"I all but insist that we pull out all the stops and pursue him like wolves," Rosenberg wrote of Lee. "He is an all-star and will contribute in ways that go substantially beyond China."
Before resigning from Microsoft, Lee began to help Google plot its China strategy with a series of suggestions, including recommending possible sites for the new office, according to Microsoft's brief.
`Unprecedented'
Microsoft alleged Lee's insights helped him win a Google contract worth more than US$10 million -- a package that Google itself described as "unprecedented" for the company.
Google paid Lee a US$2.5 million signing bonus and promised a US$1.5 million bonus after one year, plus a US$250,000 salary and options on 10,000 shares of Google stock, according to court documents. If he stays for four years, Lee also will receive another 20,000 Google shares, currently worth US$5.8 million.
Lee also demanded that Google pay all his legal fees if Microsoft sued, a request that was granted.
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