A court-appointed financial expert stated that Min Hee Jin‘s involvement alone does not guarantee commercial success during the latest hearing in ADOR‘s damages lawsuit against NewJeans member Danielle, her family, and former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin.
The fourth hearing took place on July 23 at the Seoul Central District Court, where both sides debated how to estimate the revenue NewJeans could have generated had the group’s exclusive contracts remained in effect.
During the hearing, the plaintiff requested that the court-appointed expert calculate the estimated revenue NewJeans would have earned across various business activities if the group had continued fulfilling its exclusive contract with ADOR.
The valuation is expected to play a key role in determining potential damages in the ongoing lawsuit. Representatives for the defendants argued that using NewJeans’ past financial performance under Min Hee Jin’s leadership would not accurately reflect what would have happened after the relationship between the parties deteriorated. According to the defense, several important factors should be considered:
- NewJeans’ previous revenue was generated while Min Hee Jin was leading ADOR.
- Trust between ADOR and the members had already broken down before the contract termination.
- ADOR’s management capabilities had allegedly declined after Min Hee Jin stepped down.
- No new producer was appointed after her departure.
- Many key staff members who had supported Min Hee Jin also left the company.
The defense argued that these changes would likely have affected the group’s future earnings and should therefore be reflected in any revenue estimate.
Responding to those arguments, the court-appointed expert emphasized that Min Hee Jin’s involvement should not automatically be viewed as a guarantee of continued success. “In a way, just because Min Hee Jin is involved doesn’t mean things will always go well. There have also been cases where they didn’t.”
The expert added that if comparable industry data could be obtained, it could be incorporated into the evaluation to better isolate the impact of her leadership. He further explained that any estimates would rely on available historical data and industry experience, with all assumptions clearly documented.
The expert’s analysis is expected to become an important piece of evidence as the court determines whether ADOR suffered financial damages and, if so, how those losses should be calculated.
Rather than relying solely on NewJeans’ past commercial success, the court appears to be examining whether changes in management, production, and the relationship between the parties would have materially affected the group’s future earnings.
Sources: Daum | 스포츠투데이
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