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Judge allows lawsuit by former Apple employee claiming Steve Jobs promised job security

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We’ve written about former Apple employee Wayne Goodrich before. Back in 2012 he launched a lawsuit against Apple claiming that co-founder Steve Jobs told him in 2005 he’d be guaranteed a job for life at the company. That was after being fired by Apple a year after Jobs’ death despite his guarantee of job security. Now, Goodrich, who was an executive producer of public presentations and with Apple for almost 20 years, has been given the go ahead for the lawsuit by a judge in Santa Clara (via BizJournals):

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Carol Overton indicated she would deny Apple’s request for summary judgment in the case, which was filed in 2012 and alleges breach of contract and unfair business practices related to Goodrich‘s firing, among other things.

“The evidence simply did not show (Apple marketing chief) Phil Schiller knew the amount of the restricted stock units when he made the decision to terminate,” Joseph C. Liburt, the Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP attorney representing Apple, said in court.

The lawsuit is seeking restricted stock units and damages for lost wages worth approximately $1 million and claims Goodrich was fired for “business reasons” despite Jobs’ promise of a job for life.

We reached out to Goodrich for comment but have yet to hear back.

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Comments

  1. togetherinparis - 10 years ago

    Yeah, well, Bill Clinton told me I’d get a job with the administration over national radio and nothing happened. This poor guy should just decide to move on and forget about Apple. Once it goes to the lawyers, that’s it.

  2. Joshua Walker - 10 years ago

    Maybe Wayne did get a ‘job for life’ promise. He just misunderstood whose life the promise extended to.

  3. Kevin Toyer - 10 years ago

    Two words, “At will” employment in CA. Either party can terminate employment for any reasons at any time

    • jkdman123 - 10 years ago

      Two words, ‘Verbal Contract’. Jobs had the authority to make the contract. If he actually said this to Goodrich, then Goodrich has a case. Period.

      • Kevin Toyer - 10 years ago

        Oral contracts contracts are legally binding under California law, however, are very difficult to legally establish their terms of the verbal contract or even if the conversation ever took place

  4. rahhbriley - 10 years ago

    “A lifetime guarantee to work for Apple? Sure thing, can we get that in writing?” He may have been told that, but anything taking longer than a year to complete, you should really have in writing. And not that it’s the same, but Steve is known for saying one thing and doing another.

    Shitty? Maybe. Illegal? I wouldn’t think so.

  5. shareef777 - 10 years ago

    Did they promise him how much he’d make? They could hire him at an hourly rate and only giving him one hour to work per year.

  6. drtyrell969 - 10 years ago

    Yeah, because lifetime jobs exist everywhere.

  7. Did Steve happen to mention who’s life?

  8. Ed Lucas - 10 years ago

    another black eye for tim cook

  9. rettun1 - 10 years ago

    The article didn’t specify whether or not it was a pinky promise

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.