A federal judge in Georgia has handed down a significant order against L. Lin Wood, a former attorney known for his controversial defamation cases and ties to Donald Trump. Wood has been told to hand over $2 million in cash and two properties as collateral while he appeals a $4.5 million defamation judgment against him.
Wood, once a respected attorney in Georgia, rose to national attention as a leading figure in efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results. But his career took a steep dive after legal troubles mounted, and he surrendered his law license in July 2023. Now, he’s on the receiving end of a lawsuit filed by three of his former law partners: Nicole Wade, Jonathan Grunberg, and Taylor Wilson.
The dispute dates back to February 2020, when the three attorneys left Wood’s law firm. What followed was a bitter back-and-forth over financial settlements. Wood accused the trio of criminal extortion on the messaging app Telegram, a claim that would later land him in legal trouble. In March 2022, the former partners filed a defamation lawsuit against him, and by August 2024, a jury ruled in their favor, ordering Wood to pay $4.5 million—$3.75 million in damages and $750,000 in legal fees.
Since September, both sides have been arguing about how Wood should secure the bond required to proceed with his appeal. While Wood proposed an alternative arrangement—offering $2 million in cash, a home in Atlanta worth $1 million, and property in South Carolina valued at $5 million—his former partners pushed for a more traditional bond.
Judge Michael L. Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ultimately agreed that Wood doesn’t have enough liquid cash for a full bond. Brown acknowledged that Wood, no longer able to practice law, has been without an income since 2021. However, the judge had concerns about the security of Wood’s proposed arrangement, particularly regarding how the $2 million in cash would be handled.
The judge explained that Wood’s plan to put the cash in a joint account with a representative chosen by the plaintiffs wasn’t foolproof. If Wood lost the appeal, the funds might still be tied up in further legal battles. “He says he won’t refuse to hand over the money, but he could change his mind,” Brown wrote. The court decided that promises weren’t enough for such a high-stakes bond.
Additionally, Judge Brown required Wood to transfer ownership of one of the properties from an LLC he solely owns to his name personally. This step, the judge said, would prevent any complications if the property needs to be sold in the future.
This development marks another chapter in the dramatic downfall of a once-prominent attorney whose legal battles have come to define his career. The properties in question, located in Atlanta, Georgia, and South Carolina, now stand at the center of the legal saga as Wood fights to appeal the costly defamation judgment against him.
