Ex-First Brands Officer Says He Was Kept in the Dark About Fraud

First Brands Group’s former chief strategy officer asked a judge to dismiss a civil lawsuit that blames him in part for the auto-parts supplier’s collapse, arguing that founder Patrick James and his brother, Edward, concealed the alleged fraud that brought down the company.

Michael Baker, who joined First Brands after practicing corporate finance in New York, said in an April 6 court filing that Patrick James and other insiders used his reputation and experience to build relationships with lenders.