Richard Garriott Gets Millions from NCSoft Sacking
NCSoft claimed he left of his own accord. Jury disagrees.
Games designer and part-time space traveller, Richard Garriott, has been awarded $28 million in a legal battle with former employer NCSoft, following a dispute over his departure from the company in 2008.
It was argued that, rather than leave voluntarily as NCSoft claimed, Garriott was fired shortly after he completed a $20 million journey to the International Space Station. He testified that he got the phone call from an NCSoft executive informing him of his redundancy whilst in Russia, during quarantine.
As a result of the firing, Garriott claimed that he was forced to sell his options for 400,000 shares of the company's stock in a depressed economy - a move that cost him millions of dollars. The agreement with NCSoft states that Garriott would have ten years to consider exercising these options if the event of a firing.
The Tabula Rasa designer said of the verdict, "I am extremely pleased with the jury's decision. The facts were clear that my departure from NCsoft was not voluntary. I am very pleased with the final award." A lawyer representing NCSoft said the South Korean publisher "will be considering all options for next steps in the legal process."
Source: Statesman
It was argued that, rather than leave voluntarily as NCSoft claimed, Garriott was fired shortly after he completed a $20 million journey to the International Space Station. He testified that he got the phone call from an NCSoft executive informing him of his redundancy whilst in Russia, during quarantine.
As a result of the firing, Garriott claimed that he was forced to sell his options for 400,000 shares of the company's stock in a depressed economy - a move that cost him millions of dollars. The agreement with NCSoft states that Garriott would have ten years to consider exercising these options if the event of a firing.
The Tabula Rasa designer said of the verdict, "I am extremely pleased with the jury's decision. The facts were clear that my departure from NCsoft was not voluntary. I am very pleased with the final award." A lawyer representing NCSoft said the South Korean publisher "will be considering all options for next steps in the legal process."
Source: Statesman
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