Former Sands China President Steven Jacobs has taken his wrongful termination fight against Sheldon Adelson and Las Vegas Sands to federal court.
Jacobs on January 29 filed a federal wrongful termination complaint against Adelson and Las Vegas Sands, which has stymied Jacobs efforts to seek relief in state courts.
Adelson contends Clark County District Court does not have jurisdiction over hiring and firing decisions made in Macau, while, Jacobs contends all of those decisions are made by Adelson and others at Las Vegas Sands’ headquarters in Las Vegas.
Attorneys for Adelson and Las Vegas Sands filed numerous motions seeking to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction, took the jurisdiction fight to the Nevada Supreme Court, and continually questioned whether Clark County Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez is qualified to hear the case.
With the Clark County case effectively slowed indefinitely, Jacobs largely repeated his wrongful termination claims in Nevada District Court, saying Adelson, Las Vegas Sands, and other defendants conspired to fire him after he refused to engage in corrupt and potentially illegal activities to improve Las Vegas Sands’ business prospects in Macau.
Jacobs was president of Sands China for nine months, when he was fired in July 2010.
Las Vegas Sands Vice President Ron Reese said Jacobs is pulling a “procedural sleight of hand,” and Venetian Macau will address the new complaint in federal court.
