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Discordant notes ring out for music industry legend
Bhaskar Menon

Suleman Din

Lisa Crane knew very little about Bhaskar Menon when she first met him.

All she knew then was he once commandeered EMI Music Worldwide, and had befriended legendary rock stars like The Beatles, Tina Turner, Queen, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd and Poison.

But after he allegedly sexually harassed her last year, Crane now wants to know: "Does [Menon] have a past?"

Crane has named Menon, 66, in a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Crane, former CEO of Soundbreak.com, is seeking unspecified damages against her ex-employer and its Pasadena-based majority owner, Acacia Research.

Acacia invested nearly $ 10 million into Soundbreak.com, before the streaming-audio web site closed in February.

Crane explained that her lawsuit, which includes charges of sexual harassment and discrimination, wrongful termination and breach of contract, was spurred by Menon's alleged advances at her at his home early last year.

Crane told rediff.com that she and Menon had gone out for a business dinner. He suggested that he drive, and so she left her car at his home.

Back at his home after dinner, Crane was caught unawares when she claims Menon began making comments that made her feel "very uncomfortable."

"Every negative feeling comes to mind," she said, when asked to discuss the alleged incident. "I was in shock... it was unbelievable, and just distasteful."

"I knew he was a married man, so it didn't occur to me [before the incident] to be worried," she said. "It took me a few days before I could talk to anyone about it."

Menon was not available for comment, but his attorney Robert Sacks said his client "categorically denies any allegation of complaints against him," and denies the incident ever occurred. Acacia representatives did not return calls for comment.

Crane said after the incident, she told representatives from Soundbreak.com and Acacia about what happened, suggesting that things be kept under wraps.

"I didn't want to do this," she said. "I have three children, two daughters, and Menon has a family.

"But I wanted others to be protected too, I wanted Menon to be made aware of his actions. I thought that was the right thing to do."

Company representatives told Crane they would talk to Menon only if she signed an agreement releasing Acacia and its board of directors, including Menon, from any liability regarding the incident. It was a mistake to sign, she said.

She then went on vacation in July. During that time, her suit contends, Acacia sent people to Soundbreak.com's Los Angeles offices to interview staff regarding her management and the company's finances.

When she returned, she was told by employees what happened.

'Crane ... believes that Defendants solicited various Soundbreak employees to provide false and defamatory statements about [her] in order to provide a smoke screen for Defendant's planned retaliatory termination of Crane,' her lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that in August, Soundbreak.com CTO William Shinbrot sent a letter to Acacia accusing Crane of making 'gross misrepresentations of fact,' and 'wild spending sprees.' Crane was fired the next day.

Pam Teren, Crane's attorney, is suspicious of Acacia's actions.

"She has an incident with a board member, complained about it, then gets kicked out of the company," Teren said. "What role, if any, did Menon play in her removal?"

Menon is currently not listed on Acacia's board of directors, and Sacks contends he was not on Acacia's board when Crane was fired.

Sacks would not comment, though, on why Acacia needed Crane to agree they would not be liable for the incident.

Menon is best-known for his work as CEO and chairman of EMI International. A graduate of Oxford and India's prestigious Doon school, he broke into the music business after he met EMI boss Sir Joseph Lockwood. Sacks said Menon now acts as a consultant to the music industry.

Crane, who was under a four-year, $ 283,400 annual contract with Soundbreak.com, says she holds no ill-will towards Menon.

"This lawsuit is against Acacia," she said. "I am not trying to ruin Menon's reputation. I am trying to get what is owed to me."

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