Tag Archives: litigation

Winning in Litigation Starts with Recognizing what Success Looks Like

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Joe Ahmad

I’ve learned over time that sometimes clients have a different version “winning” in litigation than their lawyer. Trial lawyers tend to be consumed with keeping score on issues that don’t matter much to clients. Legal disputes and conflict have a … Continue reading →

Posted in ADR, CEOs, Litigation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Winning in Litigation Starts with Recognizing what Success Looks Like

Treatment of Trump-Ukraine Informer Could Have Chilling Effect on Corporate Whistleblowers 

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Joe Ahmad

Whistleblowers have a variety of understandable reasons for bravely coming forward – but winning a popularity contest is rarely one of them. After all, they are typically corporate or government insiders alleging fraud and wrongdoing, which tends to render them vulnerable … Continue reading →

Posted in Dodd-Frank, Fiduciary Duty, Legal, Litigation, Sarbanes-Oxley, Whistleblowers | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Treatment of Trump-Ukraine Informer Could Have Chilling Effect on Corporate Whistleblowers 

Whistleblowers Receive Whopper Payouts as SEC Proposes New Rules to Limit Future Awards

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Joe Ahmad

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced two large whistleblower payouts last week, bringing the total paid-out bounty for the program to more than $320 million since it was created as part of the 2011 Dodd-Frank Act. The $39 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Business Continuity, Complaints Against Executives, Dodd-Frank, Fraud, Whistleblowers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Whistleblowers Receive Whopper Payouts as SEC Proposes New Rules to Limit Future Awards

#MeToo Zeitgeist Sends Quakes Through C-Suites

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Joe Ahmad

CEOs from three big U.S. chipmakers made unexpected career exits for improper behavior in the last two months alone, some on the job barely long enough to get their new business cards. Most recently and perhaps most surprising, Texas Instruments’ … Continue reading →

Posted in CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Corporate culture, Executive contracts, Executive Management Style, Workplace Romances | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #MeToo Zeitgeist Sends Quakes Through C-Suites

Fifth Circuit Reminder: Words Matter in Employment Contacts, Restrictive Covenants

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Joe Ahmad

Sometimes the most fundamental legal concepts are so basic and intuitive that they tend to fall by the wayside in practice. Case in point is a recent Fifth Circuit opinion throwing out an arbitration agreement because the employer didn’t follow … Continue reading →

Posted in Arbitration agreements, Executive contracts, Fiduciary Duty, Legal, Litigation | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit Reminder: Words Matter in Employment Contacts, Restrictive Covenants

Trump-Daniels Affair Exposes Inherent Legal Challenges with Hush Agreements

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Joe Ahmad

There are plenty of clues that the so-called “hush agreement” between Donald Trump and porn actress Stormy Daniels (née Stephanie Clifford) was hastily crafted and poorly thought out. Executed just days before the 2016, the non-disparagement agreement has a wealth … Continue reading →

Posted in Complaints Against Executives, Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Legal, Litigation, Workplace Romances | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Trump-Daniels Affair Exposes Inherent Legal Challenges with Hush Agreements

Two-Plane Habit: GE Exec’s Travel Latest Example of Wasteful Corporate Culture

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

GE shareholders and much of the business world were surprised to learn about the wasteful business travel practices of recently retired CEO Jeff Immelt. The WSJ reported recently that for much of his tenure at GE, Immelt traveled in a … Continue reading →

Posted in CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Corporate culture, Executive Management Style, Fiduciary Duty | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Two-Plane Habit: GE Exec’s Travel Latest Example of Wasteful Corporate Culture

On the Court or in the C-Suite, Leaders Embrace Win-at-All-Cost Drive at Their Own Peril

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

The NCAA basketball kickback scandal is just getting started and it’s already bagged a big one – Louisville’s Rick Pitino, who was forced to resign after details of the wide-ranging probe were unveiled. Expect many more heads to roll as … Continue reading →

Posted in CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Corporate culture, Criminal Prosecutions, Executive Management Style, Sports contracts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On the Court or in the C-Suite, Leaders Embrace Win-at-All-Cost Drive at Their Own Peril

Study Finds Public Losing Patience When CEOs Act Out

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

Add Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, Amazon’s entertainment chief Roy Price and KB Home’s Jeffrey Mezger to the growing list of executives making headlines for the wrong reasons. One of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, Weinstein was forced out after … Continue reading →

Posted in CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Corporate culture, Executive Compensation, Executive contracts, Executive Management Style, Legal, Litigation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Study Finds Public Losing Patience When CEOs Act Out

U-Turn Ahead: Uber hits brakes over new hire’s refusal to help in trade secret defense

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

In a move that surprised no one watching the drama between Uber and Google’s Waymo self-driving vehicle division, Uber fired engineering whiz Anthony Levandowski on Tuesday. The company thought it scored a real coup last year in hiring Levandowski to … Continue reading →

Posted in Complaints Against Executives, Corporate culture, Covenants Not to Compete, Defend Trade Secrets Act, Executive contracts, Trade Secrets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on U-Turn Ahead: Uber hits brakes over new hire’s refusal to help in trade secret defense