Owners: Belkin will fire workers New motion asks for stay to preserve status quo By TIM TUCKER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/23/06 If estranged part-owner Steve Belkin takes over the Hawks and Thrashers next month, he "will most assuredly terminate the employ of numerous innocent employees," the teams' other owners contend in a new court filing. Thursday's filing even hinted who one of those employees might be, noting that Hawks general manager Billy Knight "has publicly stated that he does not trust Mr. Belkin and has refused to shake his hand." In a 65-page filing, the owners who two weeks ago were ordered by a Maryland court to sell their stakes to Belkin asked the judge to stay the order while they appeal it to a higher court. If a stay is granted, it would preserve the status quo during the appeal process. If a stay is not granted, Belkin could take over the teams as soon as July 13. And if Belkin takes over, the other owners said in the latest legal salvo, he "will undoubtedly" view the staff as "loyal" to them and fire employees "who have made personal and family commitments to Atlanta." Belkin did not respond to a request for comment late Thursday. The filing did not lay out the grounds for appeal, saying only that there are "substantial and hotly contested legal issues" for Maryland's Court of Special Appeals to consider. The other owners — a group led by Bruce Levenson, Ed Peskowitz, Michael Gearon Jr. and Rutherford Seydel — asked Montgomery County (Md.) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson to grant a stay of his earlier order without requiring that they post a bond during the appeals process. They said they "suspect [Belkin] will demand a bond ... in the hundreds of millions of dollars." A bond would be designed to protect Belkin against any drop in the value of the franchises during an appeal process that experts say could last up to a year. Johnson is expected to hold a hearing within the next week or two on the motion for a stay. His original ruling found that the other owners had failed to abide last summer's agreement to buy out Belkin's 30 percent stake in the Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena, triggering Belkin's right to instead buy them out at cost. In the order, the judge said the other owners should sell to Belkin within 30 days. While arguing against a bond as a requirement for a stay, the other owners suggested in Thursday's filing that the court instead place several conditions on them during the appeal process. Those conditions would include that they remain responsible for the teams' operating losses and that they make no changes in senior management, led by CEO Bernie Mullin. "Mr. Mullin's continued leadership will ensure that Belkin's interests will be preserved pending appeal," the filing said. "There is no question that Mr. Mullin is both highly qualified and independent." If the ruling is not stayed and Belkin proceeds to take sole ownership of the teams next month, the other owners "will be out on the street with ... no ability to protect their interests in the event of a reversal on appeal," their filing said. It also said that the long-tangled case could get even more convoluted in the weeks ahead, noting that approval by both the NBA and NHL would be required for Belkin to close on a purchase of their stakes and that "there is no guarantee either league will approve a buyout pending appeal." The leagues have declined comment on the matter. The court filing also cited "the potential for flip-flopping ownership," raising the scenario of what would happen if Belkin buys out the other owners, only to have them prevail on appeal and attempt to reclaim the teams from him later. 資料來源 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0623spirit.html --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 61.230.36.136