Gerardo de Prevoisin was the Chairman and controlling stockholder of Aeromexico when he was ousted on claims that he had embezzled millions from the company. In a politically charged response, Sr. de Prevoisin asserted that the alleged embezzlement actually involved corporate campaign contributions to the then ruling political party-the PRI. Aeromexico brought multiple lawsuits against its former Chairman, including three filed in the United States-all making the same allegations of embezzlement. Mark Maney represented Sr. de Prevoisin in the U.S. actions. Notably, a core component of the US representation was to obtain discovery for, and assist in, the parallel Mexican proceedings.
After two of the US cases were dismissed, the third was tried in Colorado state court. Following trial, the court affirmed Sr. de Prevoisin claim that the allegedly embezzled funds were campaign contributions: "The Court finds that PRI solicited campaign contributions from Aeromexico in 1993 and throughout 1994; Prevoisin relayed such solicitations to the Executive Committee; financial contributions were authorized by Aeromexico for the benefit of PRI between 1993 and 1994; that some of the financial contributions of Aeromexico to PRI were intended to include the Transferred Funds; that the Transferred Funds wired to the Citibank Account, Prevoisin's personal account ...." The trial court's rulings were affirmed on appeal.
