Now that Cinemark has been found not responsible for the Aurora theater shooting, it’s pretty easy to see why it would want to get the money it spent defending itself back. But I’ll give Cinemark the same advice I have given literally dozens of CEOs across many different industries: You are never sorry later for having taken the high road. Not to mention that the reputational damage for trying to collect $700,000 will be in the tens of millions of dollars.
Category: lawsuits
MSLGroup Settles Gender Bias Suit for $2.9M
From the “Yeah, right” file:
“We are confident that our workplace policies and practices are lawful, correct, and non-discriminatory.”
– MSLGroup, as it settled a gender bias suit for $2.9 million.
Hamling Pleads Guilty to Felony Theft
Traction Communications’ Kirsten Hamling, the founder of what turned out to be the fraudulent charity Fired Up For Kids, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft this morning for stealing money raised for the burn unit at The Children’s Hospital. CBS4 has the details.
Traction’s Hamling Settles Suit with State Prosecutors
Traction Communications founder Kirsten Hamling has settled a lawsuit filed against her by Colorado state prosecutors. The suit accused Hamling of diverting money intended for charity through her Fired Up for Kids organization and spending the “money on personal items including services at hair and nail salons, a gym membership and a vacation.”
Under the terms of the deal, Hamling has agreed that Fired Up For Kids will “move all its assets to Colorado Firefighter Calendar Inc., an unrelated non-profit company,” according to David Migoya at The Denver Post. The article notes that Hamling has not “admitted any wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement” and that her attorneys maintain that she simply was owner of a for-profit business who “graciously donated money” to charity.
7News, however, has reported that Hamling’s organization registered with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office as a non-profit and that its website and news releases claimed that “all calendar proceeds benefit” charity.
Catfight Alert – Tom ‘Troubleshooter’ Martino vs. Fox31
Who could have foreseen an eventual lawsuit for Fox31 when it got into bed with such a paragon of virtue as the now-bankrupt creator of The Troubleshooter and Martino TV?
Volume PR Sues Medical Marijuana Client
Goddamn pot-smoking hippies. There’s always money for a dime bag or a can of Pringles, but ask them to pay an invoice and its all, “Dude, chillax. We’ll hook you up when we can.” Or maybe it’s not like that at all. I’m just guessing based on the lawsuit filed against Greenway University by Denver’s Volume PR, parent company of the nation’s “first and only business development and public relations firm exclusively focused on the medical marijuana industry.” If you are interested, the case was filed in Denver County (#11CV1119).
Trouble in Boulder?
If you are a crisis communications expert and are looking for a job, you might want to contact Boulder-based CTA Public Relations. This week’s Denver Business Journal lists a lawsuit filed by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank against CTA Public Relations Inc./Shirley Thompson/Carl R. Thompson.
Catfight Alert
Metzger’s Doyle Albee vs. HWH PR’s Lois Whitman. And if Doyle isn’t careful on May 19, Catfight II will be Doyle Albee vs. Lois Whitman’s attorney.
UPDATE: Techcrunch has picked up the catfight, and I’m glad to see that it is obvious to neutral observers who is on the right side of this catfight.
PRNewswire Reorganizes, Cuts Staff
PRNewswire is reorganizing some departments and cutting staff, although its not clear whether its headcount will drop or if the cuts will be balanced with hires in other areas.
FBI Apologizes for ‘Improperly’ Obtaining Reporters’ Phone Records
The FBI has apologized to The Washington Post and The New York Times for “improperly obtaining phone records” of their reporters while investigating terrorism four years ago.
Public Relations and Litigation
U.S. Law Radio interviews Denver’s own Steven “Steve” Silvers of GBSM on public relations in litigation environments. The piece is about five minutes long, and definitely worth a listen.
What, You Don’t Find Being Called A “F__king, Stupid B___h” Motivational?
EchoStar/Dish Network has long had the reputation as one of the most difficult places for a public relations person to work in Denver, and this Rocky Mountain News article makes it sound like its not just tough in the PR department.
I Hope You Don’t Own ‘BretAdamsIsAStupidMoron.com’
The Denver Nuggets continue to slip farther down in the standings, and they would not make the playoffs if the season ended today. Part of the problem may be that coach George Karl is wasting his best motivational speeches about hustle and aggressiveness on his lawyer rather than his players.
Denver Public Relations Blog 