“This case is a sad reminder that friendship and business do not always mix.” So begins a lengthy ruling by Quebec Superior Court Justice Geneviéve Marcotte recounting the sombre saga of a successful Montreal businessman, a former corporate lawyer and his wife.
It is a story about a friendship that turned so sour that Justice Marcotte ordered Earl Takefman, formerly chief executive officer of a number of public companies, to pay Montreal lawyer Elliot Bier and his wife $20,000 each in moral damages, $25,000 each in punitive damages and nearly $42,000 in extra-judicial fees incurred by the couple in the proceedings, together with legal interest.
What’s more, Takefman has been ordered to cease and desist from communicating to the Biers or to third parties directly or indirectly in writing, including electronic communications such as emails and text messages, any details on the private life, the assets and property of Elliot and Dawna Bier and their financial situation, save and except to his legal counsel and staff.