Richmond boss in hot water
By DAMIAN BARRETT
08dec05
NEWLY appointed Richmond president Gary March is embroiled in a multi-million dollar compensation claim.
March is managing director of a sports merchandising company which has contracts with some of the world's major sporting events. Lawyers are representing 129 clients in the action against the company, Concept Sports, and are seeking up to $5million compensation. March and former Tigers president Leon Daphne are among seven respondents.
A Tigers director since 2002, March was a member of the successful Clinton Casey-led ticket that last year won a messy battle for control of the club. He was elevated by fellow directors from the vice-president role to the top job when Casey resigned last month. While Richmond has stabilised on and off field in the past 12 months, some bitterness remains and there is concern among well-connected corporate Tigers members about the March lawsuit.
The litigation involves a prospectus compiled by Concept Sports, which controls some of sports' biggest merchandising contracts, including summer and winter Olympics, soccer and rugby union World Cups, Euro 2004 soccer and Formula I grands prix.
The Concept Sports case has been before the Federal Court since December 21 last year and is not expected to be heard until late next year.
It is alleged in the case's statement of claim that Concept Sports' prospectus was misleading.
March would not comment about the matter yesterday.
Australia's largest class action legal practice, Maurice Blackburn Cashman, is running the Concept Sports case, with Bernard Murphy, the chairman of the firm's board and senior principal of the major projects department, in charge.
"We think the claim against Concept Sports and its directors is a strong claim," Murphy said yesterday. "We are confident of success and we are looking forward to the case getting on to trial."
In September this year, Justice Ray Finkelstein ruled the class action could not be brought against the company itself, only against its directors. Maurice Blackburn Cashman has appealed that finding. Daphne, in charge of the Tigers from 1993-1999, has been listed as a respondent in the case because of his appointment in March 2004 as chairman and director of Concept Sports.
Daphne resigned from the posts last December.
http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/footy/story_page/0,8747,17496298%255E25397,00.html
