Corporate Defamation

Corporate Defamation is based on a true story about a caring man who is caught in a world of lies and treachery in today’s business world of office politics and deceit. Dan Jagger is a dedicated husband and devoted father who is accused of sexual harassment and mistreatment of a female subordinate. His accuser is a woman with a mysterious past. Claiming to have been raised by Catholic nuns in India, Lehr Fakir is a study in contradictions over everything she says and does. She lies to every one about everybody else,
always telling each person what she thinks they want to hear.

A sham of an investigation is conducted by his employer, a giant aerospace company headquartered in Silicon Valley. A self-serving executive director overseeing the investigation refuses to view a videotape of the party that would prove Jagger’s innocence.

Confused and shaken by his company’s betrayal, Dan must go home to face his wife and son. After several law firms refuse representation, he finally finds one firm, William J. Seager and Associates, that carefully explains he does, in fact, have considerable rights in the matter, and solid grounds for action.

The associate attorney assigned to his case, Sheryl Carson, has just lost an “open and shut” case of a male manager’s harassment of a female employee at Baxtor Corporation. The ruling in the Summary Judgement by Judge Paul Granite is shocking, and without precedence. Added to this is the strong belief that her husband is seeing another woman, and Carson vows to never let another man get away with mistreatment of a woman. After several meetings, Carson warms to Jagger as they proceed through the discovery and deposition phase of the litigation.

The president of Baxtor Corporation demands his chief corporate attorney fix this trifling lawsuit to not jeopardize the pending merger of giant companies. A judge is called, and the fix is in. The company wins the Summary Judgement. Will Seager uncovers the Baxtor connection to the judge, and the Summary Judgement is overturned. The chief corporate attorney then hires a private investigator take care of matters.

During preparations for the trial, Carson and Jagger meet in San Francisco for more depositions. Afterward Carson asks they have a drink together to discuss the case. She feels drawn to Jagger, a man hurt by external forces like she is, and asks him to her hotel room. Jagger declines the offer, and asks what is troubling her, and says to give her husband another chance.

As the trial begins the Baxtor attorney is granted a recess to examine new evidence, and Jagger is called into work during the break. The hired investigator follows Jagger to work and attacks in the evening as Jagger is leaving. A homeless woman comes to Jagger’s assistance, and the investigator is killed by his own gun.

When the trial resumes and Fakir takes the stand, Carson confronts her with her past. Fakir denies she ever wanted to file a complaint, and blames everything on the director.

The company agrees to settle, and Jagger and his wife leave for their new beginning.