Former Rogers CEO Joe Natale has filed suit against his former company, claiming he was wrongfully dismissed and is owed $24 million in compensation related to the Shaw merger.

In the fall of 2021, Natale was removed as CEO of Rogers following a prolonged, public dispute within the company’s board and the Rogers family itself.

Filed in Ontario Superior Court, the statement of claim alleges that Natale was wrongfully dismissed by Rogers, which has since failed to fulfill its contractual obligations to him. Those include a $4 million bonus upon the closure of the Rogers-Shaw merger, $20 million owed 30 days after the deal’s closing and undisclosed amounts tied to performance-linked stock options. The statement of claim also said that Natale exceeded expectations set for him in all of his annual performance reviews.

Natale is also seeking “punitive, moral, and aggravated damages” alleging that Edward Rogers, the company’s chairman, and his wife Suzanne Rogers “intentionally disparaged Natale.” Those efforts, the filing alleges, included using video platform Cameo to pay Succession star Brian Cox to make a video that was posted online in January 2022, where the actor congratulated Rogers on his “real-life Succession” and for getting Natale out of the company.

Natale’s claims have not been proven in court.

In a statement provided by a Rogers spokesperson, the company refuted Natale’s claims, saying it terminated him for cause after “engaging in serious misconduct.” The company says Natale was terminated following an independent investigation that found he awarded himself “excessive compensation” without approval from the Rogers board after he discovered that changes to the company’s directors could result in his termination as CEO. The company also says it plans to defend itself against Natale’s claims and file a counter-suit.

Rogers’ claims have also not been proven in court.