Yet the firm dismissed him in October after customer complaints.

Under the reorganization, which was announced by Shearson in March, the firm will dismiss about 2,000 people and leave a number of businesses.

The firm has recently dismissed 50% of its workforce on criteria devised by Kessler.

But he then retracted his resignation, and the firm dismissed him, they said.

Generally, the law applies if a firm, in the course of shutting down an office, dismisses at least 50 people.

The firm accordingly dismissed her, but the court held that this was automatically unfair.

The executives said the firm would soon dismiss about 5 percent of its investment banking staff, or about 20 people.

But instead of following his recommendation, Mr. Wieder said, the firm dismissed him.

In a statement last month, the firm dismissed as "absurd" the accusation that it compromises its standards to retain big clients.

Kodak is not commenting on what the firm dismisses as "speculation."