Legal action | Founder suing own business for wrongful dismissal

A former CEO is taking the business he founded to court after he was fired, AdAge reports.

Zain Jaffer founded Vungle, an in-app video advertising platform, in 2011 and it has since provided adverts for mobile games such as Crossy Road and Magic Jigsaw Puzzles. Its clients include Coca-Cola, the National Football League (NFL), Unilever and Warner Bros.

However, in October 2017, Jaffer was suddenly arrested and charged with a series of crimes including assault and sexual abuse. As a result, he was immediately sacked. Since then, the charges have been dropped, and Jaffer is taking Vungle to court in hopes of getting his job back or compensation to cover his losses.

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AdAge explains that the case hinges on a provision in California's labour code that is designed to protect people who have been exonerated of crimes. His lawyers have highlighted a previous case brought by an insurance salesman who was fired after admitting to striking his girlfriend, but who avoided a criminal conviction. A jury subsequently awarded the salesman almost $20 million (£15.2m).