Business Law Case

            Business law also referred to as commercial law is a division of rules and regulations that educates individuals about business relations connecting people or organizations together. Rules relative to trading matters, bank dealings, joint ventures, amalgamations of companies, business liquidation among others are extensively covered in this type of law. Business laws also concerns both formal and informal contractual agreements. Through watching business law films one is able to understand how statutory laws are cited and applied to protect customers, shareholders and creditors in a particular differences of opinion regarding commerce. Watching and understanding these movies and court cases creates interests and gives individuals morale to pursue even the most risky businesses like insuring property against weather calamities. (White, 2009)

The Insider, a 1999 film is a fine example of business law case that demonstrates attempts by big business legal representatives in securing business from defamations. Written by Eric Roth and directed by Michael Mann, the insider is a story about a successful scientist Jeffrey Wigand, who is dismissed from the Brown & Williamson tobacco company for declining to take on certain lab experiments. Being involved in scientific researches, Wigand was intensely bothered by a study outcome he carried out about the firm’s cigarettes. The results were clear evidence that the cigarettes had large quantities of nicotine, which is harmful to the health of human beings. He also observed that deliberate manipulation of the drug in the products was used as a weapon to promote user addiction. Smokers with nicotine dependence problems normally smoke a cigarette at hourly intervals. Whenever they try to stop the habit, they may experience strong physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms like headaches, anxiety, concentration failure, distressed sleeping methods, fatigue and absurd desire for more of it among other symptoms. (Remond & Izard, 1978)

The CBS 60 Minutes show producer Lowell Bergman met Wigand when he was searching for a professional to explain a certain industrial based scientific terminology. Through the interaction, Bergman figured out that Wigand had in him a secret about what happens behind the closed doors of the quality control laboratories of B&W Tobacco Company. The latter, could not spill the secret since he was held back from discussing such issues by a privacy accord he had signed after his dismissal from the B&W cigarette firm. Wigand was assured of sustained health check insurance and disconnection fee and as a way of preserving the information in the accord. Bergman in a manner of avoiding a breach of tort through the laid down procedures offered Wigand the chance to testify in a Mississippi action court case as a complaint with tobacco companies being defendants. He was assured that he could be given an opening to be interviewed in the 60 Minutes show if his testimony became a component of the public documentation record. As the news of the interview spread across the tobacco companies, Wigand and his family started receiving rebellious threats from terrorist sources. (Ehrlich, 2004)

Moments before Wigand’s show segment was set to go on air, news reached the CBS corporate executives that a huge law firm representing B&W Tobacco Company had already gone to court to bring to a halt the interview from running. Upon learning that 60 Minutes had to slash the talk, there was a strong feeling of distraught and betrayal in Wigand after risking all as well as his marriage and the likelihood of facing a jail term since he had broken a vow from the accord he previously signed. On the other hand, Bergman’s intended plan of the Public Opinion court hearing the reality about the tobacco giants had backfired meaning he could no longer go ahead since the CBS network was up for sale and the executives could no longer make efforts to appeal the already stopped show. This demonstrates how powerful law firms manipulate the court proceedings in favor of their clients, which is a clear sign of corruption. (Greenberg, 1999)

As the movie carries on, Bergman is portrayed to be in possession of tireless efforts accusing the CBS management laid low on the case just because they were selling their network for million-dollar profit agreement to Westinghouse. One can see that Bergman’s supremacy is derived from his experience and capacity to influence both the internal and external capital connections of the mass media. Through his courageous physical existence, the viewer is able to point the expression of inborn aggressiveness since he is able to find opportunities to use other media to expand and increase his power all over. Based on this character, one is able to see the role of media in business. The manner, in which Bergman maneuvers all the way through complicated exploitation of media pathways, shows how defamation can have an easy way in destroying a business. A business may use the media as a channel of forcing out of business other upcoming competitor firms in a bid to maintain monopoly. (White, 2009)

In conclusion, its evident that the Insider movie writer, Eric Roth had a conclusion set in support of Lowell Bergman over Herbert Marcuse, the CEO of the CBS network corporation, From the storyline one can see how Big companies pay much money to influential law firms in order to maintain illegal dealings that take place within their premises. Knowledge is created about how determined world commercial businesses are in consumer exploitation in order to maintain and expand their empires. Memorable quotes from the movie like, ‘You pay me to go get guys like Wigand, to draw him out. Convince him to trust us, to get him to go on television. I do. I deliver him. He sits. He talks. He violates his own confidentiality agreement. And he’s only the key witness in the biggest public health reform issue, maybe the biggest, most-expensive corporate-malfeasance case in U.S. history’ by Bergman, show how liberation efforts from bad businesses still reign among activists (Beller, 2001).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Izard C., & Rémond A., Electrophysiological effects of nicotine: proceedings of the International, Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, 1979

White T. R., Business Law: A Textbook for Schools and Colleges. BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009