Jump to full article: Australian Financial Review, 2002-10-04
Author: Edited by Kate Marshall
Intro: And now, thanks to a delightful letter supplied to Hearsay, we have an extraordinary insight into the way they do things at R J Reynolds, one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world.
The letter is not new - dated March 17, 1999 - but it provides a unique look at the mentality of a couple of lawyers who make their living defending the tobacco industry. It was written by Daniel W. Donahue, deputy general counsel at R J Reynolds, and is addressed to Peter Coles at the London law firm Simmons & Simmons. . .
"Dear Peter, Enclosed is the Addiction Report. Unfortunately, it was marked with my office's receipt stamp before I had a chance to spirit it away from my secretary. I, thereafter, had it sealed in the envelope, returning it to your offices.
"I have interviewed all persons in my office, and can, thankfully, report to you that no one here has viewed any portion of it other than the cover page. I suppose it [is] possible that someone here may have caught a peek at the back of the binder, but I hope not.
"After sealing it in the envelope, I placed it in the trunk of my car and drove the automobile from the company garage and parked it on the street until the delivery people were ready to pick the envelope up.
"That was done to minimise the chance that anyone could contend that the report remained at RJR long enough to become part of our files.
"This has been a harrowing experience for us both. I believe we have averted disaster, but we'll never know when a troublesome discovery request may be served upon us.
"Let's keep our fingers crossed.
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After sealing it in the envelope, I placed it in the trunk of my car and drove the automobile from the company garage and parked it on the street until the delivery people were ready to pick the envelope up.
That was done to minimise the chance that anyone could contend that the report remained at RJR long enough to become part of our files. This has been a harrowing experience for us both. I believe we have averted disaster, but we'll never know when a troublesome discovery request may be served upon us. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Daniel W. Donahue, deputy general counsel at R J Reynolds, in a 1999 letter to Peter Coles at the London law firm Simmons & Simmons, on something referred to as "the Addiction Report," according to an AFR article.
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