Menendez Brothers' Attorney Mark Geragos To Pay $100k In Alleged Nike Extortion Scheme

Mark Geragos, the high-profile defense attorney known for representing clients like Erik and Lyle Menendez, has been ordered to pay $100,000 to a California youth basketball coach for his role in a failed scheme to extort Nike.

A Los Angeles jury delivered the verdict Wednesday, siding in part with Gary Franklin, the longtime director of the California Supreme basketball program.

Franklin filed the lawsuit back in 2021, but the trial only recently began, culminating in testimony from Geragos himself and a dramatic courtroom showdown over a scheme that made national headlines.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Franklin had turned to now-disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti in early 2019 after Nike abruptly ended its $72,000-a-year sponsorship deal with his elite youth basketball program. Hoping to either reinstate the deal or secure a financial settlement, Franklin retained Avenatti, unaware that his attorney would soon use the case to pursue a massive payday for himself.

The lawsuit alleges that Avenatti exploited sensitive information Franklin shared under attorney-client privilege, including details about alleged NCAA recruiting violations.

Instead of focusing on his client's interests, Avenatti saw an opportunity to pressure Nike.

"Avenatti's plot was audacious, but simple," the suit states. "Avenatti would threaten to publicly reveal Franklin's damaging confidential information at a press conference unless Nike not only settled with Franklin, but also paid Avenatti tens of millions of dollars to conduct Nike's internal investigation into the matter."

Unbeknownst to Franklin, Avenatti enlisted Mark Geragos, who allegedly touted his "fantastic" relationship with Nike's top lawyer, to help execute the plan. Within days, the two attorneys were in Geragos' New York office threatening Nike executives with damaging revelations if their demands weren't met.

But their scheme quickly unraveled. Federal law enforcement had been secretly recording the meetings, and Avenatti was arrested on March 25, 2019. He was later convicted of extortion and other federal crimes and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Mark Geragos, while named as an unindicted co-conspirator, was never criminally charged.

Franklin's 2021 civil suit aimed to hold Geragos accountable for his alleged role in the extortion attempt. He claimed that neither attorney informed him of a $1.5 million settlement offer Nike had reportedly made. Instead, they allegedly told Nike it didn't make sense to pay Franklin an "exorbitant sum of money… in light of his role in this."

"This is betrayal. A betrayal that shattered a man's reputation," Franklin's attorney, Trent Copeland, told jurors during closing arguments. "When a lawyer betrays his fiduciary duty… that lawyer is responsible for all the harm that follows."

Mark Geragos testified in his defense, arguing that he never formally represented Franklin and was simply acting as a go-between for Avenatti and Nike.

His attorney, Sean Macias, likened the lawsuit to "suing a concierge," claiming Geragos "put two guys together," drank a Diet Coke, and stayed silent. There was no retainer agreement, no engagement letter, and no direct communication between Geragos and Franklin, the defense argued.

The jury delivered a mixed verdict. They found that Geragos aided and abetted Avenatti, knowingly assisted in wrongful conduct, and breached his legal duties. However, they also concluded he didn't defraud Franklin or directly cause him significant harm. Still, they awarded Franklin $100,000 in damages.

"We are gratified that the jurors saw through this lawsuit and found Mr. Geragos caused no harm," Macias said following the verdict.

Copeland called the award "less substantial than we believe the evidence proved," but still considered it a victory. "It's a form of accountability," he added.

Franklin, whose program produced NBA stars like DeAndre Ayton and Bol Bol, says the ordeal deeply impacted his reputation and livelihood. What began as an attempt to right a wrong became a cautionary tale about power, betrayal, and the abuse of attorney-client trust.

With this ruling, one of the most sensational legal sagas in recent memory inches toward closure, leaving a trail of damaged reputations and a $100,000 bill for one of America's most recognizable defense attorneys.