Breach of Contract

Law firms dispute sharing of $12 million fee award in class action. Bench verdict for defense.

Business law firm suggests a class action and class representative to plaintiffs' class-action firm; expects split of $12 million fee award, but defendants say they cannot ethically pay it.

Case Name: Barnes, Crosby, Fitzgerald & Zeman, LLP v. Jerome Ringler; Ringler, Kearney & Alvarez, LLP; Patrick McNicholas; Matthew McNicholas; and McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Sunday, July 10, 2016
Type of Case: Breach of Contract, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Fraud

Koreatown coffee shop sale turns ugly. $400K bench verdict. Los Angeles County.

Minority partner in coffee shop says she was defrauded by the majority owners.

Case Name: Jang v. J.S.M. Heyri, Inc.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Type of Case: Breach of Contract, Fraud

Breach of contract by multi-level marketing company. $6 million arbitration award.

Mutli-level marketer of financial/insurance products says company screwed him out of downstream earnings, improperly terminated his agreement after 16 years.

Case Name: Artak Daldumyan v. World Financial Group, Inc.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, November 23, 2015
Date of Arbitration Award : Friday, November 06, 2015
Type of Case: Breach of Contract

Breach of lending agreement, guarantor won't pay; $871,000. Los Angeles County.

Lender on accounts receivable (factor) goes after guarantor when business defaults on loan.

Case Name: A-1 Business Products, Inc. v. Paul A. Wiebel
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Type of Case: Breach of Contract

Lawyer, others promise home loan modifications. Fraud. $96K. Orange County.

A lawyer, now disbarred, and his associates offer home loan modification services, but don't perform after taking plaintiffs' money.

Case Name: Atilano Villalon et al. v. Gary Lee Lane, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Type of Case: Breach of Contract, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Breach of Good Faith, Business & Professional Codes, Consumer Protection, Elder Abuse, Fraud, Legal Malpractice, Professional Malpractice

Insurer refuses to pay $139K business burglary claim; $2.5 million verdict. Fresno County.

Insurer denies payment of claim for burglary of expensive equipment at bar/restaurant.

Case Name: Fresno Rock Taco, Zone Sports Center v. National Surety Corporation
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Friday, August 22, 2014
Type of Case: Breach of Contract, Insurance – Bad Faith, Claims Handling

Company fails to pay sales commissions and salary; $2.192 million bench verdict. Butte County.

Sales exec says he brought in business but did not get paid; employer goes bankrupt and plaintiff proceeds on alter ego theory against primary stockholder.

Case Name: Silvestro v. NLP International Corporation, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Type of Case: Breach of Contract, Employment, Fraud

Breach of contract on construction site; $107,000 judgment includes costs, attorneys fees. Riverside County.

Excavation contractor says he was not permitted to finish the job. Defendant says excavator failed to finish the job.

Case Name: Harmon v. Abdulzahra
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, March 06, 2014
Type of Case: Breach of Contract

Plaintiff gives away a horse that becomes a champion, then wants it back. Defense. Los Angeles County.

A case of horse sense? Plaintiff gave away a barrel horse that she couldn't care for. A professional barrel horse rider later bought it and the horse became a champion. Plaintiff then wanted her horse back or payment for the horse. Defense.

Case Name: Tammy Lowe v. John Growney, David Murdoch and Christy Colgate
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, May 13, 2013
Type of Case: Breach of Contract

Defense verdict in breach of contract claim involving sale of dental practice. San Francisco County.

Plaintiff claims breach of contract after buying defendant's periodontal practice. Jury finds for defense.

Case Name: Doina Panaite, DDS v. George K. Merijohn, DDS, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Type of Case: Breach of Contract, Breach of Warranty, Fraud, Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage

$1.96 million to inventor of diesel fuel additive for breach of implied employment contract. Los Angeles County.

Inventor says company unfairly cut his profit-sharing in product he developed, marketed and sold. Company wrongly claimed he was an at-will employee.

Case Name: George Sturges, Jr. v. Kern Fuels Research, LLC, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, July 26, 2012
Type of Case: Breach of Contract, Employment, Wrongful Termination