Facts

Plaintiff Todd Norman is owner of Cutting Edge Sports Training Inc. a sports performance training center in Orange County. Peter Barbaresi and J. Todd Anderson were owners/representatives of defendant East Bay Velocity LLC, a competitor sports performance training company. The parties agreed to merge their businesses, and operated jointly for a year and a half.

Velocity Sports Performance of Redondo Beach LLC was dismissed from the case.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
Plaintiff claimed defendant breached the agreement between the parties and evicted plaintiffs from the business. Plaintiff contended that defendant made multiple material misrepresentations regarding the financial condition of the Velocity business, defendant's intentions regarding providing plaintiff an equity interest, and their true intent of absorbing all of plaintiffs' business, leaving them with nothing.

DEFENDANT'S CONTENTIONS:
Defendant contended that the parties did not have an enforceable agreement, and that plaintiffs defamed them at the end of the business relationship.

Settlement Discussions

Plaintiffs offered to settle pre-trial for $230,000.

Damages

According to defense, plaintiff sought $500,000 in damages.

Result

Judgment was rendered in favor of plaintiffs for $325,000 for negligent misrepresentation in connection with a partnership dispute, with $2,369 in offset damages on cross-complaint. According to defense, of plaintiff's claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligent misrepresentation, plaintiff prevailed only on the negligent misrepresentation claim.

Other Information

Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict and Motion for New Trial were denied. FILING DATE: Aug. 29, 2013.

Deliberation

two days

Length

four weeks