Controlling litigation risk, regrettably, is no watertight affair. Sometimes even doing what you are supposed to do can land you in court. Consider the case of the "barefoot plaintiff." This person is one of those who make their living filing nuisance suits, the kinds of actions many firms decide to settle. This fellow had a regular harvesting operation going. He sued supermarkets that ejected him because he would come in without shoes on. Hence his nickname. Then he targeted banks. Specifically, he targeted banks' account-opening procedures. Under federal anti-money-laundering laws, institutions are required to obtain customer identification, including a Social Security number, from anyone opening a new account.
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