Quinn Emanuel successfully defended Wellquest International Inc. (“Wellquest”) and five related defendants in a breach of partnership agreement case in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Plaintiff was an elderly widow who sought tens of millions of dollars in compensatory damages plus punitive damages, interest and attorneys’ fees.
Wellquest distributes numerous home electronics and beauty products in the US. Plaintiff claimed to have introduced the manufacturers of several extremely successful products to Wellquest and was therefore owed a royalty on all sales of the products derived from those manufacturers and distributed by Wellquest, for all time.
Plaintiff asserted 13 claims against six of our clients including breach of a partnership agreement, unjust enrichment, breach of contract, and breach of a joint venture, among others. After three years of litigation, we convinced the Court to dismiss 12 of these claims, and five of the defendants, with prejudice. The only claim that remained was breach of a written contract against Wellquest. Following an Interlocutory appeal, much of the rest of the case was ordered to binding arbitration and a jury trial set for the remainder of plaintiff’s claim.
Just two days before the jury was to be empaneled the Court granted our summary judgment motion and entered judgment on behalf of Wellquest as to the entire claim (including the part previously ordered to be arbitrated).
Plaintiff is now facing motions for Wellquest’s costs and attorneys’ fees.