Clark Hill Secures $1.45 Million Jury Verdict and Defeats $3 Million Counterclaim in Michigan Contract Dispute

Clark Hill attorneys David Hansma and Jonathan Roffe secured a significant trial victory in the Muskegon County Circuit Court following a four-day jury trial involving a dispute over a licensing agreement for hydroponic cannabis cultivation units.

The case arose from allegations that a supplier breached a licensing agreement relating to the use and buildout of specialized growing units. The plaintiff sought damages for the supplier’s contractual breaches, while the defendants asserted a counterclaim for conversion, alleging that the units had not been timely returned and had been returned damaged or not at all. The defendants sought approximately $3 million on their counterclaim.

After hearing testimony from six witnesses, including the defense’s damages expert, the jury deliberated for approximately two and a half hours before returning a decisive verdict. The jury awarded $1,450,579.41 in damages to Clark Hill’s client and found no liability on the defendants’ conversion claim, awarding $0 on the counterclaim.

The verdict brings a successful resolution to litigation that had been pending for nearly five years and represents a complete victory on the defendants’ affirmative claims.

This result underscores Clark Hill’s strength in complex commercial litigation and its ability to achieve outstanding outcomes for clients through trial advocacy and strategic case development.