The legal storm swirling around Perth scientist Dr Bruce Gray and listed company Sirtex Medical has become more intense, with law firm Freehills forced to step aside from the case and Perth accountant Grant Boyce's directorship threatened.
The legal storm swirling around Perth scientist Dr Bruce Gray and listed company Sirtex Medical has become more intense, with law firm Freehills forced to step aside from the case and Perth accountant Grant Boyce's directorship threatened.
The legal storm swirling around Perth scientist Dr Bruce Gray and listed company Sirtex Medical has become more intense, with law firm Freehills forced to step aside from the case and Perth accountant Grant Boyce's directorship threatened.
The legal controversy started in 2004 when the University of Western Australia commenced legal proceedings against Dr Gray, the Perth-based Cancer Research Institute and Sirtex.
UWA has claimed an interest in Sirtex's intellectual property, which was allegedly developed while Dr Gray was professor of medicine at the university.
The three defendants maintained a united front until last month, when Sirtex said it would launch a cross-claim against Dr Gray if it lost the substantive court case.
Dr Gray, who was the founder of Sirtex and has a 31 per cent shareholding worth $40 million (and is also chairman of the Cancer Research Institute, which has a nine per cent stake) responded by stepping down as chairman.
He is now seeking to oust the new chairman, Richard Hill, and Mr Boyce, who runs Nedlands accounting firm Montrose Partners, from the Sirtex board.
They were members of a committee of independent directors that recommended Sirtex should commence a cross-claim against Dr Gray.
Dr Gray has also foreshadowed a cross-claim against Freehills, which he asserts had a conflict of interest.
The Perth office of Freehills was the long-standing legal adviser to Sirtex and acted for both the company and Dr Gray in the early stages of the UWA claim but now acts for neither.
Dr Gray has engaged Lavan Legal's Martin Bennett while Sirtex has engaged Phillips Fox.
In a statement, Sirtex's three independent directors said they were gravely concerned about the recent course of events.
They also described Dr Gray's complaints as curious and totally unjustified.