69.2 F
Laguna Hills
Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026

Delaware Court Sides with Joe Kiani in Severance Fight

Sends dispute back to California

A Delaware court last week ruled in favor of Joe Kiani, sending his dispute with the medical device company he founded back to California.

The court dismissed Masimo’s case against Kiani, which sought to invalidate the employment agreement tied to Kiani’s lawsuit against the company over an approximately $450 million severance payout.

“I’m happy with the court’s decision and appreciate the judge’s ruling and careful consideration of the matter,” Kiani told the Business Journal in a statement over email.

Kiani filed the lawsuit last year after resigning as CEO following a proxy battle with Politan Capital Management that resulted in his ousting as chairman.

Masimo declined to comment.

Masimo faced another legal setback after the U.S. International Trade Commission last month denied the company’s request to reinstate a ban on Apple Watches.

Following that decision, the company has since dropped its lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection over its ruling allowing Apple to restore blood oxygen features back into select Apple Watch models, according to Bloomberg Law.

Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country?

Sign-up for our FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox!

Would you like to subscribe to Orange County Business Journal?

One-Year for Only $99

  • Unlimited access to OCBJ.com
  • Daily OCBJ Updates delivered via email each weekday morning
  • Journal issues in both print and digital format
  • The annual Book of Lists: industry of Orange County's leading companies
  • Special Features: OC's Wealthiest, OC 500, Best Places to Work, Charity Event Guide, and many more!

Yuika Yoshida
Yuika Yoshida
Yuika Yoshida has been a reporter covering healthcare, innovation and education at the Orange County Business Journal since 2023. Previous bylines include JapanUp! Magazine and Stu News Laguna. She received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. During her time at UC Irvine, she was the campus news editor for the official school paper and student writer for the Samueli School of Engineering. Outside of writing, she enjoys musical theater and finding new food spots within Orange County.

Featured Articles

Related Articles