Two media bigs who teamed up to try to buy The Boston Globe in 2011 are now engulfed in a long and pricey breach of contract dispute, as former Time Inc. CEO Jack Griffin is suing Orange County Register publisher Aaron Kushner for up to $10 million in New York Civil Supreme Court, according to court filings.
Griffin — now part of a local group comprised of cousins and former Globe owners Stephen and Benjamin Taylor hoping to buy the broadsheet — is accusing Kushner of stiffing him on payouts after his company, 2100 LLC, acquired the Orange County Register and six other newspapers last year.
Kushner, a former greeting-card merchant from Wellesley, first hired Griffin as a senior adviser at a rate of $600 an hour to consult on the group's possible acquisition of the Globe in June 2011, according to court documents.
The Globe deal never happened, but one year later Kushner's group bought Freedom Communications, which included the West Coast papers.
Griffin alleges the two agreed that he'd be appointed a director and officer, get a one-year consulting contract for $250,000 and a 3.449 percent stake in the company, which, based on the company's then-$5.8 million value, would be worth $200,000.
But six days later, 2100 revalued itself at $89 million and Griffin's share in the company was diluted to 0.225 percent, the lawsuit claims.
Griffin insists in the suit that Kushner relied on Griffin's "name, reputation and contacts" to execute the Freedom deal.
But Kushner's lawyer, Seth L. Levine, vowed to "vigorously" fight the claims.
"Mr. Griffin's lawsuit is frivolous and entirely without merit," said Levine. "His efforts to extract from 2100 Trust and Mr. Kushner an exorbitant sum which he never earned and to which he was never entitled is totally inappropriate."
A spokesman for Griffin said he was a "visible" member of the 2100 leadership team.
"Despite using Mr. Griffin's name, credentials and significant insights gained from working three decades at the highest levels in the publishing industry, 2100 Trust did not compensate Mr. Griffin nor did it grant him equity in the company or name him as a Director, according to its obligations and representations," said Al Minahan.
Judge Barbara Kapnick refused Kushner's motion to dismiss on all four counts earlier this year.
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