Tag: Damages
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Economics Expert Witness’ Testimony Based on Well-Tested Methods for Establishing Classwide Damages Admitted
A district judge in California refused to exclude the testimony of an expert economist despite objections raised against his methods for establishing classwide damages. The expert economist had adequately explained why his damages analysis would provide an accurate and common method to prove classwide damages. The Plaintiff contended that the Defendant Williams-Sonoma, Inc., and its…
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Securities Expert Witness’ Opinion on Defendant’s Breach of Fiduciary Duties Admitted
Plaintiffs are former Salesforce employees who participated in the Salesforce 401(k) Plan. They alleged Defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Plan and Plan participants in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). Plaintiffs alleged the Investment Advisory Committee, Joseph Allanson, Stan Dunlap, and Joachim Wettermark (collectively, “Committee Defendants”) breached their fiduciary duty…
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Psychology Expert Witness’ Depression Diagnosis Upheld
Plaintiff Duane Anthony Beyenhof alleged that his former employer Defendant Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Inc. (“Schwan’s”) wrongfully terminated him in retaliation for reporting illegal activity at work and because of his age. Schwan’s claimed he was terminated for not wearing a seatbelt in violation of Defendant Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Inc.’s (“Schwan’s” or “Defendant”) zero tolerance Seat…
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Civil Engineering Expert Witness’ Assessment of Wind-Pressure Damage resulting from Hurricane Sally Admitted
Hurricane Sally, which made landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama on September 16, 2020, damaged the Compass Point Condominium (the “Condo”). This action arises out of a disagreement between the insured, Compass Point Condominium Owners’ Association, Inc. (the “Plaintiff”), and its insurer, Landmark, regarding the extent of damage to Plaintiff’s property caused by Hurricane Sally, the necessary repairs, and…
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Economic Damages Expert Witness held to Employ Valid Methodology for Computing Lost Licensing Profits
Plaintiff Brand Design Company, Inc., d/b/a House Industries (“House”), a design studio and typeface foundry is in the business of developing and marketing proprietary fonts. House accused Defendant Rite Aid Corporation of appropriating one of these proprietary fonts and its corresponding font software—Neutraface—in the pharmacy chain’s rebranding effort, with the assistance of Defendants GA Communications, Inc., d/b/a PureRED Creative,…
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Intellectual Property Valuation Expert Witness Reasonable Royalty Analysis Deemed Deficient
Judge Joshua Wolson of Delaware District Court noted that, “Economists love assumptions. One joke recites that a physicist, a chemist, and an economist find themselves on a desert island with a single can of food. The physicist offers to calculate the force needed to use a coconut to open the can. The chemist offers to…
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Accounting Expert Witness Testimony Found to Lack Understanding of the Type of Business at Issue
James Swain Rieves, who operated Platinum Vapor, LLC, doing business as Cloud 9 Hemp faced legal trouble when the Town of Smyrna Police Department (hereinafter “SPD”) discovered the sale of Cannabidiol (CBD) products by the business in May 2017. The Smyrna Police Departmentraided Cloud 9’s premises and seized tens of thousands of dollars ininventory, along…
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Economics Expert Witness Theory on Investment Performance Admitted
Plaintiff Joanna P. Mattson filed a legal action, both individually and on behalf of the Milliman, Inc. Profit Sharing and Retirement Plan, along with a class of participants and beneficiaries affected by the alleged misconduct of the Milliman Defendants. The lawsuit is based on a claim of breach of fiduciary duty under the Employee Retirement…
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Accounting Expert Witness’ Two-Party Market Analysis Admitted
Hayward Industries, Inc. (the Plaintiff), a company in the pool industry, filed a complaint against competitors (the Defendants) over the sale of aftermarket replacement salt cells for use in Plaintiff’s chlorine generator systems. Chlorine generators, also known as “salt cell systems,” convert dissolved salt into chlorine to sanitize pools. Chlorine generator systems replace the need…
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Court rejects lost revenue calculations proffered by Valuation Expert Witness citing lack of consistency with Missouri contract damages law
This legal scenario revolves around a dispute between newspaper carriers, Bextermueller News Distributors, Inc., and Tom Richards, and the Defendants, Lee Enterprises, Inc., Lee Enterprises Missouri, Inc., Pulitzer, Inc., St. Louis Post-Dispatch, LLC. The carriers had agreements granting them exclusive rights to deliver St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers in specified geographic areas. Allegedly, the Defendants breached…
