21 Feb “Wolf of Wall Street” Lawyer Sues for $25 Million

Andrew Greene is the lawyer who was in charge of corporate finance at defamed brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont, depicted in the hit movie “The Wolf of Wall Street”. As we know the movie is based on the book of the same name by convicted felon turned motivational speaker, Stratton founder and CEO Jordan Belfort. In Belfort’s book Greene is named, but in the movie they give him a different name, Nicky “Rugrat” Koskoff. The movie does not treat Rugrat well, depicting him as using illegal drugs and prostitutes and being involved in money laundering and some other fairly depraved activities that permeate Martin Scorcese’s somewhat controversial film. They also make fun of his toupee.

So the real Andrew Greene, whose law license in California is inactive, has now sued to get $25 million and to have the movie pulled from theaters. Why? He says the move defames him and his image because the change of name only thinly veils his real identity. The toupee, he says, is made fun of in an “egregiously offensive manner.” My favorite quote from the New York Post has Greene’s lawyer saying he “worked diligently to create an environment of regulatory compliance and oversight at Stratton Oakmont.”

While we are here to provide commentary, when it comes to Stratton and Belfort, I think the movie and book and story speak for themselves. Regarding Attorney Greene, well there are two sides to every story, and if the movie can be shown to have falsely shown his proclivities he may indeed have a case.