Excel Error by a Cleary Gottlieb Associate Alters Lehman Asset Deal

From the Department of Big Oopses.

According to The ABA Journal Online, an associate at Cleary Gottlieb messed up when converting an Excel file to a PDF.

How much? Oh, by adding in previously hidden rows, which added 179 new contracts to a Barclays Capital agreement to buy Lehman Brothers assets. The error took about 3 weeks to be discovered and, instead of just deleting and reformatting, is now the subject of a motion in Bankruptcy Court. In all fairness, the hidden rows were created by a Lehman employee, and the whole thing was done under extreme time pressure.

And the moral of this tale is -- take your pick --

1. Don't rush
   
2. Blame the Associate
   
3. It'll all wash out in Bankruptcy Court
   
4. Lehman has the mark of Satan on it and, therefore, **** happens no matter what you do
   
5. What was the question again?
   
6. Other ___ (fill in here)