Day 005 - 04 Jul 94 - Page 09
1 A. Yes.
2 Q. And that you have weekly management meetings?
A. I do.
3
Q. But no records are kept of these meetings?
4 A. No.
5 Q. So would you say that it really relies on, to a great
extent, memory?
6 A. No.
7 Q. Folk law?
A. No. There is a financial document published at the
8 end of every month and subsequently totalled up as the
year goes along, summarising the results of the company
9 each 30 days, each period.
10 Q. Is it only then that financial matters are discussed at
these management meetings?
11 A. No, the procedures to help us achieve those goals are
talked about, how many people we need, how many
12 restaurants are going to open, where they are going to
opened.
13
Q. So which body of the company made the decision to
14 institute this court case, for example?
A. I did.
15
Q. Personally?
16 A. I did.
17 Q. It was not discussed at a management meeting?
A. It was presented to my board of directors, as I told
18 you, just the other day and the decision was ultimately my
own.
19
MR. JUSTICE BELL: If you have a specific document or category
20 of documents which you think, directly or indirectly,
McDonald's have said they do not have, which you think
21 they must have, then I suggest you put (whenever it suits
you but at some stage during this part of the
22 cross-examination of Mr. Preston, rather than leaving it
until later) the specific document or category of
23 documents, do you see?
24 MR. MORRIS: Yes. We have not had the minutes of the
management meetings -- surprisingly enough.
25
MR. JUSTICE BELL: All I am suggesting is you put it
26 categorically to Mr. Preston: "Do you have this document,
that document, this kind, that kind?" because if he says:
27 "Yes" and it is relevant, then you have a better chance
of getting it than if it came out later in the trial.
28
MR. MORRIS: Yes. Which body in the United States decided to
29 bring this court case against the defendants?
A. Well, four of the members of my board are members of
30 the United States board. They were aware of the case from
both sides of the water, but the instructions were given