Paul Fishlock and Y&R settle legal costs following long-running legal stoush
Paul Fishlock and Y&R Brands have come to private arrangements regarding the payment of Fishlock’s legal costs as a result of his court case against the WPP-backed company for unfair dismissal.
“I’ve a great sense of relief that that particular adventure is behind me. It had its challenging moments,” Fishlock told Mumbrella.
Last year Fishlock won a Supreme Court ruling for unfair dismissal against Y&R Brands after he was squeezed out of his role as executive creative director of the now defunct Campaign Palace in 2011. He was awarded $300,000 in damages by the court, with Y&R, the parent company of the Palace, ordered to pay his legal costs. However the court did not specify the amount.
The court case revealed email chains between Y&R executives including Hamish McLennan, Russel Howcroft and Y&R Global CCO Tony Granger which revealed Y&R management had been searching for a national lead to replace Fishlock after the departure of the Sydney creative director in 2010.
As the case dragged into its fourth year in February, the bill of costs prepared by an external costs consultant, appointed by Fishlock’s legal team, was rejected by Y&R, which countered with a figure Fishlock described as the time as “so lowball it’s laughable”.
The Supreme Court was then required to appoint its own assessor who would determine how much the agency would pay to cover Fishlock’s legal costs however the two parties ended up reaching a private settlement, the terms of which are confidential.
It is understood Fishlock believed he had racked up around $750,000 in legal fees during the litigation.
Y&R declined to comment on the settlement.
Fishlock now manages Behaviour Change Partners which he launched in 2012 and is one of the speakers at Mumbrella’s Marketing Science Ideas Exchange conference at the end of the month.
Miranda Ward
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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On behalf of many – well done Paul – congratulations.
People standing up to the little bully is a great thing to see.
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Well done Mr Fishlock. You are one of the rare few in advertising with an indefatigable sense of right and wrong.
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Final score: Right-1. Might-0
Hope it inspires the others to fight the good fight.
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Paul, my very best and I hope all is happily resolved? Sitting in the very seat, in the Sutton Arms in London where we met last year. Power on! Mark
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