Ennis Knupp + Associates right now appears to be in legal no man's land. The Chicago-based consultant, you may recall, was prepared to release a report on the corporate valuations by private equity firms that received investment mandates from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Private equity firms protested that such a report could harm their competitiveness, while the public (read: media) insisted it had a right to know. Whichever way the firm turns, the bureau could face lawsuits: liability for legal costs of the media requesting it, or actions from p.e. firms that feel the report reveals proprietary trade secrets.
 
Ennis already released a report with fund-return information, but now all parties are waiting with bated breath for Judge Richard Frye of Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to decide what to do. They'll just have to wait a little longer. The judge ruled earlier this week that he may not have jurisdiction over the release issue because Ennis is not a party to the case. Now, one of two things can make the party happen, according to VentureWire: Either Ennis Knupp can join the complaint voluntarily as a plaintiff, or the bureau can tack the firm on as a defendant. The Ohio fund has until Oct. 15 to decide.
 
By the way, according to PE Week Newswire, the bureau is looking for a new chief investment officer, but there is no word of private equity in the job description, indicating the recent brouhaha over p.e. has led the bureau to call it quits.