Damages (TV Series)

Sort of Like a Family (2007)

Zeljko Ivanek: Ray Fiske

Quotes 

• Patty Hewes : [planning the deposition]  I'll give you home-court advantage.

  Ray Fiske : Not interested. But since we're on the topic, how many sessions?

  Patty Hewes : Seven.

  Ray Fiske : Two.

  Patty Hewes : Five. I have a lot of questions.

  Ray Fiske : That's what wikipedia is for.

• Patty Hewes : Mr. Frobisher, two days after you returned from your trip to Florida, you gave a speech to your employees.

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, that's correct.

  Tom Shayes : Exhibit 67.

  Patty Hewes : It's a transcript of Mr. Frobisher's remarks dated... June 21, 2002. Were you aware that your company was being investigated by the SEC at the time?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, I was.

  Patty Hewes : And yet you still told your employees that the company was on sound financial ground?

  Arthur Frobisher : I was confident that we were. I firmly believed that the SEC investigation would turn up no financial irregularities whatsoever.

  Tom Shayes : Exhibit 68.

  Patty Hewes : This is an e-mail you sent your CFO, is that correct?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, it is.

  Patty Hewes : It's a rough draft of the... speech you wrote, the one you intended to give your employees?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, it appears to be that.

  Patty Hewes : In the margin, you wrote the words, too rosy, followed by a question mark.

  Arthur Frobisher : Too rosy. I think I was... wondering about the tone of the speech. I was debating whether or not to acknowledge the... the climate that we were in at the time.

  Patty Hewes : By climate, you mean the SEC was about to expose your accounting fraud.

  Ray Fiske : Objection.

  Arthur Frobisher : For me to ignore the pending SEC report would have threatened my credibility, so in my final speech, I decided to mention the investigation and even a... possible action against us by the SEC.

  Patty Hewes : But... you also continued to insist that your company was financially sound?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes

  Patty Hewes : And your employees trusted you?

  Arthur Frobisher : Absolutely. For almost 35 years, they knew that I was fully committed to them. There's nothing more important to the well-being of a company than the relationship between its workers... and its management.

  Patty Hewes : That's... sort of like a family, isn't it?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, it's very much like a family.

  Patty Hewes : And you were the head of the household? You might say you were both husband and father to your employees.

  Ray Fiske : Objection.

  Arthur Frobisher : You could say that, yes.

  Patty Hewes : And was it your job to hold the family together?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, it was.

  Patty Hewes : And you failed.

  Ray Fiske : Objection.

  Patty Hewes : I'll rephrase. I mean... was it... very painful for you when you failed?

  Ray Fiske : Objection. I'm warning you...

  Patty Hewes : I'm merely asking Mr. Frobisher...

  Ray Fiske : Counselor.

  Patty Hewes : about his commitment to his company. Would you agree... that the crumbling of that relationship is nothing less, really, than the dissolution of a marriage?

  Ray Fiske : You watch what you say.

  Patty Hewes : Your position... is that the collapse of your company wasn't your fault, is that right?

  Patty Hewes : Yes, that's correct. I was misled by the accountants. I take full responsibility but not the blame.

  Patty Hewes : I understand, it's like marriages. Companies just fail sometime. Irreconcilable differences. No one is to blame. Is that your position?

• Ray Fiske : One more like that, and we will walk out.

  Patty Hewes : Is that your position, Mr. Frobisher? Or is the failure of this relationship, as you call it, your failure? Your breach of trust...

  Ray Fiske : Patty... Patty, I'm warning you.

  Patty Hewes : your infidelity...

  Ray Fiske : You are out of line...

  Arthur Frobisher : This is bullshit !

  Patty Hewes : Companies just fail sometime. Irreconcilable differences. No one is to blame. Is that your position?

  Ray Fiske : One more like that, and we will walk out.

  Patty Hewes : Is that your position, Mr. Frobisher? Or is the failure of this relationship, as you call it, your failure? Your breach of trust...

  Ray Fiske : Patty... Patty, I'm warning you.

  Patty Hewes : your infidelity...

  Ray Fiske : You are out of line...

  Arthur Frobisher : Damn it ! This is bullshit! This is bullshit!

  Ray Fiske : Art...

  Arthur Frobisher : I'm done here. This is bullshit. This is absolute bullshit, and you know it. No, I'm done. No, I'm done.

  Ray Fiske : Arthur...

  Arthur Frobisher : I'll see you in court, you bitch.