On June 15, 2004, a US District Court jury found that our client, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., did not breach a contract with two former competitors, Fonten Corp. and Belmann Corporation. The plaintiffs claimed that Ocean Spray's breach caused them to go out of business, resulting in more than $5 million in damages. The Court granted a directed verdict on the plaintiffs' claims that Ocean Spray violated the Massachusetts Unfair Business Practices Act and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. After a one-week trial, the jury found that Ocean Spray also did not breach a contract between the parties. This verdict ended a long-standing, seven-year dispute between the parties.
Cynthia D. Vreeland and Brett R. Budzinski represented Ocean Spray before Judge Young of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.