3 ms·

IDK, if I was put in charge of a company losing money like crazy and was genuinely trying to turn it around, my first thought would not be "oh, let's hire David

IDK, if I was put in charge of a company losing money like crazy and was genuinely trying to turn it around, my first thought would not be "oh, let's hire David Boies".

hristov 4y ago
I know! For HN readers not familiar with the legal industry, Boies was considered the superstar of the legal world at the time and was well known to demand $50 million retainers.
kjs3 4y ago
As I recall, Microsoft put up a ton of money to fund the SCO lawsuit. They didn't hire Boies out of Unix profits.
- morelisp 4y ago
  My point isn’t that McBride was doing something financially irresponsible, my point is that he’s obviously lying.
  - Linosaurus 4y ago
    He’s technically only claiming that turning the company around was his job description when recruited. Is that this was a lie told to him.
    - morelisp 4y ago
      Even if he's getting fed nothing but lies by someone else about how IBM really did steal their source code and winning this is in the bag and will totally turn the company around, and somehow has no ability to discern the truth himself, you still don't hire David Boies to deal with that.
      - kjs3 4y ago
        You've decided to throw down with IBM with a lawsuit that could result in billions in damages. You've convinced yourself you're going to win, lies or no. Microsoft is shoveling money at you to do it. And......you aren't going to go hire a gold-plated superstar litigator, the guy whose already spanked Microsoft in court, "to deal with that"? With all due respect...the hell you aren't.
        morelisp 4y ago
        > gold-plated In 2003? Boies was probably best known for losing one of the most watched court cases in American history. He's a great choice... if you want an savvy operator with a weak moral compass to pump your stock. Not so much if you want to win because you believe the company is in the right and has a promising future. (He might do that too, but no better than dozens of other effective lawyers.)
- nullc 4y ago
  I waded into this thread to point that out. Some people are mystified by why so many long time free software people don't think microsoft is suddenly a good actor these days.
FloayYerBoat 4y ago
...and he's the (real) bad guy in the Theranos story. [Bad Blood, by John Carrerou]
ubermonkey 4y ago
It's weird. Boies got a great rep vs. Microsoft representing the Justice department, and obviously for working on the side of angels in Bush v. Gore, but he's also taken on some really ethically questionable clients -- among them, obviously, is SCO, but also tobacco companies. And, not for nothing, he both represented and served as a director for THERANOS. And that's without even MENTIONING his involvement with Weinstein and the use of Israeli private intel company Black Cube to dredge up dirt on both Harvey's victims and the reporters covering the case.

IDK, if I was put in charge of a company losing money like crazy and was genuinely trying to turn it around, my first thought would not be "oh, let's hire David Boies".

hristov 4y ago

I know! For HN readers not familiar with the legal industry, Boies was considered the superstar of the legal world at the time and was well known to demand $50 million retainers.

kjs3 4y ago

As I recall, Microsoft put up a ton of money to fund the SCO lawsuit. They didn't hire Boies out of Unix profits.

morelisp 4y ago
My point isn’t that McBride was doing something financially irresponsible, my point is that he’s obviously lying.
- Linosaurus 4y ago
  He’s technically only claiming that turning the company around was his job description when recruited. Is that this was a lie told to him.
  - morelisp 4y ago
    Even if he's getting fed nothing but lies by someone else about how IBM really did steal their source code and winning this is in the bag and will totally turn the company around, and somehow has no ability to discern the truth himself, you still don't hire David Boies to deal with that.
    - kjs3 4y ago
      You've decided to throw down with IBM with a lawsuit that could result in billions in damages. You've convinced yourself you're going to win, lies or no. Microsoft is shoveling money at you to do it. And......you aren't going to go hire a gold-plated superstar litigator, the guy whose already spanked Microsoft in court, "to deal with that"? With all due respect...the hell you aren't.
      - morelisp 4y ago
        > gold-plated In 2003? Boies was probably best known for losing one of the most watched court cases in American history. He's a great choice... if you want an savvy operator with a weak moral compass to pump your stock. Not so much if you want to win because you believe the company is in the right and has a promising future. (He might do that too, but no better than dozens of other effective lawyers.)
nullc 4y ago
I waded into this thread to point that out. Some people are mystified by why so many long time free software people don't think microsoft is suddenly a good actor these days.

FloayYerBoat 4y ago

...and he's the (real) bad guy in the Theranos story. [Bad Blood, by John Carrerou]

ubermonkey 4y ago

It's weird. Boies got a great rep vs. Microsoft representing the Justice department, and obviously for working on the side of angels in Bush v. Gore, but he's also taken on some really ethically questionable clients -- among them, obviously, is SCO, but also tobacco companies. And, not for nothing, he both represented and served as a director for THERANOS. And that's without even MENTIONING his involvement with Weinstein and the use of Israeli private intel company Black Cube to dredge up dirt on both Harvey's victims and the reporters covering the case.