Jury Returns A Verdict For $138,915 And Costs And Attorney Fees Of $26,162 Awarded In Business Dispute And Breach Of Settlement Agreement Case Tried By Dale Burmeister
This case arose out of a dispute between the owners of a mailing company. Plaintiff owned 51% of the company and claimed that the equipment, customers, and the name of the entity were misappropriated by the Vice President while Plaintiff was recovering from cancer.
Prior to filing suit, the parties tried to resolve the case with the help of a former Judge. A settlement of $130,000, payable over four years in monthly installments, was reached, but Plaintiff claimed that Defendant reneged on the deal and filed suit for conversion, fraud and misrepresentation, tortuous interference with business relations, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of the settlement agreement. On the morning of trial, the Court bifurcated the settlement agreement count from the other claims and proceeded to trial. Following a five day trial, the jury returned a verdict of $138,915 and the Court subsequently awards costs and attorney fees of $26,162.