A Commercial Litigation team led by Partner David Stern and including Counsel Alex Spjute successfully defended a real estate developer group in a five-week jury trial against allegations of fraudulent nondisclosure, intentional interference with a contract, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, conspiracy to commit fraud, and aiding and abetting fraud and breach of fiduciary duty related to the clients’ sale of a hotel and condominium complex in Huntsville, Alabama.
The plaintiff, Windsor Capital Group, sought more than $10 million in damages, as well as punitive damages against the firm clients – the sellers of the property – and the ultimate buyer of the property, based on an alleged breach of an oral joint venture agreement between the plaintiff and the buyer.
The recent trial was delayed for more than two years due to the onset of the COVID pandemic. Nevertheless, the BakerHostetler team was able to secure a complete and unanimous jury verdict in Santa Barbara Superior Court – and against the preeminent plaintiffs’ firm in Santa Barbara.