Keller Williams, the real estate giant, has accused John Davis, its former CEO, of staging a publicity stunt following his most recent legal accusations. This significantly ramps up their ongoing high-profile legal battle, which has previously included allegations of sexual misconduct, self-interest and upheaval within the company’s leadership.
John Davis, who was CEO of the company from 2017 to 2019, fell out of favor and left the company under acrimonious conditions. This set the stage for a bitter legal feud, fueled by accusations from a former female employee of sexual misconduct, which Davis argues were a calculated move to force him to undersell his stake in the business. Even though the said woman ultimately withdrew her lawsuit, the damage to Davis’s reputation was already done.
Despite the shadows cast over his achievements, Davis chose to step away, focusing his energy on consultancy work.
Defending against Davis: Keller Williams’ legal battles
Yet, he insisted on claiming damages from not just Keller Williams, but also its co-founder Gary Keller and ex-president Josh Team. After a previous lawsuit moved to arbitration, Davis remained undeterred and launched a fresh legal attack against Keller and Team.
Even as Davis strived to keep his legal battle alive by further targeting the company’s affiliated companies, he faced challenges in his bid to have the case heard in court rather than arbitration. His repeated allegations of discriminatory conduct and claims for substantial damages have brought broader attention to the conflicts within Keller Williams.
Judge Reed O’Connor, who is in charge of the second lawsuit and the arbitration of the first, currently has Keller Williams’ response to Davis’s latest lawsuit. Contending that the new filing substantially duplicates the previous one and demonstrates Davis’s attempts to seek attention or find a more favorable court, the company has requested that Davis be held in contempt for contravening the original arbitration agreement’s terms.
Keller Williams made a countermove by asserting that the more recent lawsuit should follow the terms of the arbitration agreement that Davis ostensibly accepted after thorough negotiations. Maintaining that Davis had explicitly accepted that any conflict with Keller Williams and its partners would be solved through arbitration or mediation rather than in court, the company now turns its attention to the judge’s review of the validity against Davis’s claims.
