Gordon Paris: Fact Sheet From Black Books

The following data are distilled from two books on Conrad Black, Shades of Black: Conrad Black - His Rise and Fall by Richard Siklos and Conrad & Lady Black by Tom Bower - primarily the former, as the quotes show:

Gordon Paris called for Conrad Black's ouster as chairman and CEO of Hollinger International in the Jan. 20, 2004 board meeting. Ostensibly, this was prompted by Mr. Black's pleading the Fifth in the SEC investigation, but his undercutting of a tacit agreement with investment banking form Lazard Freres, through him directly negotiating with interested would-be purchasers Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, may have been the real reason. At that same directors' meeting, Mr. Paris proposed that a corporate review board be set up to review the Barclays' offer for the Telegraph Group. [They got it as of July 30, 2004.]

Mr. Paris was brought into Hollinger Int'l as a “financial expert.” Putting one on the board was mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Shades of Black, pp. 370-1.) He was also put on the special investigative committee on past payments, one announced by Conrad Black at the 2003 annual meeting (Ibid, pp. 367-8.) So was Richard Seitz, the director who brought up the Fifth to the Board, including to Mr. Black, as the reason for him to be fired. Siklos described Mr. Paris as having a “tightly coiled, no-bullshit demeanor” (Ibid, p. 379,) but Mr. Paris’ righteousness had slowly became questionable in the eyes of Dan Colson, Hollinger Int’l new COO when Paris became CEO (Ibid, pp. 398-9.) Mr. Colson is an old associate of Conrad Black, and is a minor shareholder of the top holding company, Ravelston, now in receivership.

As of 2004, Gordon Paris believed that Conrad Black’s sense of entitlement was “over the top - way over the top” (Paris quote from Ibid, p. 454.) Mr. Black publicly opined that he was fired and ousted by Paris and the rest of the board, as was advised by Richard Breeden, to protect their own behinds. (Ibid, p. xv)

[UPDATE: In BNN's "Lunch Money," it was noted that Gordon Paris brokered the deal with David Radler. FYI.]