??? 此外，在復(fù)雜民事訴訟案專(zhuān)家，西北大學(xué)法學(xué)院投資者保護(hù)中心（Northwestern Law's Investor Protection Center）主任塞繆爾?鮑姆協(xié)助下，庫(kù)圖拉斯領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的客戶(hù)聯(lián)盟也贏得了明富環(huán)球破產(chǎn)案法官馬丁?格倫的尊重。格倫法官已經(jīng)要求破產(chǎn)受托人，休斯、哈伯德和里德律師事務(wù)所（Hughes, Hubbard & Reed）的詹姆斯?吉登斯認(rèn)真聽(tīng)取明富環(huán)球客戶(hù)的意見(jiàn)。“當(dāng)我第一次告訴法官我是大宗商品客戶(hù)聯(lián)盟的聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人時(shí)，他拿起了一份大約6英寸厚的卷宗，里面全是客戶(hù)聯(lián)盟成員的來(lái)信，”庫(kù)圖拉斯說(shuō)。“那些數(shù)字給了我們力量。”

????明富環(huán)球的客戶(hù)們說(shuō)，客戶(hù)聯(lián)盟出現(xiàn)之前，完全沒(méi)人搭理他們，即使他們的資產(chǎn)在縮水，資產(chǎn)返還也也進(jìn)行得倉(cāng)促馬虎。“破產(chǎn)受托人根本沒(méi)興趣跟我們這些客戶(hù)合作，”一位聯(lián)盟成員說(shuō)。“詹姆斯過(guò)來(lái)之前，根本就沒(méi)有人顧及我們的利益，盡管我們的遭遇完全不合法。在150年的期貨交易史上，還從來(lái)沒(méi)有發(fā)生過(guò)這樣的事情。沒(méi)有人知道該怎么辦，大家都嚇壞了。”

????盡管庫(kù)圖拉斯不得不擱置自己公司的一些項(xiàng)目（他原計(jì)劃于明年初推出一只多戰(zhàn)略基金和一只股權(quán)基金），但他現(xiàn)在并不介意每天工作20個(gè)小時(shí)，穿梭飛行于芝加哥和紐約之間。

????此外，如果他能夠從明富環(huán)球公司要回他的錢(qián)，他說(shuō)他就能夠向客戶(hù)發(fā)布一份迄今為止最漂亮的年度報(bào)告。

????“我是這個(gè)世界上心眼最好的小伙子，”他說(shuō)。“但如果有人膽敢耍我，那可得當(dāng)心了。”

????譯者：任文科

?With the help of J. Samuel Tenenbaum, an expert in complex civil litigation and the director of Northwestern Law's Investor Protection Center, Koutoulas's coalition also has earned the respect of MF Global's bankruptcy judge, Martin Glenn, who has directed the bankruptcy trustee, James Giddens of Hughes, Hubbard & Reed to heed the concerns of MF's customers. "When I first told the judge I was co-founder of the Commodity Customer Coalition, he held up a folder about six inches thick, full of letters from our members," Koutoulas says. "Those numbers give us power."

????Before the coalition appeared on the scene, MF customers say they were being ignored, even as their assets dwindled or were returned in sloppy fashion. "The bankruptcy trustee was not interested in working with the customers at all," says one member of the coalition. "Before James came along, there was absolutely nobody looking out for us, despite the fact that what happened to us was totally illegal. In 150 years of futures trading, this has never happened before. No one knew what to do. Everyone was terrified."

????Although Koutoulas has had to put some projects on hold (he'd planned to launch a multi-strategy fund, as well as an equity fund early next year) for now he doesn't mind working 20-hour days and flying back and forth between Chicago and New York.

????Also, if he can get his money back from MF Global, he says he'll be able to report to his clients the fund's best year yet.

????"I am the nicest guy in the world," he says. "But if you cross me, watch out."