[July 07, 2005] San Francisco Jury Returns $11.1 Million Verdict Against Compuware Corporation in Defamation Lawsuit Tweet SAN FRANCISCO --(Business Wire)-- July 7, 2005 -- Today a San Francisco jury rendered an $11.1 million verdict in a defamation lawsuit brought against Compuware Corporation, a publicly-traded IT staffing firm based in Detroit, Michigan. The jury award in favor of plaintiffs Mary McCarthy and Aidan O'Lee, both former Compuware employees, consisted of $1,150,000 in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. Ms. McCarthy and Ms. O'Lee were represented by Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP attorney Emilia Mayorga. The verdict came after a two-week trial in the case of O'Lee v. Compuware Corporation, Case No. 406409. The lawsuit stemmed from a letter sent in 2001 by Compuware Senior Vice-President Alan Cantrell to executives of Charles Schwab & Company, an account handled by Ms. McCarthy and Ms. O'Lee during their employment with Compuware. The jury found that Compuware's letter contained libelous statements about Ms. McCarthy and Ms. O'Lee that damaged their reputations. The jury also agreed that in making the false statements, Compuware acted with malice, oppression or fraud, and that a punitive damage award was necessary to punish defendants for their conduct and to deter them from such action in the future. Ms. Mayorga, lead trial counsel for the plaintiffs, said that "Compuware was willing to libel my clients and risk destroying their reputations in order to save the Schwab account. Today, the jury sent Compuware a clear message that such behavior is unacceptable." ABOUT THE FIRM: Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP represents both plaintiffs and defendants in individual and class actions throughout the country. Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP can be found on the world wide web by visiting www.kerrwagstaffe.com. For press inquiries, please contact Keith Fong by telephone (415-371-8500) or email ([email protected]). [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]