MPA Law wins final summary judgment for client Claudia Villafañe against Diego Maradona in Miami

After a long, contentious, and drawn-out litigation, Circuit Judge Carlos Lopez found that the 2015 case filed by soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona, against his former wife Claudia Villafañe was filed with no evidence to support it. Instead, the case appears to have been filed relying on statements made by Maradona’s then manager and Argentine counsel Matias Morla.

After years of litigation, the Court found no evidence to support Maradona’s allegations. This Order granting summary judgment is not only the end of the case, but it clears Villafañe’s name of these false allegations, which both Morla and Maradona misrepresented in news outlets and public filings.

Circuit Judge Carlos Lopez of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, issued on Friday, October 20, a final order in favor of Villafañe, disposing of the entire case in summary judgment, putting an end to this international dispute that was frequently on the news in Argentina and around the world.

Maradona’s case included counts for unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, constructive fraud, constructive trust, and equitable accounting, and alleged that Villafañe had stolen over two million dollars from Maradona to purchase properties in South Florida.

Maradona also alleged that he had discovered the purported theft through a 2014 audit of his finances done by his Argentine counsel and manager, Matias Morla, who was recently involved in investigations regarding Maradona’s death.

During litigation, Circuit Judge Carlos Lopez of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, had found that the purported 2015 audit never existed and, as a result, sanctioned the estate of Maradona for misrepresenting its existence in the complaint and in discovery.

The order granting Villafañe’s motion for summary judgment is based on the lack of evidence of theft by Villafañe and on the statute of limitations, given that Maradona had alleged that the theft had taken place in 2000, while he was recovering in Cuba from addictions.

Villafañe is represented by partners Paula Aguila and Monica Amador of MPA LAW.

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