Roehm drops Wal-Mart suit
NEW YORK Julie Roehm, the Wal-Mart marketing exec who was fired earlier this year, will not be re-filing her law-suit against the company.
According to a spokesman for Roehm, Roehm's lawsuit against Wal-Mart was rejected by a Michigan judge based on the premise that her contract requires any lawsuit to be filed in Arkansas.
Roehm said that the financial burden of pursuing legal action proved to great. “The sole purpose for filing the lawsuit was to recover the severance pay that was outlined in that contract. I thought that a settlement agreement would be reached within a few weeks. Instead, the lawsuit has expanded into other issues, and has become more difficult and financially draining than I ever imagined.” In addition to the financial burden, Roehm confirmed that her decision was influenced by the recent exchange of information between her lawyers and those for Wal-Mart and Irwin Jacobs, which explained the inaccuracy of certain allegations included in her legal filing, specifically allegations about Lee Scott and Jacobs. “I have decided to accept Wal-Mart’s decision to terminate my employment and move on. I am not receiving any money or other compensation to settle my case.”
Roehm alleged that Jacobs, who owns Jacobs Trading, which does business with Wal-Mart, gave Wal-Mart ceo Scott discounts on diamond and yacht purchases, as well as free use of his private jets. In June, Jacobs filed a suit against Roehm, claiming the fired advertising head made false accusations about his relationship with Scott.
Roehm was fired from Wal-Mart for allegedly having innapropriate relations with a subordinate, as well as accepting bribes from suppliers.