OCTOBER 17, 2003

The tables turn on Jordan in court

Team boss Eddie Jordan was ordered to pay mobile phone company Vodafone $1.67 million by a High Court judge in London today. The settlement was ordered against Jordan to cover the mobile phone giants costs for a botched lawsuit brought against them earlier in the year.

Jordan contended that Vodafone were only entitled to $1 million while the company had sought just over $2.5 million. Mr. Justice Langley affirmed Jordan's proposition to pay $1 million within 14 days and the remaining balance on January 1, 2004. This is the same Judge that criticized Jordan in August for launching a "contrived and unsustainable" $241.7 million damages case against Vodafone over an alleged sponsorship deal.

Jordan sparked the case in June, accusing Vodafone of pulling out of an agreement to sponsor Jordan's team only to turn around and put their money on World Champions Ferrari. After six week's of arguments in court Jordan realized his position and at the last minute tried to pull out. He then offered to pay all of Vodafone's cost at the highest indemnity level. Judge Langley had stated before the case that Vodafone were entitled to the costs of the case, and that the figures being negotiated on were not a surprise or concern giving the commercial importance of Vodafone defending the claims.