Our client was retained as a subcontractor to fabricate tens of thousands of frames for vehicles that were to be assembled in another state. In order to meet projections provided by the manufacturer and the general contractor, our client committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to increase its workforce, lease additional shop space, and to purchase robotic welders. The purchase orders issued were substantially less than what the projections called for, which invalidated the pricing of the frames. After our client demanded an increase in the pricing, the manufacturing project was canceled and our client’s former business associates blamed our client for the project’s failure. Our client’s position was that the project had been mismanaged, which resulted in the projections being overstated.
Out of concern that our client’s former business associates would file an out-of-state lawsuit, which would drive up our client’s costs, we elected to file a lawsuit in Houston seeking the damages our client had incurred as a result of the project being canceled. During the case, thousands of e-mails and documents related to the project had to be reviewed, organized, and produced. The e-mails were of particular interest because they painted a real-time picture of what had happened, as compared to witnesses’ recollection after the fact. Ultimately, the lawsuit was settled to our client’s satisfaction for a confidential amount.