After two years of litigation, on July 14, 2022, Venable client Zia Agricultural won a federal court jury trial in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Zia was awarded $2,573,170 for breach of contract, the full amount claimed, and $8 million in punitive damages. Zia had asked the jury for only $5 million.
The case was a business dispute between Zia and Tyson Foods, Inc. that involved breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation by Tyson.
Tyson breached its contract in early 2019 by refusing to pay for the “natural” cattle at the price and on the schedule agreed to by both parties.
This is a tremendous win for the Venable team, which was led by John Worden and included Sarah Diamond and summer associate Zoe Gallagher.
