AgencySpy posted the 17-page lawsuit recently filed by former CP+B CCO Ralph Watson against the anonymous Diet Madison Avenue crew. The filing featured a few items worth noting:
1. Watson and his attorney opted against including the names of the alleged DMA crew in order to “protect the privacy of the individual[s] until a suitable protective order is reached by the parties and approved by the Court”—after which point the DMA crew will be served, and their true identities may remain redacted or under seal. Gee, that’s mighty White of Watson. Then again, Watson’s primary goal is to win his lawsuit versus outing anonymous Instagrammers.
2. The filing read, “Evidence that there was no cause for his termination is provided by the fact that a high-level executive at CP+B actively recruited Plaintiff to work with CP+B on various projects after he was wrongfully terminated ‘for cause.’” Huh? Somebody pulled a Wendy Clark and offered freelance opportunities to Watson after his dismissal? How long will the “high-level executive at CP+B” remain anonymous?
3. A CP+B spokesperson stated, “CPB still stands by its decision to terminate Mr. Watson’s employment for cause following an appropriate investigation. MDC Partners and CPB will continue to vigorously defend themselves and their employees against the litigation commenced by Mr. Watson in June 2018. We remain highly confident that we will ultimately prevail in this matter.” Okay, but will CP+B and MDC Partners even prevail as enterprises given the likely acquisition of the White holding company?
AgencySpy later posted that a judge allowed Watson to subpoena Facebook/Instagram and Alphabet/Google to confirm the identities of the anonymous DMA crew directly responsible for the online attacks on Watson. Plus, various DMA crewmembers are apparently lawyering up for the legal battles ahead.
This entire fiasco is getting interesting. Most legal disputes in adland dissolve when deep-pocketed White advertising agencies and White holding companies wear out ex-employees who file lawsuits. Yet things are different here, as Watson presumably has more money to pursue matters versus the DMA crew.
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