King & Spalding is suing Vivendi S.A. over its failure to pay legal fees billed for the defense of its ex-CEO following a jury verdict in a rare securities class action trial that resulted in a verdict against the Paris-based telecommunication and entertainment company. In a lawsuit filed last week in Manhattan Supreme Court, King & Spalding said Vivendi had not paid nearly $866,000 in fees billed in the defense of Jean-Marie Messier, the former CEO who was cleared of liability at the trial in January. King & Spalding, which continues to represent Mr. Messier post-trial and in other lawsuits, sought damages for those fees and an order directing Vivendi to pay all of his fees going forward.
A spokeswoman for Vivendi declined comment. Michael J. Malone, Mr. Messier’s lawyer at King & Spalding and the one who filed the suit, did not return a call seeking comment.
