Balch Lawyers Obtain $10.4 Million Jury Verdict in Southern District Alabama Business Litigation

On June 29, a team of Balch & Bingham lawyers - along with Mobile attorney John Leach -- obtained a jury verdict on behalf of our client, Parsons & Whittemore, for $10.4 million. The trial, in the U.S. District for the Southern District of Alabama, lasted two weeks. The Balch trial team included Dave Boyd, Joe McCorkle, Eric Getty, and Lane Knight -- with other Balch & Bingham lawyers playing key support roles, including Conrad Anderson, Louis Calligas, and Paul Clark.

The lawsuit arose out of Parsons & Whittemore's investment in a company that purported to have developed technology to convert cellulosic materials into transportation fuel. Parsons & Whittemore sued several defendants, including the inventor of the technology and his company, for fraud and breach of contract. The jury returned a verdict in Parsons & Whittemore's favor for approximately $2.9 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages.