Jeffrey Epstein sued Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein, West Palm Beach lawyer Bradley J. Edwards, and Edwards's client 'L.M.' in December 2009, alleging they orchestrated a multimillion-dollar extortion plot that relied on fabricated abuse claims and threatened publicity.12 The racketeering count fell early, yet defamation and related tort claims moved forward; Edwards counter-sued for malicious prosecution, and the dispute dragged on for nine years.34 Jury selection opened on 4 December 2018; minutes later Epstein settled, issued a written apology conceding Edwards 'did nothing wrong,' and paid a confidential sum reported near $5.5 million.56 The outcome exposed Epstein's tactic of attacking opposing counsel and publicly validated the underlying victim claims.78
Case Filing (2009)
The complaint—case no. 50-2009-CA-040800 in Broward County—named Rothstein, Edwards, and L.M. as defendants.2 Epstein pleaded Florida RICO, civil conspiracy, abuse of process, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.1 He alleged the lawyers recruited accusers, falsified evidence, and threatened to destroy his reputation unless he settled.9
Epstein's Allegations
Epstein claimed Rothstein's firm fabricated settlement papers and that Edwards leveraged those documents in negotiations, portraying the pattern as organized extortion.17 Rothstein's separate arrest for a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme intensified scrutiny; prosecutors later said Edwards was one of Rothstein's victims, not a conspirator.1011
Edwards's Counterclaim
Edwards sued Epstein for malicious prosecution and defamation, asserting the lawsuit aimed to intimidate him and silence clients litigating under the Crime Victims' Rights Act.47 These claims survived dispositive motions, leaving Epstein exposed to a jury trial once Rothstein entered federal custody.5
Litigation Timeline
The court dismissed the RICO count on legal-sufficiency grounds in 2011 but let defamation and abuse-of-process counts proceed, prompting years of depositions, including two sessions of Epstein's own testimony.312 The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed key pre-trial rulings in 2015, clearing a path to the December 2018 trial date.13
Settlement and Apology (2018)
On the first day of jury selection, Epstein agreed to resolve both suits.65 His written statement acknowledged Edwards 'has always acted in good faith and in the best interests of his clients,' retracting all contrary claims.414 Local reports placed the payment at roughly $5.5 million, though the figure remains under seal.65
Impact
The apology dismantled Epstein's narrative that abuse lawsuits were shakedowns, strengthened Edwards's larger CVRA litigation against federal prosecutors, and foreshadowed renewed scrutiny that led to Epstein's 2019 arrest.415 Observers noted the strategic collapse: the financier who tried to brand victims' counsel as extortionists capitulated the moment a jury loomed.75