A company --rather than push back and follow the expensive legal route with an (even slightly) uncertain, delayed outcome-- is much more inclined to try to sett

A company --rather than push back and follow the expensive legal route with an (even slightly) uncertain, delayed outcome-- is much more inclined to try to settle by paying some amount of money. Of course, in following the typical blackmail scenario, this makes the company even more vulnerable to subsequent similar requests. Regarding what can be disclosed, my understanding is the same as of DannyBee above (not first-hand knowledge, obviously), so I cannot say whether this is the modus operandi in case here.