Saatchi court battle set for June

The date for the court battle between the old and new Saatchi has been set for June 12.

The court case pits Maurice Saatchi, David Kershaw, Jeremy Sinclair and Bill Muirhead against their former employer, now called Cordiant, following their exit from the company in January. But some insiders have suggested the case may never reach court because of the potential damage a long hearing would do to both parties.

News of a date for the court case comes as the New Saatchi Agency puts the finishing touches to its negotiations with Publicis which will act as its international network for handling the ú60m worldwide British Airways account. The first round of the pitch is next Thursday (April 5).

The agreement will be formally signed later this week giving the agency access to several international markets. But the longer term plan is to open independent offices in New York, Hong Kong and other centres.