Bull (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 17 - Name Game - full transcript
Bull risks losing his business when he fronts the money to help thousands of people bring a class action suit against a corrupt bank; Benny hurts the case by his attraction to a client and his anxiety over a secret he's keeping fr...
Ariel, I'm very impressed.
This is gorgeous.
Oh.
That was totally meant for
Theo. I'm so sorry, Miss Howland.
Thank you, Kelsey.
- Luke, lucky for you, I'm wearing this.
- So I'm not in trouble?
Of course you are, but not nearly as
much as if we were using oil paints.
[BELL RINGS]
All right, I'll see you soon.
I'm amazed how well
you handled Luke.
Nothing can get to me today. My stocks
are way up. It's like I hit the lottery.
My broker told me to hold another
week or so, but I'm not greedy.
All I need is enough for the
down payment on this condo.
No more 90-minute
commutes to school.
Hang on. This has
to be a mistake.
It's gone. My money's gone.
$87.26, that's all that's left.
This is all of my savings.
MAN: Hey! Where do
you think you're going?
I have to talk to
my stockbroker!
I'm calling about your account
at Brannigan Trust. Great news.
You qualify for our free investment
advisory services. Yeah, great.
I've reviewed your account
and have a couple of strong
performers to recommend.
Sure, no pressure. Talk to your
husband when he gets home from work.
The stock won't be
at this price tomorrow.
No, no, look, if you're asking
me, you don't wanna sell yet.
But that is between us, OK?
And, no, don't ask me how I know.
Just make sure to send me a
postcard after you've cashed in
and you're docking your
yacht in the Bahamas.
Excuse me! Hello?
- Which one of you is Alex DuBois?
- Oh.
No way.
This is unbelievable.
This is a stock scam.
A woman is here. She's
looking for some advice.
Sounds like she got scammed in
one of those bogus investment deals.
- How much did she lose?
- 19,000.
That's not really what
we do here, Chunk.
I know, but it looks like it pretty
much wiped out her savings.
Can we help her out?
Well, you could have
Benny take a look at it.
Maybe there's a
small claims case.
- OK.
- Where is Benny? Late again.
Oh, he's running some errands.
Look, her name is Erin Howland.
She went to the US attorney's
office and they turned her down.
We can one-up the feds, right?
- Who is she?
- Friend of a friend.
If it's that fashion editor you
introduced me to last month,
the answer is no.
No, she's not.
Supermodel?
She's my nephew's
fifth-grade teacher.
I can't believe this happened
to me. It's humiliating.
It's OK. You can trust Bull.
Just tell him what you told me.
About six months ago, an
investment advisor called me.
- He told me about some stocks.
- A sure thing.
I know what you're thinking, but I'm
not one of those people. Ask anyone.
Nothing like this has ever
happened to me before.
Well, telemarketers can be persuasive.
They once got me for a 400-buck pen.
It's a valuable lesson
for a ten-year-old, though.
I wasn't looking for a
get-rich-quick scheme.
I thought I was
investing responsibly.
As soon as I bought the stock, the
price shot up. I was making a huge profit.
On paper.
I wanted to sell, but he told me
to hold on for a few more weeks.
Well, the price crashed, along
with almost my entire savings.
$19,000.
You want us to
track this guy down?
I did that already, which is
how I found out it's a scam.
Hmm. Well, you're clearly
proactive. Not a pushover.
So, I'm curious, why would you trust
a stranger with your entire life savings?
He wasn't a stranger.
He worked at my
bank, Brannigan Trust.
- The Brannigan Trust?
- Yeah.
Well, they cleared out fast. Looks
more like a boiler room than a bank.
Brannigan Trust has been
around since JP Morgan.
Why would they get
involved in a boiler room?
I'm telling you, it was them.
That's where the sign was.
It said Alternative
Investment Division.
And this is where
you were last week?
As soon as I left, I called the
FBI, the SEC, the US attorney,
the Better Business Bureau, the
attorney general and Brannigan Trust.
- That explains why they left so fast.
- They all gave me the runaround.
Is there any chance I
get my money back?
First we have to
find out who stole it.
Where did you get that?
Belongs to the notary next door.
We should hurry before
she notices it's gone.
- [PHONE RINGS]
- Check your caller ID.
- Brannigan Trust.
- See? I told you.
I know somebody who works
there. I'm gonna pay him a little visit.
- [DOOR OPENS]
- Oh, are you the notary from next door?
I was trying to call you. I...
I think I found your phone.
You hungry?
No, I try to stay
away from that stuff.
You know, a pastrami sandwich
can usually make things better.
But not today.
Does this have anything to
do with that old case of yours?
Hayden Watkins, yes.
Last night the appeals
court overturned the verdict.
- Apparently there's new DNA evidence.
- The DNA evidence cleared him?
He did nine years for a
crime he didn't commit.
And?
I'm under investigation
by the US attorney.
Prosecutorial misconduct.
What did you do?
Nothing.
Any time a murder conviction
is reversed, it's reviewed.
First person under a
microscope is the prosecutor.
When are you gonna tell Bull?
[DOOR OPENS]
- Thanks for seeing me, Griffin.
- I've been meaning to call.
Are you gonna serve on the
flight museum board with me again?
Well, if you insist.
So, what was so urgent?
Well, I have this
client who lost 19 grand
in one of your
brokerage divisions.
Whose daughter is it? What trust
fund did she just get access to?
No trustafarian.
She's a schoolteacher.
And it seems she was duped
by an overly aggressive
broker named Alex DuBois.
Well, I've got somewhere in the
neighborhood of 275,000 employees.
I know you do, but it
turns out that every broker
in this Alternative Investment Division
were operating under that name.
Well, I'll have
someone look into it.
She said she got a call from this
bank offering her the deal of a lifetime.
I've been banking
here for 25 years.
I'm just wondering why no one
ever called and made me that offer.
My client wants her money
back. It's 19 grand, Griffin.
Jason, they're called alternative
investments for a reason.
We can't return money to everyone
who complains about losing in the market.
There are others?
Griffin.
Cable, do a phone
dump on the outgoing calls
from those empty
bank offices, would you?
- What are we looking for?
- More victims.
I never invested in the market
before. Figured I'd give it a try.
They conned me out of 12
grand and lined their pockets.
My own bank took me for a ride.
I worked for the transit
authority for 40 years,
kept all my savings
in Brannigan Trust.
72,000 bucks, just
like that it's gone.
Totally. They told me I was
investing in high-tech drones.
It sounded really cool.
Turns out the company only has
one customer and really bad R&D.
Yeah, well, you know, they
hustled me out of 37,000 bucks.
I was planning on buying a
Sea Ray, doing some fishing.
You know, on the
weekends. I could kill...
- Chunk.
- Hey.
I'm Benny Colón,
TAC's in-house counsel.
- Erin Howland.
- Oh.
So you're the one
responsible for all this.
And Chunk. I had no idea there would
be this many people scammed by the bank.
- Got more than we expected.
- Are you gonna be handling the trial?
I will, so if you have any
questions at all, don't hesitate to ask.
[CHUCKLES]
- Nice turnout.
- I have my doubts.
Class actions don't fall
into your lap every day.
It's a contingency case with 4,000
victims from across the country.
- The costs will be astronomical.
- High risk, high reward.
We will have to
front all the expenses.
Travel, research,
depositions, financial analysis,
trial prep, expert witness fees,
not to mention the
thousands of man-hours
that TAC would
invest in the case.
Look, Brannigan Trust
is gonna fight. Hard.
- We could lose millions.
- We could win millions.
Exactly. All or nothing.
You'd be betting the future
of the firm on one case.
You're right. It's a big gamble.
Ladies and gentlemen, can I
have your attention, please?
My name is Dr. Jason Bull.
Welcome to the class action.
We have to prove
that it was reasonable
for our victims to have
relied on the brokers' advice.
That advice was fraudulent
because the brokers had
information that they did not share.
The operative word
being "reasonable."
Civil trial, federal court.
There's no wiggle room.
I know. Jury has
to be unanimous.
Hey, you know that Bull wants to target
Griffin Fuller, CEO of Brannigan Trust?
He lawyered up as
soon as Bull left his office.
It's 'cause he's got a lot on the
line. Third largest bank in the world.
5,700 branches, $2.3 trillion in
assets, over 72 million clients.
Well, 4,211 of those
clients are victims.
Yeah, out $100 million.
With the standard
contingency fee,
if we win, we win a
third of the judgment.
- A third?
- Minus our expenses.
Could also win millions
in punitive damages.
This is exactly what got
our victims into trouble.
The fantasy of a
massive windfall.
A fantasy sold to them
by a bank they trusted.
We are already way over budget.
We can't keep digging into reserves.
Fantasy of easy money.
These are the stockbrokers
from Brannigan's Alternative
Investment Division.
Were. They all got pink-slipped
when the division was shut down.
- Where are they now?
- Telemarketing, sales, brokerage firms.
Wait. Sofia Dern pulled
in nearly $750,000?
Pump-and-dump
was very good to her.
I know a little about the stock market,
but my knowledge of a pump-and-dump
doesn't go beyond
that movie Boiler Room.
So how are we gonna
explain that to a jury
without the aid of a young
Ben Affleck or Vin Diesel?
Pump-and-dump fraud is as
old as stock brokering itself.
There are three steps.
Step one: the buy.
Stockbrokers in Brannigan Trust
purchased millions of dollars'
worth of stocks for themselves.
Then they got their clients
to purchase the same stocks
on a massive scale.
You don't wanna buy a stock.
No. You wanna buy a life, Jake.
The life you deserve.
Jake, this is your chance.
Buy that life.
Yes!
Step two: the pump.
More and more people
invested in this stock.
Let's call it Hagen Tool & Die.
That made the price skyrocket.
A $2 stock was
suddenly worth 10.
The clients were thrilled.
So were the brokers.
BROKERS: Chug,
chug, chug, chug, chug,
chug, chug, chug, chug, chug,
chug, chug, chug, chug,
chug, chug, chug, chug!
- Whoo!
- [CHEERING]
All right, let's hear it for
Hagen Tool & Die closing in
at 15 and two tenths!
[CHEERING]
Step three: the dump.
When the stock is
worth many times
what the brokers
paid for their shares...
Sell! Sell! Yes, all of
my shares. Are you deaf?
The sudden flood of supply
made the stock value tank.
But the brokers had already
cashed out tens of millions.
Yes! Oh, yes!
Meanwhile, the clients...
they lost everything.
The mock jury loved the presentation,
but they still found for the bank.
The majority still think our clients
were greedy or stupid or both.
Well, they haven't heard
from Erin. She'll present well.
Schoolteacher, smart,
not out for money.
No, it's not enough.
We have to change the narrative entirely
because this case is all about trust.
These investors
trusted their bank.
They'd never give their money
to some fly-by-night operation.
We could target jurors who
are loyal to particular brands,
people who understand why
victims trusted the Brannigan name.
No, brand-loyal jurors
will find for Brannigan.
They wanna believe in
their established institutions.
- We want the opposite.
- Disloyal jurors?
People who aren't
attached to specific brands.
People who know you can't
just blindly rely on a name.
So people who keep their
money under the mattress.
Yeah, they shop in
independent bookstores
and they eat at
mom-and-pop diners.
We want jurors who will accept
that just because it's
called Brannigan Trust
doesn't mean it can be trusted.
Ah.
So what's this? Your hand?
It's a sign of uncertainty.
That's unlike you.
It's also an indicator
of an itchy neck.
Hmm.
- I hope it doesn't get any worse.
- I'm sure it's just a bite.
I mean this trend
of tardiness lately.
Sorry. I didn't even realize
we had an early meeting.
That's good news. Judge
Vortuba is hearing the case.
That's not good news.
I thought you guys were buddies.
- We were.
- BAILIFF: All rise.
The Honorable Judge
Robert Vortuba presiding.
Good morning, everyone.
- Dr. Bull.
- Judge.
VORTUBA: Before we get started,
I wanna disclose that I keep some
of my money in Brannigan Trust.
I don't think it's a conflict.
But in the interest of
fairness, I'll entertain argument.
- We need a new judge.
- Leave it.
He gave you the stink
eye. That is not a good sign.
If you ask him to recuse
himself, he'll turn you down,
and then he'll hold it against
you for the rest of the trial.
- What did you do to him?
- Long story.
- VORTUBA: Any objections, counselor?
- Uh, none whatsoever.
We're confident of Your Honor's
ability to be fair and impartial.
We respectfully request
that you recuse yourself.
Your request is duly
noted and denied.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Your Honor, for the record, I
have to state that this lawsuit
is nothing more than a
thinly veiled shakedown.
I think that's for
the jury to decide.
Dr. Bull, I wasn't aware
you had a law degree.
- No, still just the PhDs.
- VORTUBA: Oh, good.
Well, we're about
to start voir dire,
and I'm not going to allow
anybody to manipulate my jury.
Isn't that the
purpose of a trial?
Lawyers try to influence the
jury with facts and arguments?
You'll be allowed back in the
courtroom after we finish voir dire.
Respectfully, I'd ask
the court's indulgence.
Dr. Bull is an integral
part of the team.
I made my ruling.
Hmm. Have fun.
Your Honor.
Counsel.
Benny did a good job in voir
dire, but we have some problems.
Bull could have been there to help
if he hadn't ran over the judge's dog.
- It was a cat, actually.
- Oh.
Very old. I'm kidding.
I told you not to ask
him to recuse himself.
- I made a judgment call.
- That's what worries me.
Juror number one, Sienna
White, she has a PhD in linguistics.
Works as a
translator for the UN.
Hard worker, rule
follower. Bad for us.
She'll think our clients were
looking to make a fast buck.
- Juror number three's Larry Dane.
- BENNY: He's a problem.
He'll think our
clients are reckless.
But I ran out of strikes.
Well, don't fret, Benny.
We have a secret weapon.
4,211 clients. And we get to
select which ones the jury will see.
MARISSA: Shopping
for witnesses. Fun.
We get to pick the ones who
appeal to each of our jurors.
We just need a star
witness to lead off,
someone with instant
appeal to Sienna and Larry,
someone to cement our
narrative in their minds.
I will run all of our clients through
the algorithm and narrow it down to 50.
Great. Let's make a competition
out of this, boiler-room style.
Everyone picks their favorite
candidate and argues their case
and the mock jury
will decide the winner.
- What's the prize?
- Hmm...
- $5,000 bonus.
- Why don't we just go with Erin?
She brought us the case.
BULL: Her demeanor
is too amenable, Benny.
The prosecution will make her out to
be a novice investor, easily pressured.
They'll say she was coaxed
into buying the stocks,
but there was no fraud.
I'll prep her. It'll be good
for her to get her story out.
She can give a victim
impact statement after we win.
Just give me a chance to see if
the mock jury resonates with her.
- Wow. You do have a type.
- Come on.
BULL: OK, fine, in
the spirit of competition,
she is now officially
your pick for the finals.
Prove me wrong.
These people should have
met with their financial advisor
before giving away
their life savings.
Well, I've never met
my financial advisor.
You have a financial advisor?
- Yeah, he handles my portfolio.
- She has a portfolio.
DANNY: How much
money do you have?
- None of your business.
- What are you invested in?
OK, if you must know,
I put most of my money in
aggressive S&P index funds.
You know, 'cause I'm young.
Wait a minute. What
else are you invested in?
Medical marijuana.
- Hmm.
- Uh-uh.
- DANNY: Huh.
- Who is that?
- Don't worry about it.
- You found someone.
- Why didn't you pick Erin?
- I didn't have a chance.
- Benny grabbed her up.
- MARISSA: Benny, huh?
- What's going on there?
- CHUNK: You got me.
But I'll still find
someone to win this.
DANNY: In your dreams.
The five grand is mine.
- Hey, hey, hey!
- Snooze, you lose!
BULL: Let the games begin.
Erin Howland, 32.
Single, teacher, fiscally
responsible and donates to charity.
Yeah, bring her home
to your mom, not this jury.
My client, Nell, and
juror number three, Larry,
both have backgrounds
in computer science.
Their analytical and
forward-thinking mindset
will ensure that
Larry can relate to her.
You got Larry, but the other 11
jurors are gonna see Nell as nitpicky.
Hank Knopff, trustworthy,
good eye contact and posture.
He looks arrogant and unapproachable.
He'll alienate our best jurors.
My victim has a strong
social media presence.
He's opinionated, articulate.
Sienna will love him.
Sienna will hate him. Your
client's a professional victim.
His Yelp posts
are all complaints.
Yeah, but they're
funny, unlike your client,
who is blocked by
every celebrity on Twitter.
Jasmine's background check was
spotless, not even a traffic ticket.
See what the
promise of money did?
Just like the stockbrokers,
you exaggerated the positives
and omitted the negatives.
And that is what our
jury has to understand.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, but who wins?
- BULL: No one, yet.
I wanna see them after they've
gone through witness prep.
Oh, well, I can do that.
I don't trust you.
- Conflict of interest.
- Well, you need someone to lead with.
- Wanna start with Erin?
- No. Doesn't set the right tone.
Break it to her gently.
We might call you to the stand,
just not as the first witness.
I started saving six
years ago. I had $19,000.
Half of it was my mother's.
She was helping
me buy a new place
so I don't have to commute an
hour and a half to school each day.
My mom needs that money.
You can sit next to me at the
plaintiff's table during the trial.
Did Bull OK you to offer
Erin a seat at the table?
What? You saw her.
It was damage control.
- Where's Benny Colón?
- Oh, that's me. You are...?
Sofia Dern. Why the hell'd
you send me a subpoena?
- You sent her a subpoena?
- Bull must have sent it.
Well, uh, you were a
broker at Brannigan Trust,
which means you have
relevant information.
You need to tell the
jury what happened.
- How much you gonna pay me?
- It doesn't work that way.
- The SEC involved?
- No one is charging you with a crime.
Oh. So I'm an expert witness.
You're lucky you're
not at the defense table.
No money, no testimony.
If you don't show up, you
will be subject to arrest.
Our victims all feel like victims.
We need a predator right off the bat.
MARISSA: You
gotta be kidding me.
No, jury's gonna love her,
especially Sienna and Larry.
Whoa!
Yeah. We just found
our star witness.
We empathize with
those who lost money,
but that's the
nature of the market.
Mr. Fuller is too much of a
gentleman to say it, so I'll say it.
The plaintiffs are unwilling to accept
the consequences of their decisions
and now they're seeking
compensation from the deepest pockets.
Predictable, trying to
paint our clients as greedy.
We're giving 'em plenty of
ammunition by starting off with Sofia.
The jury'll see what our
clients were up against.
Prep was a nightmare.
She doesn't wanna testify.
Stick with the plan.
Play to her ego.
She won't be able to resist
bragging about her conquests.
She's gonna help us
prove the elements of fraud.
She is going to
be uncooperative.
I'll have to treat her
as a hostile witness.
Vortuba's not gonna let you ask
leading questions, so don't do it.
- What is it with you and that judge?
- He is not the problem.
I need her cooperative
and not feeling forced.
Are you on board?
Where is your star witness?
Building anticipation for
her testimony, no doubt.
- Are all parties ready to proceed?
- The defense answers ready for trial.
- Mr. Colón?
- Yes, Your Honor.
Our first witness
is not here yet.
I'd like to request an arrest
warrant for failure to appear.
It is so ordered. You have until
the end of the day to find her.
But the show must go on.
So we'll have a 30-minute recess
and then we'll hear opening
statements and go right into witnesses.
- You've reached Sofia Dern's office...
- Straight to voicemail.
None of the other
witnesses are ready to testify.
- Then stall.
- How?
File a motion. Argue
a point of discovery.
You've done this before.
- Where are you going?
- Shop for a car.
Stall till I get back.
You don't have to come up with a
bogus reason to stall and annoy the jury.
Put me on the stand.
Bull wants to see you in
front of a mock jury first.
- I'm ready.
- Look, we haven't finished your prep.
Then let's finish
it. I'm a quick study.
No, we only have 30 minutes.
Have you ever worked with
11-year-olds? That's an eternity.
Silver Tempest, my favorite
color. You have good taste.
- This is the sexiest car on the lot.
- I've been eyeing it for a while.
It's the perfect ride
for people like us.
People like us?
Someone who won't settle
for anything but the best.
Am I wrong?
Well, cars like this
can be temperamental.
I don't wanna spend
my whole life in the shop.
Well, that is the best feature of
them all. It's a brand you can trust.
- How about we take it for a spin?
- Why don't we?
I trusted them. I
had no reason not to.
I've been with Brannigan
since I was a teenager.
My babysitting
money was in there.
This looks a lot easier
when Bull does it.
I've never fallen for anything
like this. Fool me once.
- MARISSA: How's it going?
- Sienna's tilting her head.
- It looks like she's warming to Erin.
- I can relate.
Pretty much every teenage girl on
the planet earned money babysitting.
- Not me.
- Why not?
All my siblings were
older. They babysat me.
My parents made me come up with
more creative ways to make money.
- Like hacking?
- Maybe.
Years ago, Miss Howland, you donated
to the Humanitarian Fund of America.
- I think that was the name of it.
- Is there a point to this, Your Honor?
Charity was a fraud. Shut
down by the IRS three years ago.
MARISSA: Why did Erin not tell
us that she'd been conned before?
By the looks of it,
she just found out.
It's not like we have a list of
every charity she donated to.
We need to prove that her
actions were reasonable.
Like Bull predicted, he's
making her look uninformed,
like she doesn't
do her homework.
HFOA was a fraud? Are you sure?
So I guess it's fool you
twice, isn't it, Miss Howland?
Objection!
We still have other witnesses.
How am I so gullible?
Hey. We all make mistakes.
Sometimes well-meaning
but still life-changing.
I recently had a case resurface.
I sent a man to prison for nine
years for a crime he didn't commit.
So... I know what
you're dealing with.
Look, you are not a fool, OK?
You are a kind and
beautiful woman
whose kindness got
taken advantage of.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
I bet you love the control.
Indescribable.
[CHUCKLES]
This isn't my normal route,
but we're having fun, right?
Right.
Why are we stopping
here? What's going on?
Well, that man has a
warrant for your arrest.
You're supposed to
appear in court and testify.
In fact, you have about five
minutes. If you hurry, you can make it.
- What about my car?
- Oh, don't worry, it's in good hands.
I'll keep it warm for you.
- Tell the truth.
- Sofia Dern, come with me.
[CHUCKLES]
Miss Dern, so you were one of the
top stockbrokers at Brannigan Trust?
Are you serious?
I was the top earner.
BENNY: Which means, what, you
were making about 300,000 a year?
Last year I netted
over $750,000.
Did you disclose your own
interest in the stocks to your clients?
It was part of the pitch.
What about when you were
planning to sell? Did you disclose that?
Sometimes. But I
never said I would.
You used the name
Brannigan Trust as bait.
- Objection. Leading.
- Sustained.
Would it surprise you to learn
that you mentioned Brannigan Trust
an average of
seven times per call?
You have to lead with
your strongest suit.
Biometrics are telling me that even
though we proved the elements of fraud,
the mirrors for Sienna and Larry
don't think they'd fall for her pitch.
They want more
than the law requires.
They need to see it wasn't just
fraudulent but malicious as well.
Excuse me, Your Honor.
Were specific Brannigan
clients targeted?
- We call them leads.
- Oh.
People like Erin Howland and
first-time investors. Who else?
Elderly clients near retirement
so we could pitch them
on a last push into wealth before
they have to dip into their savings.
Sienna's getting uncomfortable.
She thinks Sofia's deceptive.
But our projections indicate that six
of our jurors won't hold their ground.
They'll cave to Larry within
the first day of deliberations.
And these leads,
were they on a list?
- Yes.
- And what was that list called?
The Suckers' List.
BENNY: The Suckers'
List landed on the jury.
- Sofia's really going to help us.
- Why'd you call Erin to the stand?
You said stall.
Was anything I said unclear
when we discussed this?
I didn't think she'd sway
the jury and she didn't.
- Now we need a new strategy. Why?
- I was in a jam.
- You can't lie to me, so don't try.
- Fine! Fine.
I thought she'd do better.
But come on, we just
started our attack, OK?
- Sofia went well.
- Not well enough.
- We need to call Fuller.
- Brannigan's CEO?
Mm-hm.
If we call him, Glauster
will get to cross-examine him
with softball questions.
- Let the defense call him to the stand.
- We have to call him.
Otherwise it'll look like we're
afraid of what he has to say.
Worse, it'll look like he's
a witness for the defense.
He is.
But it won't look that way if we call
him as a witness for the prosecution.
- He's smooth.
- Expose him for who he is.
A man who made $76 million last
year while his clients lost everything.
His company targeted these
people and stole their money.
I need Aggro-Benny. Pitbull.
All right, I hear you.
- Do you?
- Yes!
Brannigan Trust has a
long-standing tradition of excellence.
It's a respected institution, part
of the fabric of so many lives.
We offer small business loans...
Let's... Let's focus on your
Alternative Investment Division,
where Sofia Dern worked.
Miss Dern is an overly
aggressive salesperson.
- But your company hired her.
- And we fired her.
Because she was involved
in a pump-and-dump
supported by Brannigan Trust.
Objection. Leading,
compound and badgering.
Sustained, sustained
and sustained.
- Benny's invading Fuller's space.
- MARISSA: Well, you said pitbull.
BENNY: Did you
close the division?
It was folded into
another division.
It was a corporate decision
made due to several factors,
all in the best interest
of our shareholders.
- But not your clients.
- Is there a question coming?
Yes, sure. Here's one.
Putting all the
corporate babble aside,
isn't it true that the
division was nothing more
than a boiler room
in a high-rent office?
- GLAUSTER: Objection!
- Sustained. Last warning.
He's supposed to make Fuller look
like the bully, not the other way around.
The high volume and
the timing of the sale
clearly shows intent to
defraud, don't you agree?
FULLER: No, I don't.
Our brokers didn't sell penny stocks,
which are what you normally associate
with the boiler rooms
you're talking about.
All stocks were listed on NASDAQ
and the New York Stock Exchange.
More than 4,000 people
lost their entire savings.
FULLER: And tens of
thousands made money.
Now, I do feel for your clients,
but in the same way that I feel for
those who lose their savings in Vegas.
It's about personal
responsibility.
You buried the fact that you
targeted Erin, all of these victims,
who were referred to as suckers
because they were vulnerable.
GLAUSTER: Objection!
Again, where's the question?
- VORTUBA: Sustained.
- BULL: Larry's checked out.
He's made up his mind
and it's not in our favor.
- Your Honor, let me rephrase.
- We've rephrased enough. Sit down.
MARISSA: By the way, costs
are double our initial estimate.
We'll make it back.
Well, if not, you may need
to hit Fuller up for a loan.
Hey, we should talk.
I know. I didn't mean to look
embarrassed in front of the jury.
But I didn't know you were gonna
call me out for being vulnerable.
It wasn't scripted, and I
was a little out of control.
[SIGHS]
That kiss should've
never happened.
I know. You're right.
Can't happen again.
It was unprofessional.
And fun.
You are my client.
And you're going through a lot. I
don't wanna take advantage of that.
Maybe you're the
one who can't handle it.
Congratulations. You
could sell water to a whale.
Whales need water. Thanks for
taking care of my arrest warrant.
- Thanks for your testimony.
- So we're even.
- Yeah.
- See you around.
I was hoping we could
make one more deal.
- I don't think so.
- You might enjoy it.
Whatever it is, it'll cost you.
We have one juror who was
not convinced by your testimony.
- Oh, really?
- Thinks he's immune to being sold.
You convince him that it's not
just suckers who get scammed,
you can name your price.
One provision. You cannot, under
any circumstances, discuss the case.
Because that would be tampering?
Here's the way I
think this works.
It's all about the approach. At least,
that's what they taught us at the FBI.
You know, one time I spent a month
jogging on the same path as a target
until it felt natural
to introduce myself.
Sofia's on the accelerated plan.
She doesn't need him to
get to turn state's witness.
All she needs to do is convince
him that not only suckers get conned.
- Didn't I see you in court?
- Yeah.
- I'm Sofia.
- Larry.
- You're not gonna get that cake pop?
- Oh, no.
Deferential. Good first
step. Very appealing to Larry.
You know, it's so funny.
I get to stand up there and
you get to hear all about me,
but I don't get to know
anything about you.
We won't get in trouble
for talking, will we?
As long as we don't
talk about the case.
- I'm an accountant.
- You know, I love numbers.
Finance is my passion.
Mint?
Best way to solidify
trust is to offer something.
If they accept and offer something
in return, a bond has been formed.
My... My treat.
And there it is.
- BULL: And now he'll trust her.
- There's a table.
- Sorry. I have to be back in court.
- Oh, no. No, you don't. Not yet.
- You have at least 15 minutes.
- Really?
Yeah.
- Judge, hello.
- Miss Dern?
- Exactly what are you two doing?
- Uh, we're allowed to talk, aren't we?
Hey, Judge Vortuba.
That's not good.
Oh, don't give me that. I know
this was you, Bull. I know it was you!
Disgraceful. More cheating.
- I didn't and I don't cheat, Judge.
- And I can have you disbarred.
Your Honor, I had no idea Miss
Dern was with one of the jurors.
GLAUSTER: Their witness
was clearly trying to influence him.
The defense moves for an
immediate dismissal, with prejudice.
Do you have any proof
that there was misconduct?
- I would be delighted to hear it.
- Res ipsa loquitur.
It speaks for itself.
If I find a scintilla of proof
that there was jury tampering...
Tuba, you know better than that.
The prudent thing to do is to have juror
number three removed from the panel
and replaced with an alternate.
You've gotta be kidding me! You
wanna be rewarded for what you've done?
Even absent any evidence
that they discussed the case
or that his opinion was altered,
you still have the option
of removing the juror.
No, thank you, Your Honor.
Fine. We'll move to closing arguments.
And you are barred from my courtroom.
- [SIGHS]
- [DOOR SLAMS]
Well, your plan was
inventive, I'll give you that.
Judge Vortuba hasn't been
in a coffee shop in two years.
Today he decides to
get his own beverage?
Vortuba already hated
us. I'm worried about Larry.
We need a unanimous vote and
we humiliated him. Total backfire.
Not necessarily.
- True, he's embarrassed.
- And he's gonna blame it on me.
As an unintended consequence,
we almost got Larry booted.
All we have to do is
spin this in our favor.
Bull, our juror is angry.
We tried to trick him.
Tried.
To prove fraud, we don't need
Larry to have fallen for this.
All we need is to show
him he fell for Sofia
so he can still identify
with our victims,
feel the same thing:
shame, then anger.
We got this, Benny.
These plaintiffs knew
exactly what they were doing.
They played the
market and they lost.
So now they're suing the bank?
[CHUCKLES]
What next? Suing the lottery
when you don't win the jackpot?
That's not reasonable.
Investors have to take
responsibility for their own decisions.
He's effective. Sienna's
mirror's wavering.
Being the victim of a scam
is a frustrating and
embarrassing experience,
whether you fall for it or not.
That's no reason
to blame the victim.
Blame the people who
manipulated the system
with target research and
sophisticated marketing tools
to con the people that they
didn't think had the wherewithal
to take on the system.
Brannigan Trust, a name
we all thought we can trust,
committed fraud simply
by making the offer.
You don't have to
buy into it to see it.
We proved it. Their
brokers admitted it.
Any reasonable person can see
their misrepresentation of the facts.
- They've been out for five hours.
- Bull would say that's a good thing.
How much money did
we spend on this trial?
A... lot.
- Are we gonna be OK if we lose it?
- DANNY: What are you worried about?
With your joint ventures
and your bank accounts.
I told you, I don't talk about
personal finance at work.
OK, we're fine. You have
nothing to worry about.
[PHONE BUZZES]
Jury's back.
What is it with
you and this judge?
TP his house or something?
Chunk, no. That's very juvenile.
- Did you sleep with his wife?
- No.
He thinks I kicked my
ball out of the rough.
- It was just an acorn.
- This is about golf?
- Isn't everything?
- Oh, man. You cheated?
I don't need to cheat with
him. Vortuba's eyes are failing.
He won't get checked. That's
what I think this is really about.
Maybe you can give him a
session before this verdict.
- Here they come!
- Can you tell us the verdict?
- Did they find in your favor?
- We won! Brannigan Trust is guilty!
[CHEERING]
Excuse me.
Hi. Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
- You're welcome.
Thank you for everything.
Be careful with her.
What? No, no, no. You
got it all wrong. We're not...
- Looks like you are.
- [LAUGHS]
I thought about it. I
wanted to. Not the right time.
You tell Bull about the
Hayden Watkins thing yet?
Don't wanna bother the
boss with my little problems.
It's not little, Benny.
[ERIN LAUGHS]
- It's great. I'm so happy.
- Well, good. You deserve it.
So I get my $19,000 back?
And add a zero for
punitive damages.
- That's amazing.
- Spend some of it on yourself.
- And my mom.
- And your mom.
But you should go out and
get what you really want.
Buy yourself a house. Cut down
on that hour-long commute to school.
By the way, you never told me
how you got Sofia to cooperate.
Easy. She's
transactional by nature.
Just had to come
up with the right offer.
- Luckily, I needed a new car.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Enjoy it.
Thanks. Come on,
I'll give you a lift home.
[♪ XAMBASSADORS: RENEGADES]
You wanna tell me
what's going on with you?
It's nothing.
Well... it's this thing with my co-op
and it's not even worth getting into.
So you'll tell me
when you're ready.
It's nothing.
[SIGHS]
- Benny.
- Yeah.
Get it together.
♪ And I say hey Hey, hey, hey
♪ Living like we're renegades
♪ Hey, hey, hey Hey, hey, hey
♪ Living like we're
renegades Renegades...
A wise man told me
to go after what I want.
So here I am.
♪ Renegades ♪
This is gorgeous.
Oh.
That was totally meant for
Theo. I'm so sorry, Miss Howland.
Thank you, Kelsey.
- Luke, lucky for you, I'm wearing this.
- So I'm not in trouble?
Of course you are, but not nearly as
much as if we were using oil paints.
[BELL RINGS]
All right, I'll see you soon.
I'm amazed how well
you handled Luke.
Nothing can get to me today. My stocks
are way up. It's like I hit the lottery.
My broker told me to hold another
week or so, but I'm not greedy.
All I need is enough for the
down payment on this condo.
No more 90-minute
commutes to school.
Hang on. This has
to be a mistake.
It's gone. My money's gone.
$87.26, that's all that's left.
This is all of my savings.
MAN: Hey! Where do
you think you're going?
I have to talk to
my stockbroker!
I'm calling about your account
at Brannigan Trust. Great news.
You qualify for our free investment
advisory services. Yeah, great.
I've reviewed your account
and have a couple of strong
performers to recommend.
Sure, no pressure. Talk to your
husband when he gets home from work.
The stock won't be
at this price tomorrow.
No, no, look, if you're asking
me, you don't wanna sell yet.
But that is between us, OK?
And, no, don't ask me how I know.
Just make sure to send me a
postcard after you've cashed in
and you're docking your
yacht in the Bahamas.
Excuse me! Hello?
- Which one of you is Alex DuBois?
- Oh.
No way.
This is unbelievable.
This is a stock scam.
A woman is here. She's
looking for some advice.
Sounds like she got scammed in
one of those bogus investment deals.
- How much did she lose?
- 19,000.
That's not really what
we do here, Chunk.
I know, but it looks like it pretty
much wiped out her savings.
Can we help her out?
Well, you could have
Benny take a look at it.
Maybe there's a
small claims case.
- OK.
- Where is Benny? Late again.
Oh, he's running some errands.
Look, her name is Erin Howland.
She went to the US attorney's
office and they turned her down.
We can one-up the feds, right?
- Who is she?
- Friend of a friend.
If it's that fashion editor you
introduced me to last month,
the answer is no.
No, she's not.
Supermodel?
She's my nephew's
fifth-grade teacher.
I can't believe this happened
to me. It's humiliating.
It's OK. You can trust Bull.
Just tell him what you told me.
About six months ago, an
investment advisor called me.
- He told me about some stocks.
- A sure thing.
I know what you're thinking, but I'm
not one of those people. Ask anyone.
Nothing like this has ever
happened to me before.
Well, telemarketers can be persuasive.
They once got me for a 400-buck pen.
It's a valuable lesson
for a ten-year-old, though.
I wasn't looking for a
get-rich-quick scheme.
I thought I was
investing responsibly.
As soon as I bought the stock, the
price shot up. I was making a huge profit.
On paper.
I wanted to sell, but he told me
to hold on for a few more weeks.
Well, the price crashed, along
with almost my entire savings.
$19,000.
You want us to
track this guy down?
I did that already, which is
how I found out it's a scam.
Hmm. Well, you're clearly
proactive. Not a pushover.
So, I'm curious, why would you trust
a stranger with your entire life savings?
He wasn't a stranger.
He worked at my
bank, Brannigan Trust.
- The Brannigan Trust?
- Yeah.
Well, they cleared out fast. Looks
more like a boiler room than a bank.
Brannigan Trust has been
around since JP Morgan.
Why would they get
involved in a boiler room?
I'm telling you, it was them.
That's where the sign was.
It said Alternative
Investment Division.
And this is where
you were last week?
As soon as I left, I called the
FBI, the SEC, the US attorney,
the Better Business Bureau, the
attorney general and Brannigan Trust.
- That explains why they left so fast.
- They all gave me the runaround.
Is there any chance I
get my money back?
First we have to
find out who stole it.
Where did you get that?
Belongs to the notary next door.
We should hurry before
she notices it's gone.
- [PHONE RINGS]
- Check your caller ID.
- Brannigan Trust.
- See? I told you.
I know somebody who works
there. I'm gonna pay him a little visit.
- [DOOR OPENS]
- Oh, are you the notary from next door?
I was trying to call you. I...
I think I found your phone.
You hungry?
No, I try to stay
away from that stuff.
You know, a pastrami sandwich
can usually make things better.
But not today.
Does this have anything to
do with that old case of yours?
Hayden Watkins, yes.
Last night the appeals
court overturned the verdict.
- Apparently there's new DNA evidence.
- The DNA evidence cleared him?
He did nine years for a
crime he didn't commit.
And?
I'm under investigation
by the US attorney.
Prosecutorial misconduct.
What did you do?
Nothing.
Any time a murder conviction
is reversed, it's reviewed.
First person under a
microscope is the prosecutor.
When are you gonna tell Bull?
[DOOR OPENS]
- Thanks for seeing me, Griffin.
- I've been meaning to call.
Are you gonna serve on the
flight museum board with me again?
Well, if you insist.
So, what was so urgent?
Well, I have this
client who lost 19 grand
in one of your
brokerage divisions.
Whose daughter is it? What trust
fund did she just get access to?
No trustafarian.
She's a schoolteacher.
And it seems she was duped
by an overly aggressive
broker named Alex DuBois.
Well, I've got somewhere in the
neighborhood of 275,000 employees.
I know you do, but it
turns out that every broker
in this Alternative Investment Division
were operating under that name.
Well, I'll have
someone look into it.
She said she got a call from this
bank offering her the deal of a lifetime.
I've been banking
here for 25 years.
I'm just wondering why no one
ever called and made me that offer.
My client wants her money
back. It's 19 grand, Griffin.
Jason, they're called alternative
investments for a reason.
We can't return money to everyone
who complains about losing in the market.
There are others?
Griffin.
Cable, do a phone
dump on the outgoing calls
from those empty
bank offices, would you?
- What are we looking for?
- More victims.
I never invested in the market
before. Figured I'd give it a try.
They conned me out of 12
grand and lined their pockets.
My own bank took me for a ride.
I worked for the transit
authority for 40 years,
kept all my savings
in Brannigan Trust.
72,000 bucks, just
like that it's gone.
Totally. They told me I was
investing in high-tech drones.
It sounded really cool.
Turns out the company only has
one customer and really bad R&D.
Yeah, well, you know, they
hustled me out of 37,000 bucks.
I was planning on buying a
Sea Ray, doing some fishing.
You know, on the
weekends. I could kill...
- Chunk.
- Hey.
I'm Benny Colón,
TAC's in-house counsel.
- Erin Howland.
- Oh.
So you're the one
responsible for all this.
And Chunk. I had no idea there would
be this many people scammed by the bank.
- Got more than we expected.
- Are you gonna be handling the trial?
I will, so if you have any
questions at all, don't hesitate to ask.
[CHUCKLES]
- Nice turnout.
- I have my doubts.
Class actions don't fall
into your lap every day.
It's a contingency case with 4,000
victims from across the country.
- The costs will be astronomical.
- High risk, high reward.
We will have to
front all the expenses.
Travel, research,
depositions, financial analysis,
trial prep, expert witness fees,
not to mention the
thousands of man-hours
that TAC would
invest in the case.
Look, Brannigan Trust
is gonna fight. Hard.
- We could lose millions.
- We could win millions.
Exactly. All or nothing.
You'd be betting the future
of the firm on one case.
You're right. It's a big gamble.
Ladies and gentlemen, can I
have your attention, please?
My name is Dr. Jason Bull.
Welcome to the class action.
We have to prove
that it was reasonable
for our victims to have
relied on the brokers' advice.
That advice was fraudulent
because the brokers had
information that they did not share.
The operative word
being "reasonable."
Civil trial, federal court.
There's no wiggle room.
I know. Jury has
to be unanimous.
Hey, you know that Bull wants to target
Griffin Fuller, CEO of Brannigan Trust?
He lawyered up as
soon as Bull left his office.
It's 'cause he's got a lot on the
line. Third largest bank in the world.
5,700 branches, $2.3 trillion in
assets, over 72 million clients.
Well, 4,211 of those
clients are victims.
Yeah, out $100 million.
With the standard
contingency fee,
if we win, we win a
third of the judgment.
- A third?
- Minus our expenses.
Could also win millions
in punitive damages.
This is exactly what got
our victims into trouble.
The fantasy of a
massive windfall.
A fantasy sold to them
by a bank they trusted.
We are already way over budget.
We can't keep digging into reserves.
Fantasy of easy money.
These are the stockbrokers
from Brannigan's Alternative
Investment Division.
Were. They all got pink-slipped
when the division was shut down.
- Where are they now?
- Telemarketing, sales, brokerage firms.
Wait. Sofia Dern pulled
in nearly $750,000?
Pump-and-dump
was very good to her.
I know a little about the stock market,
but my knowledge of a pump-and-dump
doesn't go beyond
that movie Boiler Room.
So how are we gonna
explain that to a jury
without the aid of a young
Ben Affleck or Vin Diesel?
Pump-and-dump fraud is as
old as stock brokering itself.
There are three steps.
Step one: the buy.
Stockbrokers in Brannigan Trust
purchased millions of dollars'
worth of stocks for themselves.
Then they got their clients
to purchase the same stocks
on a massive scale.
You don't wanna buy a stock.
No. You wanna buy a life, Jake.
The life you deserve.
Jake, this is your chance.
Buy that life.
Yes!
Step two: the pump.
More and more people
invested in this stock.
Let's call it Hagen Tool & Die.
That made the price skyrocket.
A $2 stock was
suddenly worth 10.
The clients were thrilled.
So were the brokers.
BROKERS: Chug,
chug, chug, chug, chug,
chug, chug, chug, chug, chug,
chug, chug, chug, chug,
chug, chug, chug, chug!
- Whoo!
- [CHEERING]
All right, let's hear it for
Hagen Tool & Die closing in
at 15 and two tenths!
[CHEERING]
Step three: the dump.
When the stock is
worth many times
what the brokers
paid for their shares...
Sell! Sell! Yes, all of
my shares. Are you deaf?
The sudden flood of supply
made the stock value tank.
But the brokers had already
cashed out tens of millions.
Yes! Oh, yes!
Meanwhile, the clients...
they lost everything.
The mock jury loved the presentation,
but they still found for the bank.
The majority still think our clients
were greedy or stupid or both.
Well, they haven't heard
from Erin. She'll present well.
Schoolteacher, smart,
not out for money.
No, it's not enough.
We have to change the narrative entirely
because this case is all about trust.
These investors
trusted their bank.
They'd never give their money
to some fly-by-night operation.
We could target jurors who
are loyal to particular brands,
people who understand why
victims trusted the Brannigan name.
No, brand-loyal jurors
will find for Brannigan.
They wanna believe in
their established institutions.
- We want the opposite.
- Disloyal jurors?
People who aren't
attached to specific brands.
People who know you can't
just blindly rely on a name.
So people who keep their
money under the mattress.
Yeah, they shop in
independent bookstores
and they eat at
mom-and-pop diners.
We want jurors who will accept
that just because it's
called Brannigan Trust
doesn't mean it can be trusted.
Ah.
So what's this? Your hand?
It's a sign of uncertainty.
That's unlike you.
It's also an indicator
of an itchy neck.
Hmm.
- I hope it doesn't get any worse.
- I'm sure it's just a bite.
I mean this trend
of tardiness lately.
Sorry. I didn't even realize
we had an early meeting.
That's good news. Judge
Vortuba is hearing the case.
That's not good news.
I thought you guys were buddies.
- We were.
- BAILIFF: All rise.
The Honorable Judge
Robert Vortuba presiding.
Good morning, everyone.
- Dr. Bull.
- Judge.
VORTUBA: Before we get started,
I wanna disclose that I keep some
of my money in Brannigan Trust.
I don't think it's a conflict.
But in the interest of
fairness, I'll entertain argument.
- We need a new judge.
- Leave it.
He gave you the stink
eye. That is not a good sign.
If you ask him to recuse
himself, he'll turn you down,
and then he'll hold it against
you for the rest of the trial.
- What did you do to him?
- Long story.
- VORTUBA: Any objections, counselor?
- Uh, none whatsoever.
We're confident of Your Honor's
ability to be fair and impartial.
We respectfully request
that you recuse yourself.
Your request is duly
noted and denied.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Your Honor, for the record, I
have to state that this lawsuit
is nothing more than a
thinly veiled shakedown.
I think that's for
the jury to decide.
Dr. Bull, I wasn't aware
you had a law degree.
- No, still just the PhDs.
- VORTUBA: Oh, good.
Well, we're about
to start voir dire,
and I'm not going to allow
anybody to manipulate my jury.
Isn't that the
purpose of a trial?
Lawyers try to influence the
jury with facts and arguments?
You'll be allowed back in the
courtroom after we finish voir dire.
Respectfully, I'd ask
the court's indulgence.
Dr. Bull is an integral
part of the team.
I made my ruling.
Hmm. Have fun.
Your Honor.
Counsel.
Benny did a good job in voir
dire, but we have some problems.
Bull could have been there to help
if he hadn't ran over the judge's dog.
- It was a cat, actually.
- Oh.
Very old. I'm kidding.
I told you not to ask
him to recuse himself.
- I made a judgment call.
- That's what worries me.
Juror number one, Sienna
White, she has a PhD in linguistics.
Works as a
translator for the UN.
Hard worker, rule
follower. Bad for us.
She'll think our clients were
looking to make a fast buck.
- Juror number three's Larry Dane.
- BENNY: He's a problem.
He'll think our
clients are reckless.
But I ran out of strikes.
Well, don't fret, Benny.
We have a secret weapon.
4,211 clients. And we get to
select which ones the jury will see.
MARISSA: Shopping
for witnesses. Fun.
We get to pick the ones who
appeal to each of our jurors.
We just need a star
witness to lead off,
someone with instant
appeal to Sienna and Larry,
someone to cement our
narrative in their minds.
I will run all of our clients through
the algorithm and narrow it down to 50.
Great. Let's make a competition
out of this, boiler-room style.
Everyone picks their favorite
candidate and argues their case
and the mock jury
will decide the winner.
- What's the prize?
- Hmm...
- $5,000 bonus.
- Why don't we just go with Erin?
She brought us the case.
BULL: Her demeanor
is too amenable, Benny.
The prosecution will make her out to
be a novice investor, easily pressured.
They'll say she was coaxed
into buying the stocks,
but there was no fraud.
I'll prep her. It'll be good
for her to get her story out.
She can give a victim
impact statement after we win.
Just give me a chance to see if
the mock jury resonates with her.
- Wow. You do have a type.
- Come on.
BULL: OK, fine, in
the spirit of competition,
she is now officially
your pick for the finals.
Prove me wrong.
These people should have
met with their financial advisor
before giving away
their life savings.
Well, I've never met
my financial advisor.
You have a financial advisor?
- Yeah, he handles my portfolio.
- She has a portfolio.
DANNY: How much
money do you have?
- None of your business.
- What are you invested in?
OK, if you must know,
I put most of my money in
aggressive S&P index funds.
You know, 'cause I'm young.
Wait a minute. What
else are you invested in?
Medical marijuana.
- Hmm.
- Uh-uh.
- DANNY: Huh.
- Who is that?
- Don't worry about it.
- You found someone.
- Why didn't you pick Erin?
- I didn't have a chance.
- Benny grabbed her up.
- MARISSA: Benny, huh?
- What's going on there?
- CHUNK: You got me.
But I'll still find
someone to win this.
DANNY: In your dreams.
The five grand is mine.
- Hey, hey, hey!
- Snooze, you lose!
BULL: Let the games begin.
Erin Howland, 32.
Single, teacher, fiscally
responsible and donates to charity.
Yeah, bring her home
to your mom, not this jury.
My client, Nell, and
juror number three, Larry,
both have backgrounds
in computer science.
Their analytical and
forward-thinking mindset
will ensure that
Larry can relate to her.
You got Larry, but the other 11
jurors are gonna see Nell as nitpicky.
Hank Knopff, trustworthy,
good eye contact and posture.
He looks arrogant and unapproachable.
He'll alienate our best jurors.
My victim has a strong
social media presence.
He's opinionated, articulate.
Sienna will love him.
Sienna will hate him. Your
client's a professional victim.
His Yelp posts
are all complaints.
Yeah, but they're
funny, unlike your client,
who is blocked by
every celebrity on Twitter.
Jasmine's background check was
spotless, not even a traffic ticket.
See what the
promise of money did?
Just like the stockbrokers,
you exaggerated the positives
and omitted the negatives.
And that is what our
jury has to understand.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, but who wins?
- BULL: No one, yet.
I wanna see them after they've
gone through witness prep.
Oh, well, I can do that.
I don't trust you.
- Conflict of interest.
- Well, you need someone to lead with.
- Wanna start with Erin?
- No. Doesn't set the right tone.
Break it to her gently.
We might call you to the stand,
just not as the first witness.
I started saving six
years ago. I had $19,000.
Half of it was my mother's.
She was helping
me buy a new place
so I don't have to commute an
hour and a half to school each day.
My mom needs that money.
You can sit next to me at the
plaintiff's table during the trial.
Did Bull OK you to offer
Erin a seat at the table?
What? You saw her.
It was damage control.
- Where's Benny Colón?
- Oh, that's me. You are...?
Sofia Dern. Why the hell'd
you send me a subpoena?
- You sent her a subpoena?
- Bull must have sent it.
Well, uh, you were a
broker at Brannigan Trust,
which means you have
relevant information.
You need to tell the
jury what happened.
- How much you gonna pay me?
- It doesn't work that way.
- The SEC involved?
- No one is charging you with a crime.
Oh. So I'm an expert witness.
You're lucky you're
not at the defense table.
No money, no testimony.
If you don't show up, you
will be subject to arrest.
Our victims all feel like victims.
We need a predator right off the bat.
MARISSA: You
gotta be kidding me.
No, jury's gonna love her,
especially Sienna and Larry.
Whoa!
Yeah. We just found
our star witness.
We empathize with
those who lost money,
but that's the
nature of the market.
Mr. Fuller is too much of a
gentleman to say it, so I'll say it.
The plaintiffs are unwilling to accept
the consequences of their decisions
and now they're seeking
compensation from the deepest pockets.
Predictable, trying to
paint our clients as greedy.
We're giving 'em plenty of
ammunition by starting off with Sofia.
The jury'll see what our
clients were up against.
Prep was a nightmare.
She doesn't wanna testify.
Stick with the plan.
Play to her ego.
She won't be able to resist
bragging about her conquests.
She's gonna help us
prove the elements of fraud.
She is going to
be uncooperative.
I'll have to treat her
as a hostile witness.
Vortuba's not gonna let you ask
leading questions, so don't do it.
- What is it with you and that judge?
- He is not the problem.
I need her cooperative
and not feeling forced.
Are you on board?
Where is your star witness?
Building anticipation for
her testimony, no doubt.
- Are all parties ready to proceed?
- The defense answers ready for trial.
- Mr. Colón?
- Yes, Your Honor.
Our first witness
is not here yet.
I'd like to request an arrest
warrant for failure to appear.
It is so ordered. You have until
the end of the day to find her.
But the show must go on.
So we'll have a 30-minute recess
and then we'll hear opening
statements and go right into witnesses.
- You've reached Sofia Dern's office...
- Straight to voicemail.
None of the other
witnesses are ready to testify.
- Then stall.
- How?
File a motion. Argue
a point of discovery.
You've done this before.
- Where are you going?
- Shop for a car.
Stall till I get back.
You don't have to come up with a
bogus reason to stall and annoy the jury.
Put me on the stand.
Bull wants to see you in
front of a mock jury first.
- I'm ready.
- Look, we haven't finished your prep.
Then let's finish
it. I'm a quick study.
No, we only have 30 minutes.
Have you ever worked with
11-year-olds? That's an eternity.
Silver Tempest, my favorite
color. You have good taste.
- This is the sexiest car on the lot.
- I've been eyeing it for a while.
It's the perfect ride
for people like us.
People like us?
Someone who won't settle
for anything but the best.
Am I wrong?
Well, cars like this
can be temperamental.
I don't wanna spend
my whole life in the shop.
Well, that is the best feature of
them all. It's a brand you can trust.
- How about we take it for a spin?
- Why don't we?
I trusted them. I
had no reason not to.
I've been with Brannigan
since I was a teenager.
My babysitting
money was in there.
This looks a lot easier
when Bull does it.
I've never fallen for anything
like this. Fool me once.
- MARISSA: How's it going?
- Sienna's tilting her head.
- It looks like she's warming to Erin.
- I can relate.
Pretty much every teenage girl on
the planet earned money babysitting.
- Not me.
- Why not?
All my siblings were
older. They babysat me.
My parents made me come up with
more creative ways to make money.
- Like hacking?
- Maybe.
Years ago, Miss Howland, you donated
to the Humanitarian Fund of America.
- I think that was the name of it.
- Is there a point to this, Your Honor?
Charity was a fraud. Shut
down by the IRS three years ago.
MARISSA: Why did Erin not tell
us that she'd been conned before?
By the looks of it,
she just found out.
It's not like we have a list of
every charity she donated to.
We need to prove that her
actions were reasonable.
Like Bull predicted, he's
making her look uninformed,
like she doesn't
do her homework.
HFOA was a fraud? Are you sure?
So I guess it's fool you
twice, isn't it, Miss Howland?
Objection!
We still have other witnesses.
How am I so gullible?
Hey. We all make mistakes.
Sometimes well-meaning
but still life-changing.
I recently had a case resurface.
I sent a man to prison for nine
years for a crime he didn't commit.
So... I know what
you're dealing with.
Look, you are not a fool, OK?
You are a kind and
beautiful woman
whose kindness got
taken advantage of.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
I bet you love the control.
Indescribable.
[CHUCKLES]
This isn't my normal route,
but we're having fun, right?
Right.
Why are we stopping
here? What's going on?
Well, that man has a
warrant for your arrest.
You're supposed to
appear in court and testify.
In fact, you have about five
minutes. If you hurry, you can make it.
- What about my car?
- Oh, don't worry, it's in good hands.
I'll keep it warm for you.
- Tell the truth.
- Sofia Dern, come with me.
[CHUCKLES]
Miss Dern, so you were one of the
top stockbrokers at Brannigan Trust?
Are you serious?
I was the top earner.
BENNY: Which means, what, you
were making about 300,000 a year?
Last year I netted
over $750,000.
Did you disclose your own
interest in the stocks to your clients?
It was part of the pitch.
What about when you were
planning to sell? Did you disclose that?
Sometimes. But I
never said I would.
You used the name
Brannigan Trust as bait.
- Objection. Leading.
- Sustained.
Would it surprise you to learn
that you mentioned Brannigan Trust
an average of
seven times per call?
You have to lead with
your strongest suit.
Biometrics are telling me that even
though we proved the elements of fraud,
the mirrors for Sienna and Larry
don't think they'd fall for her pitch.
They want more
than the law requires.
They need to see it wasn't just
fraudulent but malicious as well.
Excuse me, Your Honor.
Were specific Brannigan
clients targeted?
- We call them leads.
- Oh.
People like Erin Howland and
first-time investors. Who else?
Elderly clients near retirement
so we could pitch them
on a last push into wealth before
they have to dip into their savings.
Sienna's getting uncomfortable.
She thinks Sofia's deceptive.
But our projections indicate that six
of our jurors won't hold their ground.
They'll cave to Larry within
the first day of deliberations.
And these leads,
were they on a list?
- Yes.
- And what was that list called?
The Suckers' List.
BENNY: The Suckers'
List landed on the jury.
- Sofia's really going to help us.
- Why'd you call Erin to the stand?
You said stall.
Was anything I said unclear
when we discussed this?
I didn't think she'd sway
the jury and she didn't.
- Now we need a new strategy. Why?
- I was in a jam.
- You can't lie to me, so don't try.
- Fine! Fine.
I thought she'd do better.
But come on, we just
started our attack, OK?
- Sofia went well.
- Not well enough.
- We need to call Fuller.
- Brannigan's CEO?
Mm-hm.
If we call him, Glauster
will get to cross-examine him
with softball questions.
- Let the defense call him to the stand.
- We have to call him.
Otherwise it'll look like we're
afraid of what he has to say.
Worse, it'll look like he's
a witness for the defense.
He is.
But it won't look that way if we call
him as a witness for the prosecution.
- He's smooth.
- Expose him for who he is.
A man who made $76 million last
year while his clients lost everything.
His company targeted these
people and stole their money.
I need Aggro-Benny. Pitbull.
All right, I hear you.
- Do you?
- Yes!
Brannigan Trust has a
long-standing tradition of excellence.
It's a respected institution, part
of the fabric of so many lives.
We offer small business loans...
Let's... Let's focus on your
Alternative Investment Division,
where Sofia Dern worked.
Miss Dern is an overly
aggressive salesperson.
- But your company hired her.
- And we fired her.
Because she was involved
in a pump-and-dump
supported by Brannigan Trust.
Objection. Leading,
compound and badgering.
Sustained, sustained
and sustained.
- Benny's invading Fuller's space.
- MARISSA: Well, you said pitbull.
BENNY: Did you
close the division?
It was folded into
another division.
It was a corporate decision
made due to several factors,
all in the best interest
of our shareholders.
- But not your clients.
- Is there a question coming?
Yes, sure. Here's one.
Putting all the
corporate babble aside,
isn't it true that the
division was nothing more
than a boiler room
in a high-rent office?
- GLAUSTER: Objection!
- Sustained. Last warning.
He's supposed to make Fuller look
like the bully, not the other way around.
The high volume and
the timing of the sale
clearly shows intent to
defraud, don't you agree?
FULLER: No, I don't.
Our brokers didn't sell penny stocks,
which are what you normally associate
with the boiler rooms
you're talking about.
All stocks were listed on NASDAQ
and the New York Stock Exchange.
More than 4,000 people
lost their entire savings.
FULLER: And tens of
thousands made money.
Now, I do feel for your clients,
but in the same way that I feel for
those who lose their savings in Vegas.
It's about personal
responsibility.
You buried the fact that you
targeted Erin, all of these victims,
who were referred to as suckers
because they were vulnerable.
GLAUSTER: Objection!
Again, where's the question?
- VORTUBA: Sustained.
- BULL: Larry's checked out.
He's made up his mind
and it's not in our favor.
- Your Honor, let me rephrase.
- We've rephrased enough. Sit down.
MARISSA: By the way, costs
are double our initial estimate.
We'll make it back.
Well, if not, you may need
to hit Fuller up for a loan.
Hey, we should talk.
I know. I didn't mean to look
embarrassed in front of the jury.
But I didn't know you were gonna
call me out for being vulnerable.
It wasn't scripted, and I
was a little out of control.
[SIGHS]
That kiss should've
never happened.
I know. You're right.
Can't happen again.
It was unprofessional.
And fun.
You are my client.
And you're going through a lot. I
don't wanna take advantage of that.
Maybe you're the
one who can't handle it.
Congratulations. You
could sell water to a whale.
Whales need water. Thanks for
taking care of my arrest warrant.
- Thanks for your testimony.
- So we're even.
- Yeah.
- See you around.
I was hoping we could
make one more deal.
- I don't think so.
- You might enjoy it.
Whatever it is, it'll cost you.
We have one juror who was
not convinced by your testimony.
- Oh, really?
- Thinks he's immune to being sold.
You convince him that it's not
just suckers who get scammed,
you can name your price.
One provision. You cannot, under
any circumstances, discuss the case.
Because that would be tampering?
Here's the way I
think this works.
It's all about the approach. At least,
that's what they taught us at the FBI.
You know, one time I spent a month
jogging on the same path as a target
until it felt natural
to introduce myself.
Sofia's on the accelerated plan.
She doesn't need him to
get to turn state's witness.
All she needs to do is convince
him that not only suckers get conned.
- Didn't I see you in court?
- Yeah.
- I'm Sofia.
- Larry.
- You're not gonna get that cake pop?
- Oh, no.
Deferential. Good first
step. Very appealing to Larry.
You know, it's so funny.
I get to stand up there and
you get to hear all about me,
but I don't get to know
anything about you.
We won't get in trouble
for talking, will we?
As long as we don't
talk about the case.
- I'm an accountant.
- You know, I love numbers.
Finance is my passion.
Mint?
Best way to solidify
trust is to offer something.
If they accept and offer something
in return, a bond has been formed.
My... My treat.
And there it is.
- BULL: And now he'll trust her.
- There's a table.
- Sorry. I have to be back in court.
- Oh, no. No, you don't. Not yet.
- You have at least 15 minutes.
- Really?
Yeah.
- Judge, hello.
- Miss Dern?
- Exactly what are you two doing?
- Uh, we're allowed to talk, aren't we?
Hey, Judge Vortuba.
That's not good.
Oh, don't give me that. I know
this was you, Bull. I know it was you!
Disgraceful. More cheating.
- I didn't and I don't cheat, Judge.
- And I can have you disbarred.
Your Honor, I had no idea Miss
Dern was with one of the jurors.
GLAUSTER: Their witness
was clearly trying to influence him.
The defense moves for an
immediate dismissal, with prejudice.
Do you have any proof
that there was misconduct?
- I would be delighted to hear it.
- Res ipsa loquitur.
It speaks for itself.
If I find a scintilla of proof
that there was jury tampering...
Tuba, you know better than that.
The prudent thing to do is to have juror
number three removed from the panel
and replaced with an alternate.
You've gotta be kidding me! You
wanna be rewarded for what you've done?
Even absent any evidence
that they discussed the case
or that his opinion was altered,
you still have the option
of removing the juror.
No, thank you, Your Honor.
Fine. We'll move to closing arguments.
And you are barred from my courtroom.
- [SIGHS]
- [DOOR SLAMS]
Well, your plan was
inventive, I'll give you that.
Judge Vortuba hasn't been
in a coffee shop in two years.
Today he decides to
get his own beverage?
Vortuba already hated
us. I'm worried about Larry.
We need a unanimous vote and
we humiliated him. Total backfire.
Not necessarily.
- True, he's embarrassed.
- And he's gonna blame it on me.
As an unintended consequence,
we almost got Larry booted.
All we have to do is
spin this in our favor.
Bull, our juror is angry.
We tried to trick him.
Tried.
To prove fraud, we don't need
Larry to have fallen for this.
All we need is to show
him he fell for Sofia
so he can still identify
with our victims,
feel the same thing:
shame, then anger.
We got this, Benny.
These plaintiffs knew
exactly what they were doing.
They played the
market and they lost.
So now they're suing the bank?
[CHUCKLES]
What next? Suing the lottery
when you don't win the jackpot?
That's not reasonable.
Investors have to take
responsibility for their own decisions.
He's effective. Sienna's
mirror's wavering.
Being the victim of a scam
is a frustrating and
embarrassing experience,
whether you fall for it or not.
That's no reason
to blame the victim.
Blame the people who
manipulated the system
with target research and
sophisticated marketing tools
to con the people that they
didn't think had the wherewithal
to take on the system.
Brannigan Trust, a name
we all thought we can trust,
committed fraud simply
by making the offer.
You don't have to
buy into it to see it.
We proved it. Their
brokers admitted it.
Any reasonable person can see
their misrepresentation of the facts.
- They've been out for five hours.
- Bull would say that's a good thing.
How much money did
we spend on this trial?
A... lot.
- Are we gonna be OK if we lose it?
- DANNY: What are you worried about?
With your joint ventures
and your bank accounts.
I told you, I don't talk about
personal finance at work.
OK, we're fine. You have
nothing to worry about.
[PHONE BUZZES]
Jury's back.
What is it with
you and this judge?
TP his house or something?
Chunk, no. That's very juvenile.
- Did you sleep with his wife?
- No.
He thinks I kicked my
ball out of the rough.
- It was just an acorn.
- This is about golf?
- Isn't everything?
- Oh, man. You cheated?
I don't need to cheat with
him. Vortuba's eyes are failing.
He won't get checked. That's
what I think this is really about.
Maybe you can give him a
session before this verdict.
- Here they come!
- Can you tell us the verdict?
- Did they find in your favor?
- We won! Brannigan Trust is guilty!
[CHEERING]
Excuse me.
Hi. Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
- You're welcome.
Thank you for everything.
Be careful with her.
What? No, no, no. You
got it all wrong. We're not...
- Looks like you are.
- [LAUGHS]
I thought about it. I
wanted to. Not the right time.
You tell Bull about the
Hayden Watkins thing yet?
Don't wanna bother the
boss with my little problems.
It's not little, Benny.
[ERIN LAUGHS]
- It's great. I'm so happy.
- Well, good. You deserve it.
So I get my $19,000 back?
And add a zero for
punitive damages.
- That's amazing.
- Spend some of it on yourself.
- And my mom.
- And your mom.
But you should go out and
get what you really want.
Buy yourself a house. Cut down
on that hour-long commute to school.
By the way, you never told me
how you got Sofia to cooperate.
Easy. She's
transactional by nature.
Just had to come
up with the right offer.
- Luckily, I needed a new car.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Enjoy it.
Thanks. Come on,
I'll give you a lift home.
[♪ XAMBASSADORS: RENEGADES]
You wanna tell me
what's going on with you?
It's nothing.
Well... it's this thing with my co-op
and it's not even worth getting into.
So you'll tell me
when you're ready.
It's nothing.
[SIGHS]
- Benny.
- Yeah.
Get it together.
♪ And I say hey Hey, hey, hey
♪ Living like we're renegades
♪ Hey, hey, hey Hey, hey, hey
♪ Living like we're
renegades Renegades...
A wise man told me
to go after what I want.
So here I am.
♪ Renegades ♪