Opinion ID: 2758262
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Meisels

Text: Alvin Meisels’s relationship with Sandy Hutchens dates back to at least 2004 when Meisels represented Hutchens in connection with criminal charges for fraud. Meisels is an Ontario, Canada lawyer alleged to have advised Hutchens throughout the period relevant to this action. Plaintiffs contend that Meisels frequently certified the legitimacy of Hutchens’s ability to fund loan commitments. According to the complaint, Meisels was on notice about Hutchens’s criminal history from the outset of their relationship. Meisels also represented Hutchens in a 2006 lawsuit alleging that Hutchens committed a similar advance-fee loan fraud. Meisels subsequently served as counsel to Hutchens in an action to secure an injunction against Brent Hillyer, who was allegedly the source of several defamatory internet postings about Hutchens. All told, from 2004 until March 2010, Meisels provided legal representation to Hutchens and various other defendants. Plaintiffs specifically allege that Meisels vouched for the bona fides of several defendant entities on $420 million worth of loan commitments to borrowers based out of Florida. Meisels also served as a reference for Hutchens and frequently disseminated positive information while withholding facts that tended to show Hutchens’s criminal past or other sordid factors. -12-