GE’s Welch Gets Privacy in Divorce Case

A judge Thursday granted former General Electric Co. Chairman Jack Welch’s request to keep details in his divorce case -- from his business dealings to his personal diary entries -- confidential for now.

Judge Arthur Hiller granted the temporary order keeping private the depositions of Welch and his wife, Jane.

Jane Welch’s attorneys want details about Jack Welch’s consultant business and gifts he has given his children and grandchildren, said his attorney, Daniel K. Webb. They also seek every calendar entry about Jack Welch’s personal and business engagements in recent years and entries from his personal diary, Webb said.

“There are third parties that are going to be enormously impacted,” Webb said. “All I’m asking is to at least protect it during the pretrial phase.”

Jane Welch’s attorney, Gaetano Ferro, agreed that any proprietary information about GE or other companies should remain private. But he said Webb’s request was too broad.

Hiller could narrow his order in his final ruling, which he will issue after the parties submit more briefs next week.

The Welches disclosed their plans to divorce in March, shortly after Suzy Wetlaufer, then-editor of the Harvard Business Review, revealed she had become romantically involved with Welch.