June 1, 2015

Matt Warner and Mike Smith Prevail in Federal Jury Trial for Maine Liquor Distillery Equipment Manufacturer

PORTLAND, Maine – In a recent federal jury trial in U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, Preti Flaherty attorneys Matt Warner and Mike Smith prevailed on behalf of their client, a Maine-based liquor distillery equipment manufacturer.

The local manufacturer received an order for a $125,000 custom distillery package and invested several months’ worth of labor and tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of materials before the customer cancelled the order just weeks prior to delivery. After demanding the return of the down payment of nearly $100,000, the customer sued Warner and Smith’s client, alleging wrongdoing by the manufacturer under a variety of legal theories including claims for fraud, conversion, promissory estoppel, unjust enrichment, punitive damages, and breach of contract. Warner and Smith responded with a counterclaim for breach of contract on behalf of their client. Prior to the case going to trial, all of the customer’s claims were dismissed except for breach of contract.

In May 2015 the jury returned a verdict in favor of the client on both the customer’s breach of contract claim and the client’s counterclaim. “We are pleased with this outcome,” said Smith. “Our client can now move on from this dispute with its finances and reputation intact.”