Toyota Wins Ruling Against Former In-House Attorney Dimitrios Biller
http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202477196203David Hechler
Corporate Counsel
January 06, 2011
Toyota's long-running battle with former in-house lawyer Dimitrios Biller appears to be over, and the automaker won a complete victory.
Arbitrator Gary Taylor granted the the company's motion for summary judgment in dismissing Biller's RICO claims, and ruled against Biller's claims of defamation, fraud, and false promises
The arbitrator found Biller liable for breach of contract, citing "multiple instances of unauthorized disclosure" of the company's confidential information. These disclosures took the form of postings on Biller's web site, his public seminars, his discussions with the media, and his delivery of thousands of documents to a Texas court "without a request, subpoena or legal compulsion," Taylor added.
In a press release posted on the web site of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc., general counsel Christopher Reynolds said: "We are gratified that the credibility of Toyota's legal organization and the integrity of our legal professionals have been validated. We believe that the arbitrator's award clearly vindicates Toyota's position and reaffirms the critical importance of attorney-client privilege as a cornerstone of our legal system.