, the plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000 and punitive damages.
The plaintiffs are represented by Robert S. Goggin III of Keller & Goggin, in Philadelphia.
The defendants have not yet obtained legal counsel.
Delaware County Court of Common Pleas case CV-2021-009465
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com