Norcross Files Countersuit in Marimow Firing
Philly.com reports: “George Norcross, one of two managing directors of Interstate General Media, which owns the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com, filed a lawsuit today alleging IGM’s other managing director, Lewis Katz, not only meddled in the company’s editorial operations but is also now preventing the company from defending itself in court.”
The lawsuit, of course, is a response to Katz’s suit (joined by Gerry Lenfest, another co-owner) challenging the firing of former Inky editor Bill Marimow. Katz says publisher Robert Hall didn’t have the authority to fire Marimow. Norcross wants Katz to get out of the way.
Per Philly.com:
The lawsuit today asks the Delaware court for three resolutions:
- “[D]eclare that Katz cannot prevent IGM’s Board from taking the action necessary to enable IGM to respond to the litigation he himself instigated against it.”
- “… a declaration that under the LLC Agreement controlling IGM’s governance and management, Hall had every right to terminate Marimow’s employment and Katz cannot meddle further with that decision.”
- to “end all other efforts by Katz both to exercise his rights under the LLC Agreement to the detriment of IGM while encumbered with an unavoidable conflict of interest.”
One question a judge can’t answer: How a war between the paper’s owners might affect the future of the Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com. That, only God knows.
