UNI Financial Cooperation will have to pay $1,000 to its former CEO in order to cover Robert Moreau’s financial losses caused by the late delivery of legal documents from the Acadian institution.
Tracey K. DeWare, the chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench of New Brunswick, agreed Tuesday to a motion filed in the civil litigation between UNI Financial Cooperation and its former president and CEO.
The financial institution terminated the employment contract with its senior manager on August 15, 2023, in the middle of a day of celebrations in Acadia.
Robert Moreau’s departure took place at a time when UNI’s banking services were undergoing a catastrophic transition.
The representative of the former CEO, Me Joël Michaud, indicated to the court that the motion was clearly necessary and reasonable in the circumstances.
According to him, the financial institution has repeatedly delayed providing the applicant with a series of essential documents as part of the ongoing legal process.
Robert Moreau went to court in December 2023 with the filing of a notice of suit against UNI.
The former CEO of the institution alleges that his dismissal by his employer was unjustified and believes that he served as a scapegoat for UNI, which he claims destroyed his reputation.
In its reply, the company maintained that the misconduct of its former CEO and his lack of good faith and competence constituted valid grounds for dismissal.
-Mr. Michaud requested from the institution last fall a complete list of documents that could be useful to his client in the context of the litigation.
In its defense, UNI representatives argued that thousands of documents have since been reviewed and filed in court.
“The defendant was transparent in the proceedings. The proposal to award costs for the costs incurred by Mr. Moreau is not serious and appropriate,” said Me Sacha Morisset, one of the lawyers for Caisse populaire acadienne ltée.
“We must put the parties back on the path to resolving the case,” replied Me Joël Michaud during the telephone hearing.
Before rendering her decision Tuesday morning, Judge DeWare maintained that the defendant made the necessary efforts to produce the requested documents, while ordering that a sum of $1,000 be paid to the plaintiff.
Appointed to the Court of King’s Bench of New Brunswick in June 2012, the judge told the parties that she had accepted on only one occasion in 13 years on the bench the award of costs in a case heard.
The dispute between Robert Moreau and UNI has still not been resolved after more than a year of proceedings. The former CEO is seeking, among other things, from his former employer special damages related to his employment contract, aggravated damages due to the manner of his dismissal, general damages and punitive damages.
