Backfire
Carly Fiorina's High-Stakes Battle for the Soul of Hewlett-Packard
Chapter One
THE SHOWDOWN
* * *
Thank God for her.
-Anonymous HP investor, leaving the
courtroom after Carly Fiorina's testimony
The line started forming outside of the Court of Chancery in
Wilmington, Delaware, at 3:00 a.m. Scruffy college students
in parkas and heavy blankets set up lawn chairs to hunker
down for the long wait. For $60 an hour, they held spots for the
high-priced lawyers involved in the landmark case that was set to
start that day. Soon after sunrise, dapper stock traders, hoping for
some big courtroom news, stood sipping coffee to shake off the chill
of the morning air. Law professors waited patiently to witness a
chapter of corporate law history. Business reporters from around
the country stood sharing war stories and speculating about who
would be the day's winner. By the time a security guard opened the
heavy courthouse doors, more than 200 people snaked down the
side of the massi ... read full excerpt from Backfire: Carly Fiorina's High-Stakes Battle for the Soul of Hewlett-Packard ebook
