Coca-Cola's general counsel (who demanded its law firms have at least 30% of billable hours performed by 'diverse' lawyers) leaves his job

American Thinker ^ | 04/22/2021 | Thomas Lifson

[SeekAndFind]

The Coca-Cola Company seems to be learning the hard way that signing up for the racialist agenda of the left has a downside.  Bradley Gayton, senior vice president and general counsel of the Coca-Cola Company until yesterday, generated a firestorm with the release of this January 28, 2021 letter instructing the law firms that perform legal services for it to

commit that at least 30% of each of billed associate and partner time will be from diverse attorneys, and of such amounts at least half will be from Black attorneys.

The letter helpfully defined Persons of Diversity (PODs) as

American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Women, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBTQ+, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and Persons with Disabilities[.]

Many questioned the legality of such an order, given that anti-discrimination law forbids eliminating people from work based solely on race.

That was followed by another P.R. disaster in February, when it was revealed that mandatory diversity training at Coke instructed employees to "try to be less white."

Then, after Georgia passed an election integrity law that Democrats opposed, Coke's British CEO criticized it:

The Coca-Cola Company does not support this legislation, as it makes it harder for people to vote, not easier.

But the company now apparently has decided to ease away from the racialist agenda by accepting the "resignation" of Gayton and paying him off to the tune of many millions of dollars to go away quietly.  Bloomberg Law reports:

[dfwgator]

“My work here is done!”

[SeekAndFind]

Bradley Gayton (photo source: Coca-Cola Company).

The Coca-Cola Co. announced Wednesday that it is moving legal chief Bradley Gayton to a "strategic consultant" role less than a year after he joined the company

Coca-Cola disclosed the details of Gayton's consulting agreement, which could be worth up to nearly $12 million, in a securities filing Wednesday.

The deal gives Gayton a lump sum "make-whole payment" of $4 million, a waiver of "repayment obligations of certain benefits" related to his initial employment agreement with the company, and a nearly $670,000 monthly consulting fee starting in May 2021 and extending through April 2022.

The payments are contingent on Gayton's "continued compliance with certain restrictive covenants contained in the consulting agreement," the filing said. Gayton received about $4.7 million in total compensation from Coca-Cola last year, according to an annual proxy statement filed by the company March 4. Gayton's pay package included nearly $3.5 million in stock awards, a $576,000 cash bonus, and roughly $253,300 in prorated base salary.

He currently owns over $4 million in Coca-Cola stock and nearly $2.9 million in Ford Motor Co. stock, according to Bloomberg data. Coca-Cola hired Gayton last year from Ford, where he spent almost three decades in-house, the last four of which he served as the top lawyer for the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker.

[goodnesswins]

Off to some commie organization Fer sure

[SMARTY]

Their balance sheet must be ghastly. I never bought Coke before, but since that statement was made, NOW-I make it a point to include Pepsi on my shopping list.

I have no idea what I’ll do with all of it, but...😉

[MRadtke]

“commit that at least 30% of each of billed associate and partner time will be from diverse attorneys, and of such amounts at least half will be from Black attorneys.”

How does one even keep track of that?

[ctdonath2]

“A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 37% of American Adults the company’s stand against the new Georgia law makes them less likely to purchase Coca-Cola products.”

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“$670,000 monthly consulting fee”

wow....he must be REALLY smart and talented.

[redshawk]

Coca cola owns many beverage companies. Coke is only one.

[SMARTY]

OK- I can certainly live without all of it

[outpostinmass2]

LGBTQ+, I’m a member of the + sign if anyone asks.

[detch]

Coca Cola looks “Republican Red” to me.

Coke is already on its way to to financial disaster.

They can race to the bottom by changing the product color to “Democrat Blue.”

[rarestia]

Good God why would you patronize either? Buy a Sodastream and get away from “Big Fizz.”

[T.B. Yoits]

When this con artist sent out the mandate that firms doing business with Woke-a-Cola hire minority attorneys, he gave away the truth they wanted hidden - Coca-Cola isn't hiring minority attorneys and instead are pushing them out to other firms.

Is there a term for a con artist that a company hires who chases away their customers, craps all over their financial statements, and then runs out the door with a large paycheck?

[Cinnamontea]

Buy a Sodastream and get away from “Big Fizz.”

I've thought about getting one. May I ask where you bought yours?

[dfwgator]

All soda is poison.

[ConservativeInPA]

Just stop drinking sugar water. Save your money. Save your health. Buying it provides aid and comfort to the enemy. Coke needs to be driven out of business to serve as an example to the rest of corporatists in the world.

I've given this a bit of thought. It is not possible to boycott every woke business. However, with a unified effort it is possible to take down a single large woke business. This serves as a warning to other woke businesses to change or go through the same. If one large business doesn't have the desired effect, then repeat on then next. One at a time - focused.

[Liz]

Stop buying Coke is good....but a faster way to show your
distaste is telling fast food places you will not buy Coke.

Coke orders are a f/f place's huge profit margin. They will go screaming to
their Coke suppliers when you cut them off....Coke will get the message....fast.

And make sure you tell them "why" they can shove their Coke where the sun don't shine.

[rarestia]

They used to have a large canister version, but Sodastream stopped distributing the larger canister. I use mine daily, up to 4 bottles per day, and 1 canister lasts me around a week. Considering I’m making almost 1 US Gallon per week, it’s worth it, and you can exchange the canister at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and other small retailers.

Short answer: Bed Bath and Beyond or Target. There’s really little difference in price between retailers. I would recommend the manual carbonators over the fancier electric ones. Just more to break, IMO, and these are really very simple devices. No need for frills.

[con-surf-ative]

No question their politics has cost them dearly. I never announced any boycott; I just stopped buying anything manufactured by Coca Cola - ever. I suspect many, many others have done likewise.