Sign In
Events
Newsletters
Search

Close

Close Search

Cancel

SEARCH
MY LAW.COMNEW

Befekadu v. Addis Int'l Money Transfer

The trial court failed to apply the correct legal standards when disqualifying the defendant's counsel.

X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

Addis International Money Transfer, LLC the “LLC”, and a majority of its members collectively, “Addis” sued Tsega Befekadu for conversion and misappropriation of the LLC’s assets and for breach of fiduciary duty. During the first trial of those claims, the trial court disqualified Befekadu’s counsel and declared a mistrial. Befekadu proceeded pro se at the second trial, and the jury awarded Addis compensatory damages for the conversion claim, attorney fees and expenses, and punitive damages. The trial court subsequently entered an order and final judgment based on the jury’s verdict. Befekadu appeals that order and the disqualification order from the first trial. We conclude that the trial court did not apply the correct legal standards when disqualifying counsel for Befekadu and therefore vacate the judgment and remand the case to the trial court for proceedings consistent with this opinion. With respect to Befekadu’s appeal of the final judgment, we conclude that he has abandoned the errors he enumerated with respect to the second trial because he failed to support them with argument or citation of authority.

The LLC was formed in 2006 as a small money transferring company that was principally involved in transferring funds between the United States and Ethiopia. There were originally four members of the LLC — Mesfin Shibeshi, Befekadu, Thomas Teshome, and Woinshet Desta. Shibeshi was the president, Befekadu was the treasurer, Teshome was the secretary, and Desta was a cashier. All of the members had contributed at least $7,000.00 to become a part of the LLC. The LLC conducted business without a written operating agreement.

Trending Stories

 
Reprints & Licensing
Mentioned in a Law.com story?

License our industry-leading legal content to extend your thought leadership and build your brand.

LEARN MORE

More From ALM

Premium Subscription
With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now
Team Accounts
Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now
Bundle Subscriptions
Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now
Go to CLE Center
New England Legal Awards 2024
September 26, 2024
Boston, MA

The New England Legal Awards serves as a testament to the outstanding contributions and achievements made by legal professionals.


Learn More
GlobeSt. Multifamily Fall 2024
October 15, 2024
Los Angeles, CA

Join the industry's top owners, investors, developers, brokers & financiers at THE MULTIFAMILY EVENT OF THE YEAR!


Learn More
California Legal Awards 2024
October 15, 2024
Los Angeles, CA

Law.com celebrates the California law firms and legal departments driving the state's dynamic legal landscape.


Learn More
Go to Events Go to Webcasts
Attorney Associate

Mid sized NYC Personal Injury Defense Firm seeking to immediately hire several attorneys to join our firm. Preferred candidates are those w...


Apply Now ›
Litigation Associate Attorney

Mid-size Parsippany based law firm with a statewide practice is searching for a full-time motivated associate litigation attorney with 3-5 y...


Apply Now ›
Litigation Associate - Princeton, NJ

Description: Fox Rothschild has an opening in Princeton, NJ for an associate in the Litigation Department. The ideal candidate will have tw...


Apply Now ›
Go to Lawjobs