Deutsche Financial institution has agreed to pay as much as $75mn to settle a lawsuit introduced by an unnamed girl who alleged the lender had benefited from human trafficking by retaining Jeffrey Epstein as a consumer.

The pseudonymous Jane Doe, who stated she was abused by Epstein, first filed the proposed class motion in opposition to Deutsche in November, after a New York legislation allowed sexual abuse claims the place the statue of limitations had expired to proceed for a restricted time period.

She claimed the German financial institution “selected revenue over following the legislation” and knew it could “earn tens of millions of {dollars} from facilitating Epstein’s intercourse trafficking”.

Dozens of girls could finally share the damages award, which shall be distributed in quantities decided by an administrator assessing particular person claims, folks accustomed to the matter stated. Claimants might get as a lot as $5mn every, the folks stated.

The settlement attracts a line underneath considered one of three lawsuits involving lenders to Epstein. Two others goal JPMorgan Chase, which has been sued by a distinct alleged sufferer and the US Virgin Islands, the place Epstein had a house. JPMorgan introduced a fourth go well with in opposition to former government Jes Staley, accusing him of mendacity about his relationship with Epstein.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys stated they believed the sum paid by Deutsche was “probably the biggest sex-trafficking settlement involving a banking establishment in US historical past”.

In a joint assertion, Doe’s representatives at Edwards Pottinger and Boies Schiller Flexner stated the settlement was the “fruits of two legislation corporations conducting greater than a decade-long investigation to carry considered one of Epstein’s monetary banking companions accountable for the position it performed in facilitating his trafficking organisation”.

Deutsche paid $150mn to the New York State Division of Monetary Providers in 2020 over its Epstein relationship and inside compliance failures and final 12 months agreed to pay $26mn to shareholders who accused the financial institution of deceptive them over its consumer vetting course of.

The Frankfurt-based lender had tried to have Doe’s case dismissed, arguing a settlement she reached with the Epstein property in April 2022 — through which she obtained $7.4mn — coated the lender’s legal responsibility, too.

It additionally argued Doe’s “poor” grievance did “not come shut” to adequately alleging Deutsche was a part of Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring.

Deutsche declined to touch upon the settlement.

Lately, Deutsche had invested €4bn in bettering its inside compliance techniques, constructing an anti-financial crime group of greater than 1,900 folks, an individual accustomed to the matter stated.

The financial institution first took on Epstein as a consumer in August 2013, quickly after JPMorgan dropped him amid issues about his sexual misconduct and studies that he was paying victims in money.

Paul Morris, a former JPMorgan banker who moved to Deutsche, had suggested the financial institution that Epstein might convey profitable purchasers with him, in response to court docket paperwork. Deutsche ultimately dropped Epstein as a consumer in December 2018.

Epstein, his buddies and entities that he managed opened greater than 40 accounts on the financial institution, in response to court docket paperwork, depositing a mixed complete of greater than $110mn in property.

In his order denying partly Deutsche’s try and dismiss the case, Decide Jed Rakoff, who’s overseeing the litigation, stated Epstein “solicited Deutsche Financial institution’s recommendation about easy methods to construction his withdrawals in order to evade discover . . . and he was shielded by Deutsche Financial institution’s failure to file suspicious exercise studies”.

He stated it was “believable” Deutsche had benefited from human trafficking and agreed to let the case proceed to trial.

Epstein pleaded responsible in 2008 to a state cost of soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida. He was charged by federal prosecutors with intercourse trafficking in 2019 and died in jail by suicide whereas awaiting trial.