Full Tilt pro obtains dismissal from lawsuit
Phil Gordon is committed to the return of player funds, but "never participated" in management decisions.
Phil Gordon, a professional poker player and member of Team Full Tilt, has obtained a voluntary dismissal from the class action suit brought against the company and multiple individuals on 30 June.
According to a statement from his legal representatives, Los Angeles-based firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (GDC), Gordon “never participated in any management decisions or operational roles at Full Tilt.”
The firm also revealed that Gordon is the only individual to have obtained such a dismissal, and the case against a further 12 members of Team Full Tilt, plus indicted founders Ray Bitar and Nelson Burtnick and multiple ‘John Does’ and companies affiliated to Full Tilt Poker, continues. Gordon’s lawyer Maurice Suh explained that “No money changed hands as part of this dismissal”.
Following the ruling, plaintiffs Steve Segal, Nick Hammer, Robin Hougdahl and Todd Terry “moved to impose a constructive trust on Full Tilt”, according to GDC, meaning “Full Tilt’s funds could [potentially] be held under court supervision during the pendency of the case.”
In a statement seen by eGaming Review, Gordon said: “I have always held myself to the highest standards of conduct. As part of that, I have repeatedly emphasized that Full Tilt should repay the U.S. players as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile an online poker player has filed a claim for more than $95,000 against Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker for the return of funds frozen by the United States Department of Justice.
Adam Webb is reported to have had $58,917.90 in a FTP account and a further $36,531.73 in an Absolute Poker account
According to a statement presented by Webb to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, he said: “These funds were earned by and belong to me and were in the position of Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker, respectively, at the time that their bank accounts were seized by the plaintiff in this case.”
His lawyer, Steven L Kessler, could not be reached for comment.
Last Friday was the deadline for players to file claims pertaining to money not returned by the three US-facing sites whose owners were indicted in 15 April, although Pokerstars has already paid back American players to the tune of more than $120m.
The Poker Players Alliance had issued guidelines for those unsure of their legal position when making a claim against the sites in question.