The former Apple employee credited with producing and staging those classic Steve Jobs product launches is now suing the company after he was sacked.
Wayne Goodrich was executive producer of Apple's public presentations, including the launches of the iPhone, iPad and Siri.
And Bloomberg Businessweek reports he's claiming he was fired for no good reason:
It will be interesting to monitor the success of the expected launch presentation for the next-generation iPhone on September 12 without the involvement of either Steve Jobs or Wayne Goodrich.Goodrich said he was fired in December for what Apple said were “business reasons” not connected to his performance, according to a complaint filed Aug. 17 in California state court in San Jose.Goodrich, who worked for Jobs since 1998, was promised by late chairman of the world’s most valuable company in a one-on- one meeting in May 2005 that he would always have a job at Apple, according to the complaint. The conversation took place after Jobs’s return from medical leave to receive treatment for pancreatic cancer, Goodrich said.“This express promise by Steve Jobs was consistent with a practice that Steve Jobs had, acting on behalf of defendant Apple, of promising job security to certain key employees who worked directly with him for many years,” Goodrich said in the complaint.Goodrich alleged breach of contract and unfair business practices and seeks damages for lost restricted stock units, wages, benefits and emotional distress. He’s seeking compensation for loss of restricted stock that was worth $97.40 a share when awarded in 2008 and about $635 a share as of Aug. 17. Apple discharged him to avoid paying the restricted stock, Phil Horowitz, Goodrich’s lawyer, wrote in the complaint.
(Source: Businessweek)
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