Imperial Pacific’s general counsel steps down

Michael W. Dotts has not entered a new contract with IPI for the current year. IPI’s former CEO is due to appear in federal court this week.

Northern Mariana Islands.- Michael W. Dotts is officially no longer general counsel of the Saipan operator, Imperial Pacific International (IPI).

The lawyer remains legal counsellor for IPI in some of the many legal disputes the operator faces in the Northern Mariana Islands, but he has not renewed his contract as general counsel, which ended on December 31.

Dotts told Mariana’s Variety he has not entered into a new contract with IPI and that his services as general counsel ended in early December 2020 when the company stopped paying for them.

IPI is leaderless again

Earlier this month it was also confirmed that the former CEO of the company, Donald Browne, had also stepped down without the company informing authorities or designating a replacement.

Browne still has to appear in federal court this Thursday along with IPI’s chairman, Cui Li Jie. Chief judge Ramona V. Manglona said they will both be jailed if they fail to comply.

They will be questioned in connection with the US Department of Labor’s lawsuit against IPI.

IPI is accused of not abiding the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay its employees during Browne’s administration.

Dotts said Browne believed the workers would be paid for construction work in Garapan by Christmas, and so was not in violation of labour laws when he stepped down as CEO.