A Wilson Sonsini team representing plaintiff Guardian Innovative Solutions (GIS) recently obtained a jury trial victory against Guardian Protection Products in a case involving dueling allegations of breaches of contract, tortious interference, and various statutory violations relating to the parties’ decades-long distribution relationship. On December 10, 2021, a jury in federal district court in Fresno, California, found Guardian liable to GIS for wrongfully terminating GIS’s business and stealing it for itself, and rejected Guardian’s claims that GIS’s breaches of noncompete obligations excused Guardian’s misconduct.  

The victory is a culmination of several years of effort, including a first trial that was undermined by faulty pretrial rulings, a successful Ninth Circuit appeal of those rulings, COVID delays, and the recent hard-fought jury trial. The team secured a $6 million verdict and will be seeking prevailing party attorney fees.

The Wilson Sonsini trial team that represented GIS included Colleen Bal, John Flynn, Dylan Liddiard, Jason Mollick, and Josh Baskin, with assistance from Pamela Sandillo, Delilah Crim, Lorri Nicolini, and Albert Garcia.