Category Archives: CEOs

Texas Appellate Court Goes the Extra Mile (literally) in Non-Compete Dispute, Expands Geographic Scope of Injunction

An appellate ruling from the Dallas Fifth Court of Appeals in January is an important read for those who closely follow Texas non-compete litigation.    The opinion in Richard Gehrke and Pacific Companies Inc. v Merritt Hawkins and Associates is a rare example … Continue reading

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Harassment Skeletons in McDonald’s Closet Hasten CEO Steve Easterbrook Downfall 

Even by today’s standards of board oversight in the #MeToo era, the speed of McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook’s fall was breathtaking. In just four short years at the helm, Easterbrook was credited with nearly doubling the company’s share price and … Continue reading

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For Execs Confronting Extortion Shakedowns, Few Reasons to Participate

A juicy corporate scandal has a unique ability to wipe away billions from a corporation’s market cap with frightening speed, so it’s no wonder that executives are prone to quake when faced with the prospect of responding to the threat … Continue reading

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NFL’s Goodell Faces Leadership Challenge in Latest Patriots Discipline Probe

The sports metaphors are overflowing when it comes to the challenge that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell faces with the prospect of investigating and meting out appropriate punishment for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Let’s just say this: Welcome to … Continue reading

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For Politicians and Business Leaders, Dusty Yearbooks Hide Ticking Time Bomb

A cascade of yearbook scandals and confessions of disreputable behavior is sending quakes through Virginia political circles and beyond after decades-old yearbooks surfaced with references to racial slurs, images of students in blackface and other behavior unbecoming of those in … Continue reading

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C-Suite Lessons from Ghosn’s Nissan Ouster

For Carlos Ghosn – one of the highest-flying chief executives in the world (literally) – home has been a 50-square-foot cell since Japanese authorities announced a series of vague allegations against him for underreporting his compensation and misusing company property. … Continue reading

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Dallas Morning News Interviews Joe Ahmad About Clash of the Dating App Start-Ups

The Dallas Morning News took a close look at a raft of lawsuits facing Dallas-based online dating company Match.com, including a series of bitter lawsuits with rival startup Bumble, which I’ve written about previously on this blog. DMN Reporter Danielle Abril … Continue reading

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#MeToo Zeitgeist Sends Quakes Through C-Suites

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

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As Date Nears for Google v. Uber Trade Secret Trial, Uber Insiders Describe Culture of Espionage and Secrecy

In the year since Google’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary Waymo first leveled allegations that Uber had poached star engineer Anthony Levandowski knowing that he was bringing a raft of stolen trade secrets with him, the contentious litigation has consistently revealed new … Continue reading

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5 Lessons About Protecting Digital Assets From ZeniMax v. Oculus VR

The November edition of DCEO magazine dives into the recent $500 million jury verdict against Facebook’s Oculus virtual reality subsidiary, describing the whopper verdict as a transcendent moment for businesses that have not yet taken steps to identify and protect … Continue reading

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