Agent Leigh Steinberg spent his final morning on the witness stand fending off questions about whether he had done things that embarrassed his clients and co-workers.
Former NFL quarterback Warren Moon, a longtime friend and client who now works for Steinberg, was scheduled to take the witness stand when court resumed at 1:30 p.m. (4:30 Eastern) in Steinberg's lawsuit against his former partner, David Dunn.
Steinberg is suing Dunn, seeking more than $40 million in damages that he claims Dunn caused by leaving their sports representation firm and taking more than half of Steinberg's 86 NFL clients with him. Dunn is countersuing for invasion of privacy and false advertising, seeking unspecified damages.
Dunn's attorney, Steve Sutton, attempted to paint Steinberg as a man who acted inappropriately in front of clients and employees.
In response to questions, Steinberg testified that he did not recall behaving in an embarrassing fashion at parties and weddings for such former clients as NFL quarterbacks Steve Young and Drew Bledsoe.
"You had occasions where you were intoxicated in front of employees and players?" Sutton asked.
"Never in the workplace," Steinberg answered.
Asked if he had licked the face of a female assistant at a bar in front of then-client Ryan Leaf and employees of his firm, Steinberg said, "I kissed her on the ear."
Steinberg said he apologized to that employee and that she still works at the firm of Steinberg, Moorad and Dunn.
Also during the morning session, Steinberg acknowledged that former employee Brian Murphy had to negotiate to get Steinberg's wallet back from a woman in Las Vegas who Sutton described as a prostitute. Steinberg said he didn't know whether the woman was a prostitute.
"You spent the night with an escort?" Sutton asked.
"No," Steinberg said.
The jury was given no explanation as to how the woman got Steinberg's wallet.
Sutton also showed Steinberg a December 2001 document in which the agent had renegotiated his deal with Assante Corp., the company that bought Steinberg's firm in 1999.
In the document, Steinberg agreed to release Assante for any claims against the company stemming from David Dunn leaving the firm. On Friday, Steinberg testified that he was angry that Assante had not fulfilled a promise to pay Dunn $2.5 million in stock.
Sutton asked if Steinberg blamed Assante for Dunn leaving the firm. Steinberg said, "No."
Outside the courtroom, Steinberg's attorney, Brock Gowdy, said the questions asked during the morning session were examples of Dunn making good on his threats to "smear" Steinberg.
"I think it helped (Steinberg's case)," said Gowdy. "(Steinberg) didn't back away from the threats of blackmail."
Also outside the courtroom, Mark Humenik, general counsel for Dunn's firm, Athletes First, said Steinberg gave back a substantial amount of stock as part of the renegotiation of his contract.
Gowdy said Steinberg received cash for the stock he gave back, but that he didn't know the details of the renegotiated financial agreement.
