Credit Suisse CEO Brady Dougan thought he only owed 12 days of interest, but no such luck. He owes interest estimated at $970K all the way back from the date of the divorce agreement….
Dougan, 49, and Tomoko Hamada Dougan, 52, were divorced on June 17, 2005, under an agreement requiring him to pay $7.83 million within 30 days and another $7.5 million by June 16, 2006, according to an opinion released by the appellate panel yesterday in Hartford. Dougan made the second payment 12 days late, triggering a 10 percent interest payment provision.
The dispute was over what period the interest should cover. Dougan paid $24,999.96 in interest, covering the 12 days he was late. In a 2-1 opinion, the court said he owed interest dating to the time of the divorce agreement, covering another year. The court reversed a ruling by the trial judge, who found the interest provision was unenforceable even though the parties had negotiated and agreed to it.
Dougan “had use of $7.5 million for one year,” according to the majority opinion by Judge C. Ian McLachlan. The bank CEO “could have made that payment at the time of the judgment. Instead, the plaintiff, an investment banker, had the use of the money with the knowledge that he would lose the benefit of no interest for that year if he failed to pay the defendant on time.”
Credit Suisse Chief Dougan Owes Interest to Ex-Wife, Court Says – Bloomberg
Tags: Brady Dougan, Credit Suisse, Divorce, Lawsuit