SkyDome's new owners, SportsCo co-CEOs Harvey Walken
and Alan Cohen, "deny ousted stadium president Lawrence Dale
was ever their 'partner' in a drawn-out battle to buy the
sports facility," according to Gayle MacDonald of the
Toronto GLOBE & MAIL. In a statement filed with the Ontario
Superior Court of Justice yesterday, Walken and Cohen
"fought allegations by Dale that they broke terms of their
original business deal and left him without a promised stake
in the Dome." In the papers, Walken and Cohen "agreed" Dale
"helped them finalize an [C]$80-million cash deal last
November to buy SkyDome, but they added the Toronto lawyer
'greatly overstates his role and contributions.'" Walken
and Cohen said they fired Dale for "legitimate and
defensible business reasons" and added that they put up the
capital and assumed all financial risk. Dale is suing
Walken and Cohen for 100% of SkyDome, but "at the same time
is offering to reimburse them for their investment. If that
doesn't happen, Dale's suit seeks more than [C]$50-million
in damages" (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/26). In Toronto, Tony Van
Alphen cites a source as saying that Dale "wants the
stadium, not the cash" (TORONTO STAR, 10/26).
