The former chief executive of Rogers Communications Inc. has fired back at the company, alleging Rogers is carrying out B次元官网网址渁 campaign of dishonestyB次元官网网址� surrounding his ouster in November 2021 by fabricating claims in its defence to his lawsuit.
In court documents filed Thursday, Joe Natale accused Rogers of altering business documents to support its position in the ongoing legal battle between the two sides.
B次元官网网址淚n an egregious violation of ethics for one of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 largest public companies, RCI has altered meeting minutes from RCI Board meetings from the relevant period to change statements made by Edward Rogers to the Board to better align with RCIB次元官网网址檚 self-serving narrative of events,B次元官网网址� NataleB次元官网网址檚 filing stated.
It said Edward Rogers, the company chairman, previously filed B次元官网网址渄ifferent, contemporaneous versions of these meeting minutes in British Columbia Supreme Court in 2021, representing their accuracy to the Court at that time.B次元官网网址�
Natale sued the company for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract in August, alleging its chairman carried out B次元官网网址渕alicious, high-handed, and oppressive conduct.B次元官网网址� He is seeking $24 million in compensation and damages.
Rogers responded last month by launching a countersuit against Natale that claims he tried to B次元官网网址渟ubvert corporate governance and his fiduciary duties for his personal gain.B次元官网网址�
None of the claims of either party have been tested in court.
In a statement, Rogers spokeswoman Sarah Schmidt said NataleB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渂ehaviour speaks for itself.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲hile we had hoped to deal with this matter privately, Joe NataleB次元官网网址檚 lawsuit has left us with no choice,B次元官网网址� she said in an email.
B次元官网网址淲e are confident the courts will discern fact from fiction, including inaccuracies about the companyB次元官网网址檚 actions.B次元官网网址�
NataleB次元官网网址檚 departure from the Toronto-based telecom was announced after a boardroom power struggle over the chairmanB次元官网网址檚 desire to replace him with then-chief financial officer Tony Staffieri, now RogersB次元官网网址� CEO.
Edward RogersB次元官网网址� initial attempt to oust Natale in favour of his No. 2 led instead to StaffieriB次元官网网址檚 departure in September 2021, as well as a board vote that saw Edward removed from his seat at the head of the table.
Edward penned a shareholder resolution to oust the five directors who had defied him, without holding a board meeting. The company filed a legal challenge to his revamped board, sparking a court battle over who actually served on it.
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge ruled Edward RogersB次元官网网址� declaration legitimate and he was reinstated as chairman.
Staffieri replaced Natale as president and CEO in the aftermath of the ruling.
RogersB次元官网网址� statement of defence and countersuit alleged that Natale had initially agreed to resign and negotiated a B次元官网网址済enerous retirement package,B次元官网网址� but shortly afterward B次元官网网址渞eneged on his agreement and began a campaign to entrench himself.B次元官网网址�
NataleB次元官网网址檚 version of events differs. He has argued that he negotiated and agreed upon the terms of his severance in a series of meetings with Edward in September 2021, which were approved by the Rogers board.
But he said a group of board members then asked him to stay on as CEO against EdwardB次元官网网址檚 wishes B次元官网网址渢o support the strategic priorities of the businessB次元官网网址� and that the company enhanced his employment terms in written contracts in October 2021, before he was terminated the next month.
NataleB次元官网网址檚 allegation that company board meeting minutes were altered surrounds the status at the time of Robert D茅patie, the former chair of the boardB次元官网网址檚 human resources committee, and whether he had resigned from the board to assume an executive position with Rogers.
Rogers has submitted that although Edward communicated to the board D茅patie planned to resign as a director of the company pending the approval of a new CEO, D茅patie had not actually stepped down or joined the management team at the time.
The companyB次元官网网址檚 statement of defence argued NataleB次元官网网址檚 revised contract was invalid since D茅patie did not approve it, even though he was still on the boardB次元官网网址檚 human resources committee at the time.
In new documents filed Thursday, Natale quoted minutes from a Sept. 22, 2021 board meeting filed by Edward with the British Columbia Supreme Court in the board dispute case that same year. The minutes state Edward had reported to his fellow board members that B次元官网网址淒茅patie had resigned from the board of RCI effective the day before.B次元官网网址�
He alleged Rogers has since altered those minutes to state Edward told the board B次元官网网址淒茅patie would resign from the board of RCI upon signing an employment agreement for such role.B次元官网网址�
His side called RogersB次元官网网址� position a B次元官网网址渢ransparent attempt to deter Natale from holding RCI accountable and to harm his excellent reputation.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚t is further evidence of RCIB次元官网网址檚 high-handed and malicious conduct against Natale warranting a claim of punitive damages,B次元官网网址� the filing stated.
NataleB次元官网网址檚 lawsuit accused Edward and his wife Suzanne Rogers of hiring actor Brian Cox of HBOB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪uccessionB次元官网网址� to create a B次元官网网址渄emeaningB次元官网网址� video about him and allegedly distributing it to family members, friends and colleagues, before it was eventually reported on by media.
The video included a message congratulating Edward Rogers on his B次元官网网址渞eal-life Succession at Rogers CommunicationsB次元官网网址� and used an expletive to describe NataleB次元官网网址檚 departure from the company.
