Damages (TV Series)
Sort of Like a Family (2007)
Tate Donovan: Tom Shayes
Quotes
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[last lines]
Tom Shayes : Patty is a lot of things, but she's not a murderer.
Ellen Parsons : I know things, Tom. Things that could destroy her.
Tom Shayes : You think Patty tried to kill you to protect herself?
Ellen Parsons : Well, the only way that I'm going to find out is if I talk to her. Face-to-face. So call her. Tell her I know she wants me dead.
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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?