A recent ABA Journal story, “Video Game CEO Balks at $1M Legal Bill, But Appeals Court Says He Has to Pay” reports that Bobby Kotick of Activision Blizzard Inc. refused to pay his attorney’s nearly seven-figure legal bill in defending him in a sexual harassment lawsuit.  But now a California appeals court has upheld a $1.4 million arbitration award to the law firm of his then attorney, Patricia Glaser of Los Angeles based Christensen Glaser Fink Jacobs Weil & Shapiro.  About $938,000 of the award is for legal fees due to Christensen Glaser and the other $479,000 is for the legal fees in the fee arbitration.  A further appeal is possible, however.  A representative for Kotick tells a newspaper he “believes that the billings from Christensen Glaser were excessive and inappropriate given the nature of the case.”

The sexual harassment suit was brought in Los Angeles Superior Court by Cynthia Madvig, who had worked as a flight attendant on a private jet used by Kotick.  The suit alleges the pilot of the plane harassed her when she refused to be “arm candy” for him and Kotick fired her after she complained of being mistreated.