Yesterday we all learned a valuable lesson about what happens when you address Steven A. Cohen as “Stevie” in the presence of his outside counsel, Martin Klotz, as evidenced by a recently unsealed deposition (you get one warning and then you end up in the trunk of a 1987 Cadillac Sedan De Ville, is what). Unfortunately, crucial dialogue between Klotz and Michael Bowe, the Fairfax Financial lawyer who was questioning Cohen, was cut off. And that part was just as important. You see, just because you can’t call him Stevie, doesn’t mean you can just call him anything you want, unless you’re okay with getting Sonny Corleone’d the next time you drive through a toll plaza without EZ Pass.
After Bowe said he was sorry if “using the word Stevie” caused offense, Klotz continued.
Klotz: Why don’t you use the word “Mr. Cohen”?
Bowe: Steven Cohen.
Klotz: Why don’t you call him Mr. Cohen.
Bowe: I’ll tell you what, Marty, I’ll question this witness however I like.
Klotz: I just ask that you be professional.
Bowe: You know what’s not professional is when you accuse someone of doing something intentionally when you have no idea whether they did or didn’t. Okay? That’s not professional.
The transcripts don’t allude to any gestures Klotz made at this point, but it’s clear Bowe got the picture because he immediately moves onto other questioning.
Full Fairfax Transcript [Reuters]
Earlier: SAC Capital Lawyer Martin Klotz Showed Enormous Restraint In Not Dealing With This Guy By Driving Him Out To The Pine Barrens
Steven Cohen In His Own Words [Reuters]
Shit got real in that deposition
-Shaniqua
Posting frequency at DB is inversely proportional to the number of adult beverages consumed by DB staff over a 24 hour moving average.
I don't know what the hell kind of unit you're running here
-Colonel Jessep
It's not even really because of the alcohol, it's all the sugar in those margs that really gets you the next day.
It moved.
-Ping
Jesus, these two should be named Muffley and Kissoff…
"Don't say that you're more professional than I am, because I'm capable of being just as professional as you are… So we're both professional, all right?… All right."
Then Mr. Cohen quoted Mr. Iverson and told them both to "Go to hell"
Martin B. Klotz > Lionel Hutz
Not sure about that.
-UBS Diabetes Quant
That`s bad!
When keeping it real goes wrong…
I worked with Marty for about a year as a young associate. He's a sharp litigator. From this snippet, it seems like Marty tried to prevent opposing counsel's use of informal language to lull the witness into some sort of Stockholm Syndrome-like state of mind. Good job (as usual) Marty — and kudos to opposing counsel as well for attempting to use a psychological trigger to loosen up the witness.