Ahmad S. Takouche

Secured a full victory in a business divorce/real estate case which will have major implications in other, ongoing disputes in a highly profitable, family business in Orange County. At issue in the dispute was whether our client or another family member is the General Partner of a real estate partnership which owns and manages industrial property leased to the business.  As a result of presenting substantial evidence that family members had not followed partnership and corporate formalities in terms of noticing meetings, voting records, and maintaining meeting minutes, the judge found our adversary had abandoned and waived her role as a General Partner, was estopped from now claiming she was a General Partner, and voided a bogus, one-sided commercial lease she and other siblings had caused the real estate partnership to enter into with the company.  Our client was also awarded the attorney’s fees and costs he incurred in this arbitration.

Stradling stacked up a series of wins representing a hydration product manufacturer in a dispute against a former sales representative in federal court.  On summary judgment, Stradling prevailed on its client’s declaratory judgment claim, and the Court found California law applied and dismissed a claim for violation of Minnesota Termination of Sales Representatives Act, and significantly narrowed the contract-based for trial on the remaining claims.  During trial, the court granted Stradling’s motion for judgment as a matter of law in significant part, eliminating any lost profits type damages.  Following a two-week trial, the jury rejected one of the remaining claims and awarded nominal damages on the second claim.  On March 16, 2023 the Court granted Stradling’s renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law thereby setting aside nominal damages.  Having secured victory, the Court determined that Stradling’s client was the prevailing party under the contract and awarded Stradling’s client more than $938,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs.

Obtained a full defense win after a three week ICC arbitration for an Orange County public company against fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims seeking more than $140 million relating to the acquisition of the plaintiff's company (Southern District, NY, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, International Chamber of Commerce).