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zhivaTuesday, August 3rd, 2010 10:36 am
Well, it's not exactly a WoW topic, but it's about CEO of Activision Blizzard.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/08/activision-ceo-kotick-loses-battle-with-top-hollywood-litigator.html
Kotick also runs a company called Cove Management, which was created to run a private jet he co-owned with Andrew Gordon, the head of the LA branch of Goldman Sachs investment bankers. One of their pilots was a man by the name of Phil Berg. In 2007 Cynthia Madvig filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Kotick, Andrew Gordon and Berg. In short words, Berg harassed her, she complained about it to Gordon and Kotick fired her. In April of 2007 Kotick hired Patricia Glaser's firm. Glaser advised Kotick that the Madvig case could be settled for $200,000 to $400,000, but “Mr. Kotick believed no sexual harassment or retaliation had taken place and it was important to vindicate the principle even if it would be very expensive in terms of legal fees”. Kotick stopped working with Glaser, sent paycheck for $200,000 while Glaser claimed that total owed was slightly over $1 million.
In the end, Kotick had to pay $200,000 to Madvig, plus $475,000 in legal fees, and $938,458 to Glaser, along with $479,898 in legal fees and costs incurred in the arbitration, for a total of $1.42 million. (plus 10% interest).
I find this part of the article very interesting and disturbing:
I don't feel like I'm willing to give money to company led by such person.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/08/activision-ceo-kotick-loses-battle-with-top-hollywood-litigator.html
Kotick also runs a company called Cove Management, which was created to run a private jet he co-owned with Andrew Gordon, the head of the LA branch of Goldman Sachs investment bankers. One of their pilots was a man by the name of Phil Berg. In 2007 Cynthia Madvig filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Kotick, Andrew Gordon and Berg. In short words, Berg harassed her, she complained about it to Gordon and Kotick fired her. In April of 2007 Kotick hired Patricia Glaser's firm. Glaser advised Kotick that the Madvig case could be settled for $200,000 to $400,000, but “Mr. Kotick believed no sexual harassment or retaliation had taken place and it was important to vindicate the principle even if it would be very expensive in terms of legal fees”. Kotick stopped working with Glaser, sent paycheck for $200,000 while Glaser claimed that total owed was slightly over $1 million.
In the end, Kotick had to pay $200,000 to Madvig, plus $475,000 in legal fees, and $938,458 to Glaser, along with $479,898 in legal fees and costs incurred in the arbitration, for a total of $1.42 million. (plus 10% interest).
I find this part of the article very interesting and disturbing:
In his ruling the arbitrator described Kotick’s approach to the Madvig case as a “scorched earth defense” and cited numerous statements allegedly made by the Activision CEO during his dispute with the former flight attendant.
Describing a May 2007 meeting with Abu-Assal and Cove’s chief financial officer, the arbitrator wrote that “Mr. Kotick wanted to destroy the other side and not to pay Ms. Madvig anything.... Mr. Kotick realized this was not a good business proposition, but said ‘that he was worth one-half billion dollars and he didn’t mind spending some of it on attorneys’ fees.’”
At a settlement negotiation with Madvig and her attorneys later that month, as described by the arbitrator, “Mr. Kotick said ‘he would not be extorted and that he would ruin the Plaintiff and her attorney and see to it that Ms. Madvig would never work again.’”
I don't feel like I'm willing to give money to company led by such person.