Chandler V. Berlin Et Al

Case Background

On September 14, 2018, Christopher Chandler, chairman and founder of the global investment firm Legatum Group, filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Berlin. The case revolved around a 2003 dossier created by Berlin containing explosive false allegations against Chandler that were repeated by Members of Parliament and the British press beginning in 2017. The defamation suit was filed in the United States District Court, District of Columbia (Washington, DC). Judge Amit P. Mehta presided over this case. [Case number: 1:18cv2136]

Cause

Plaintiff Christopher Chandler filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Berlin and his network of corporate entities known as Investigative Consultants Inc. (ICI). Berlin used ICI to deceive individuals seeking investigative services. He lured clients into paying exorbitant fees for worthless background reports filled with damaging false claims about various individuals, including the Chandler brothers. Between 2002 and 2003, Berlin attempted to defraud Prince Albert II of Monaco, using Robert Eringer as an intermediary. He sought payment for fake background checks on successful expatriates, including Christopher Chandler and his brother. To solicit these payments, Berlin created a 134-page document known as the Pitch. This document included outrageous false accusations, claiming the Chandlers were involved in money laundering, organized crime, and espionage. In his Pitch, Berlin inaccurately linked the Chandler brothers' investment firm, Sovereign Asset Management Limited, with unrelated companies in Bristol and Switzerland that faced legal issues. He manipulated information from various sources, presenting it as if it were credible intelligence. Additionally, he fabricated a legal dispute involving Credit Agricole Indosuez and falsely implicated the Chandlers in a conspiracy related to it. Berlin's claims escalated to absurd levels, including accusations of the brothers being Russian spies. These allegations were based on completely false assertions, such as an alleged award and supposed secret operations. His lack of genuine expertise led to glaring inaccuracies in his fabricated narrative, including outdated references to technology. In 2004, Eringer used information from Berlin’s Pitch for his report on the Chandler brothers, which he submitted to Prince Albert. By November 2017, Eringer disseminated the Pitch and the Eringer Report, leading to false media reports about Chandler's supposed criminal activities. In May 2018, the British press began reporting these baseless allegations.

Damages