Bruce Culpepper

Oaks refused to countenance a policy of illegal discrimination insisted upon by his boss James W.D. Hall, Vice President of Corporate Security, located at Royal Dutch Shell plc’s Global Headquarters in the Netherlands. Hall, a mysterious British Citizen, is the alleged Mr Nasty in this matter. He is described in the Complaint as “the top executive in Shell’s entire Corporate Security Organization…”

Doc 1- Michael Oliveri Complaint against Shell Oil Company dated 27 June 2017. 72 pages with lots of revealing high-level Shell internal emails as exhibits.

Court Order on Oliveri Case 15 Jan 2019

By John Donovan

Former FBI Special Agent Crockett Oaks III joined Shell in 2003 and until two years ago was paid over $325,000 per year as head of Shell Security in the Americas. He has a military background currently holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Oaks was for some time involved in Shell’s murky Nigerian operations as Shell Head of Business Integrity in Nigeria. A little matter called OPL 245, along with other Shell sponsored corruption, was also going on at the time.

He was wrongfully dismissed on an unrelated matter. Oaks refused to countenance a policy of illegal discrimination insisted upon by his boss James W.D. Hall, Vice President of Corporate Security, located at Royal Dutch Shell plc’s Global Headquarters in the Netherlands.

Hall, a mysterious British Citizen, is the alleged Mr Nasty in this matter. He is described in the Complaint as “the top executive in Shell’s entire Corporate Security Organization…”

The Complaint states:

Shell had many opportunities to intervene in this matter and correct the illegal and wrongful actions of James W.D. Hall, that were in violation of Shell’s Code of Conduct and the laws of the United States. Instead, Shell leadership at the highest levels of the Company chose to rally behind the discriminatory actions of Mr. Hall, and erect a facade designed to try to cover up Mr. Hall’s illegal discrimination.

Crockett Oaks III was accused of allegedly hiding a Conflict of Interest by hiring a friend, Mike Oliveri – another senior officer from the same U.S. Army Reserve Unit. Oaks supplied copious evidence proving the allegation was unfounded.

The heated dispute ended up in the U.S. courts. (The link to my article 12 April 2017 from which part of the above text is taken.

I published a further article on 17 August 2017

Extracts

The falling out was over the hiring of another recruit to Shell’s corporate security Mike Oliveri, another guy with a senior military/security affairs background.

Shell picked on the wrong guys to upset, Crockett Oaks III and Mike Oliveri.

Crockett Oaks III sued Shell for a “systemic pattern and practice of intended discrimination at Shell and its parent company, Royal Dutch Shell plc”.  Basically, discrimination and retaliation.

He had the goods on Shell, which quickly settled for big bucks. The secret details, juicy quotes and revealing Shell internal emails were sealed into a confidentiality agreement. Fortunately, I have an excellent US source.

Now Mike Oliveri is suing Shell on pretty much the same grounds, perhaps salivating at the prospect of a similar big bucks settlement to buy his silence. He knows all about Shell’s wrong-headed support for James W.D. Hall despite the blatant disregard by Mr Hall of Shell’s claimed business principles and his underhanded retaliation against Oaks and Oliveri when they stood up against his ill-treatment of them.

The Court Order issued a few days ago dismisses Shell’s attempt to seek a Summary Judgment rejecting the claim of alleged discrimination.

“For the foregoing reasons, the court concludes that there is a genuine issue of material fact such that a reasonable jury could find the actions taken by Shell against the Plaintiff constituted discrimination…”

Although Michael Oliveri’s battle against Shell continues, the back history is so embarrassing for Shell that it is unlikely Shell will want the witnesses and related toxic testimony and evidence paraded in open court.

Shell is therefore likely to settle out-of-court with Mr Oliveri as it wisely did with Mr Crockett Oaks III and with me on several occasions.

CURRENT/FORMER SHELL PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE CASE, AS INDICATED IN COURT DOCS

Bruce Culpepper, Shell’s then US Country Chairman and Shell Oil Company President

James W.D. Hall, Vice President of Corporate Security, located at Royal Dutch Shell plc’s Global Headquarters in the Netherlands. read more