Top legal priority for the world powerhouse QGEN: litigation

Wael loves lawyers.  

Lawyers (as long as their bills are being paid) love Wael!!!

Note:  This post appeared earlier in a slightly different format.  It was unintentionally deleted in Blogger.

What's that post all about?  Basically, Wael Al-Mazeedi's looking for "NEW" in-house counsel for QGEN.  We use Wael's own words to describe this fantastic opportunity for a lawyer that always promulgates the truth (Wael's truth, not the "real" truth). 


In an Association for Corporate Counsel posting for QGEN (dated August 12, 2011) we get the following  extract:

"We are looking for a Corporate Counsel to provide ... litigation management, international and cross-border transactions, commercial contracts and corporate transactions & agreements."

We are not aware of any litigation involving QGEN at the present time.  So why all this talk about litigation management?  Among all the "priorities" QGEN could have listed, why is litigation management first?

Keeping in mind that BTU Power Company is the ONLY company that WAM is associated with that produces dividends, the equation is straightforward:

Money burned by:

 Wael Al-Mazeedi and Mitsue Oishi through:

BTU Ventures

+

BTU Industries

+

QGEN

=

Money generated by BTU Power Company.  

=

Money that should be going to the Middle East investors in the form of dividends.  

Money that should be going to Abdulmohsen Hayat.

=

Money that does not belong to Wael or Mitsue

The current and former Middle East investors want what is rightfully theirs.  Abdulmohsen Hayat wants what is rightfully his.  Wael and Mitsue do not want to give it back and prefer to spend it on whatever strikes their fancy.  This equation results in a lot of litigation.  Oh, we almost forgot to mention that Wael and Mitsue thoroughly enjoy suing former employees and contractors.


To Wael's New Counsel:
Good luck to the new counsel.  Lawyers have been absolutely vital to keep Wael Al-Mazeedi in "the money": whether it's through devoted service by internal counsel such as that provided by James Commodore, or mercenary services by firms such as WilmerHale, FoleyHoag, Maples and Calder, etc.  You will be spending a lot of time with Wael.

As you complete you due diligence on your prospective new boss you may want to read what Mr. Commodore, acolyte and former attorney for Mr. Al-Mazeedi, had to say a few days before they cemented their friendship for good.  If you are able to do so, you may also want to speak to Mr. Jonathan Golden.  He has unique and invaluable perspective on Wael given the fact that he had the honor of working for WilmerHale and FoleyHoag (Wael's principal legal enforcers) prior to working for Mr. Al-Mazeedi.  There are probably VERY interesting stories surrounding the departures of Mr. Commodore and Mr. Golden.

James Commodore's post on JobVent.com

Waltham, MA 11/25/2008:


The Company is built around the CEO. Although that is not uncommon, is this case, he is erratic, somewhat paranoid, and seems to exhibit poor impulse control. I am not saying this to bash him, but rather to help explain the terrible work environment.


If you doubt, question, confront, or otherwise act or demonstrate a believe that he may be incorrect, mistaken, or wrong, he will "punish" you. Anything that an employee does that he is unhappy with may have similar results. The response may range from ignoring and not speaking/listening to you, to denying access to resources, to demotion.


Furthermore, there is an exceptionally high emphasis on internal information control.  All records more than one year old are kept under lock and key.  (The company dates back to 2002.)  Simply possessing records he believes you should not have may result in negative repercussions.  When materials/records are needed, an explicit request must be made, which is often impossible.  (How can yo make an explicit request for anything and everything that may be relevant to "x, y, or z"?)


On top of all this, contact and communication with the CEO , both to and from, is managed only through one of his assistants, of which he has 3. This dynamic, the mixture indirect communication and it being built around him and his personality, results in a fire drill only environment, where if an issue that he does not want to deal with (as it makes him unhappy or cast doubt or shows problems with the way things have been done in the past) will only be acknowledged and dealt with when he begins to panic over it, at which time he expects/demands that you must fix it immediately and not rest until it is done. If at any time in the process of doing so, something happens that he doesn't like, regardless of the what it is that happens or the actual cause, there is a high likelihood of negative repercussions.


All of these issues result in a work environment that leaves one dissatisfied, feeling disrespected, and lacking any security, balance, or expectation of growth. As to the co-worker competence, the essence of that mark is that highly competent people tend not o fair well with the CEO's personality and methods. They are more likely to raise issues, know/believe that they are right, and otherwise "push his buttons," so to speak. Very quickly they either leave or become sidelined. Those that don't tend to either not know better, not care, or expect to be rewarded for support (bonuses, etc.), none of which results in a highly competent and/or capable work force.


Other than that, at least in my case, the pay is average for the position, the benefits are fine, and the location is neither good nor bad.

Link: JobVent.com
Link: JobVent.com posting from Google's cache