Professor Refutes Charges

Tyler Professor of Constitutional Law Laurence H. Tribe '62 defended himself this weekend against charges brought against him in a recent law suit.

The suit, filed by New York attorney Steven M. Kramer, accuses Tribe and his co-counsels of breach of contract, fraud, slander and interference with contract in their appeal of Lightning Lube Inc. v. Witco Corporation.

Kramer, Lightning Lube's trial attorney, claims that Tribe's $2.75 million in case fees are unwarranted and that they should be reduced by more than $2 million.

Lightning Lube is also disputing Tribe's fee in a separate binding arbitration proceeding, according to Jonathan S. Massey '85, a co-counsel in the Lightning Lube's appeal and co-defendant in the Kramer's suit.

But Tribe and his co-counsels Massey and Kenneth J. Chesebro, say that Kramer's charges are unfounded and financially motivated.

Tribe also says Kramer should be excluded from Lightning Lube's present arbitration over Tribe's fee.

"Kramer is trying to force Tribe into a deal that will cut [Tribe's fee by about75 percent and give [Kramer] about $500,000,"Massey said yesterday.

Kramer has said his fee settlement withlighting Lube calls for him to receive 25 percentof any reduction of Tribe's $2.75 million fee.

The present arbitration process betweenLightning Lube and Tribe is not unusual in NewJersey as a way to settle lawyer-client disputesout of court, Massey said.

But Tribe, Massey and Cheseboro said Kramer hasfiled the lawsuit against them in order tocircumvent the outcome of the arbitration process.

"Kramer is evidently intent on upsetting thisorderly arbitration process perhaps because hethinks that his financial fortunes would farebetter through a campaign of rumor-mongering andinnuendo," said Ira B. Karasick, the attorney forTribe and his co-defendants, in a press release.

Tribe and his co-counselors also charge thatKramer has publicized his accusations with thepress in order to pressure Tribe into accepting areduction in his fee.

"Kramer is trying to do top Tribe's good nameand reputation what Tonya Harding's people did toNancy Kerrigan's knee cap,": Massey said.

In his press release, Karasick said Kramer'srecent statements to the press, includinginterviews with The Crimson and The Harvard LawRecord, are 'part of a confessed unethicalcampaign of intimidation calculated to extortProf. Tribe and two other attorneys out of legalfees they have earned."

In a letter to U.S. District Judge William G.Bassler regarding the fee disputes, Karasick saidKramer threatened bad publicity for Tribe if asettlement was not forthcoming.

"Mr. Kramer told Michael Stein, Esq. and Mr.Karasick in separate phone conversations that hewould go to the press and ruin Mr. Tribe'sreputation and provide damaging information aboutProfessor Tribe to Senator [Orrin] Hatch [R-Utah]if Mr. Tribe refused to accept the reduced fee."

Kramer responded Yesterday that his pendinglawsuit against Tribe and its correspondingpublicity is his recourse for what he feels areTribe's wrongdoings towards him.

"I basically said to him what he did to me Iwas not going to tolerate, and I was going to tellthe people he deals with," Kramer said. "He messedwith the wrong guy.

Kramer has said his fee settlement withlighting Lube calls for him to receive 25 percentof any reduction of Tribe's $2.75 million fee.

The present arbitration process betweenLightning Lube and Tribe is not unusual in NewJersey as a way to settle lawyer-client disputesout of court, Massey said.

But Tribe, Massey and Cheseboro said Kramer hasfiled the lawsuit against them in order tocircumvent the outcome of the arbitration process.

"Kramer is evidently intent on upsetting thisorderly arbitration process perhaps because hethinks that his financial fortunes would farebetter through a campaign of rumor-mongering andinnuendo," said Ira B. Karasick, the attorney forTribe and his co-defendants, in a press release.

Tribe and his co-counselors also charge thatKramer has publicized his accusations with thepress in order to pressure Tribe into accepting areduction in his fee.

"Kramer is trying to do top Tribe's good nameand reputation what Tonya Harding's people did toNancy Kerrigan's knee cap,": Massey said.

In his press release, Karasick said Kramer'srecent statements to the press, includinginterviews with The Crimson and The Harvard LawRecord, are 'part of a confessed unethicalcampaign of intimidation calculated to extortProf. Tribe and two other attorneys out of legalfees they have earned."

In a letter to U.S. District Judge William G.Bassler regarding the fee disputes, Karasick saidKramer threatened bad publicity for Tribe if asettlement was not forthcoming.

"Mr. Kramer told Michael Stein, Esq. and Mr.Karasick in separate phone conversations that hewould go to the press and ruin Mr. Tribe'sreputation and provide damaging information aboutProfessor Tribe to Senator [Orrin] Hatch [R-Utah]if Mr. Tribe refused to accept the reduced fee."

Kramer responded Yesterday that his pendinglawsuit against Tribe and its correspondingpublicity is his recourse for what he feels areTribe's wrongdoings towards him.

"I basically said to him what he did to me Iwas not going to tolerate, and I was going to tellthe people he deals with," Kramer said. "He messedwith the wrong guy.