Keeping Sun talks secret

Over lunch at an event where he spoke last week, Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, told this behind-the-scenes story from the company's recent settlement discussions with Sun Microsystems:

The final stages of the talks, in late March, took place in New York City. At one point, Smith had to leave for a previously scheduled speaking commitment at the nearby Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. As Smith tells the story, one of the people there -- unaware, like everyone else, that settlement talks were under way at that very moment -- asked about the possibility of a resolution in the Sun case. Smith could only say that he certainly hoped one would be possible.

Imagine that person's surprise at the news a few days later.