Doe Electrical Contractor v.  Doe Security Contractor.  (San Jose, CA)

When its office manager decided to retire for health reasons, Defendant closed a local office despite multiple jobs pending or in progress.  Plaintiff claimed that its reputation was ruined when it tried to complete the work itself with mixed results.  Defendant’s breach alleged cost Plaintiff its best client when the client declined to accept its future bids due to Defendant’s claimed unreliability as caused by the breaching subcontractor.

The demand was $25,000,000 for the cost of doing Defendant’s work and the loss of future opportunities.  Defendant was sued for fraud and breach of contract.

After multiple successful motions for summary adjudication – made considerably easier by Plaintiff’s counsel’s refusal to attend a properly scheduled ex-employee deposition in Indiana – the case settled for $125,000.