My friends at Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei pass along news of a great jury verdict for their client, Tony Alardin, in a partnership dispute regarding the development, manufacture and sale of wireless video surveillance trailer systems.
In 2001, Mr. Alardin, along with his company Remote Monitoring Technologies, entered into a partnership with Dallas businessman Gregg Hoss and his company, Hoss Equipment Company, to perfect the technology and further develop and market wireless video surveillance trailer systems. In March 2005, as the technology was being perfected and as the market became poised for growth, Mr. Hoss barred Mr. Alardin from the premises of the partnership. Hoss Equipment Company continued developing and marketing the wireless video surveillance trailer systems and subsequently generated approximately $2 million in revenue. Mr. Hoss denied the existence of any legal partnership with Mr. Alardin and took the position that his relationship with Mr. Alardin was, at best, a marketing partnership and as a result, he was fully within his rights to do what he did.
In January 2006, Mr. Hoss and Hoss Equipment Co., brought suit against Mr. Alardin seeking, among other things, repayment of the money put into the wireless video surveillance trailer systems prior to the lock-out. Mr. Hoss claimed the money had not been capital contributions to a legal partnership but instead loans to Mr. Alardin and his company that were never repaid.
Mr. Alardin approached Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei to defend him against the allegations brought against him and to pursue counterclaims against Gregg Hoss, including breach of fiduciary duty. The case was tried in Dallas County before Judge Jim Jordan. After a week and a half trial and two days of deliberation, the jury returned its verdict and found that Mr. Hoss had breached his fiduciary duty to Mr. Alardin. The jury awarded Mr. Alardin $3 million.
Michael Heygood, Partner of HORP&B, was the lead trial attorney for Tony Alardin, and was assisted at trial by Ryan Browne. Mr. Heygood commented, “At the end of the day, as is often the case, the jury was able to understand what was really going on.” According to Mr. Heygood, “Even though there was no written partnership agreement, the jury recognized the partnership between Mr. Hoss and Mr. Alardin and agreed that Mr. Hoss failed to treat Mr. Alardin fairly or justly."
Well done.
