We are skilled at handling trials and arbitrations. Trial attorneys are separated from litigators by virtue of their ability to connect with a jury, their judgment and sixth sense when it comes to courtroom optics and trial strategy, and their ability to think quickly on their feet. Our results in trials and arbitrations speak for themselves and are conclusive proof that we are not just litigators, but true trial attorneys.
The firm’s successes at trial and arbitration include:
$44.4 million jury verdict on federal antitrust and breach of contract claims brought by our client, a small cigarillo manufacturer, against the largest cigarillo manufacturer in the United States. This verdict has been recognized as the 37th largest jury verdict in the country for 2016, and as the largest antitrust verdict in the state of California for that year. (Trendsettah, et al. v. Swisher Int’l)
$9 million value jury verdict. The jury awarded $500K on breach of contract and fraud claims brought by our client, a real estate investor, against his business partner. The verdict also confirmed the legitimacy of certain actions taken by the investor worth $1 million, and also resulted in no liability as to all counterclaims brought by the business partner that were worth $7 million. (Okada v. Whitehead)
$11.3 million arbitration award on breach of contract claims brought by our client, an entrepreneur, against the publicly traded company that had acquired his business assets. This arbitration award was subsequently confirmed by a federal court. (Barranco v. 3D Systems)
$10 million arbitration award on breach of contract claims brought by our client, a founder of a successful startup, against his former company for wrongfully re-purchasing his stock and also for refusing to indemnify him in connection with a related third-party lawsuit. The case settled prior to confirmation of the award. (Confidential)
$3 million jury verdict on breach of implied warranty counterclaims brought by our client, a small cigarillo manufacturer, against a large tobacco component manufacturer.At the same time, the manufacturer obtained only $484,000 in relief on its own claim for breach of contract after our client stipulated to liability and damages.(Deutsche-Hollandische Tabakgesellschaft v. Trendsettah)
$3.9 million value arbitration award.The arbitrator ordered that our client had to pay a prominent Hawaii law firm only $147,000 for work they had performed for him, when those attorneys were asking for more than $4 million in damages and attorney’s fees on their breach of contract claim.This arbitration award was subsequently confirmed by a federal court.(Cox Fricke LLP v. Barranco)
$15 million value bench verdict. Following a jury trial, the court issued findings of fact and law holding that our clients, local property owners, were not obligated to sell their $15 million property to a real estate developer for only $3 million pursuant to the terms of an option contract. (Tierney v. Javaid)
$230K bench verdict. Following a bench trial, the court issued findings of fact and law awarding $250K on a breach of contract claim brought by our client, a media publisher, against a television station for removing all broadcasts of our client’s programming. (Diya TV v. KAXT)
$500K value arbitration award. An arbitrator awarded damages and equitable relief worth up to $500K on breach of fiduciary duty claims brought by our clients, investors in a television station, in a dispute over the sale of that television station. (Kapur v. KAXT).
Furthermore, other successes at trial and arbitration experienced by the lawyers of Gaw | Poe LLP prior to their time with the firm include:
$1.6 billion value jury verdict. The jury did not find the client, a television chip manufacturer, liable on claims for trade secret misappropriation brought by the Dish Network following a 5-week trial for which the Dish Network had sought $1.6 billion in damages. The client was also later awarded attorney’s fees of nearly $18 million. The verdict was named one of the “Top Ten Defense Verdicts of 2008” by The Daily Journal. (Echostar v. NDS Group)
$200 million value bench verdict. Following an 11-month bench trial, the court issued findings of fact and law resulting in no liability for the client, a publicly traded real estate developer, on claims of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty worth $200 million that were brought by a local real estate developer. The client was also later awarded attorney’s fees of around $30 million. (Briarwood v. Lennar Homes)
$30 million value arbitration award. An arbitrator denied relief on all claims brought by a disgruntled investor against the client, a private wealth manager, where the investor had claimed that the manager breached its fiduciary duties by failing to manage stock holdings that subsequently depreciated by $30 million. (Perez v. Goldman Sachs)