$50 Million Lawsuit Filed Against Former Heavyweight Champion George Foreman for Fraud & Breach of Contract.SANTA MONICA Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. , Calif. -- Former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. He is the oldest man ever to win the heavyweight title, and also has been named one of the 25 greatest fighters of all time by Ring magazine. and a major national law firm have been named as defendants in a $50 million lawsuit brought by a food marketing company for Fraud and Interference with Contract relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc a contract the company had with George Foreman Foods to market Foreman brand steaks nationwide. Filed in the Santa Monica branch of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Superior Court by the law firm of Yuhl Rhames & Atkinson, LLP LLP - Lower Layer Protocol , the lawsuit seeks compensation for lost revenues as well as punitive and exemplary damages exemplary damages n. often called punitive damages, these are damages requested and/or awarded in a lawsuit when the defendant's willful acts were malicious, violent, oppressive, fraudulent, wanton, or grossly reckless. . The lawsuit was filed on behalf of GreatMeals, USA, Inc., a corporation based in Washington, D.C., against Foreman, Greenburg Traurig LLP, a Miami, FL-based law firm and John C. Kirkland, a partner of the law firm. Founded in 2001, GreatMeals, USA markets food through cable shopping networks and mail order sales. Greenburg Traurig is a law firm with 1,500 attorneys located in offices throughout the United States. In its lawsuit GreatMeals, USA alleges that Foreman and Greenburg Traurig conspired to transfer valuable economic opportunities from GreatMeals, USA to Victor Kirkland, the brother of the defendant, John Kirkland. The company further claims that the defendants acted with fraud and malice in an attempt to put it out of business by interfering with a valuable contract between GreatMeals, USA and Home Shopping Network “HSN” redirects here. For other uses, see HSN (disambiguation). The Home Shopping Network (HSN) is a mostly 24-hour shopping network that is seen on cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the United States. . According to GreatMeals, USA, in 2002, Foreman and the law firm decided to create and sell a line of food and other products to capitalize on the success of the former boxer's Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine which sold over 35 million units. They decided to begin with steaks and formed a company, George Foreman Foods, which is based in Omaha, NE. In 2003, the defendants signed an exclusive contract with GreatMeals, USA to develop and launch a website for the George Foreman Steaks brand and to handle all sales through the internet, catalogs and cable shopping networks. As part of the arrangement, Foreman -- who was represented to be the sole owner of George Foreman Foods -- agreed to actively promote the steaks and make personal appearances. The lawsuit contends that while GreatMeals, USA was launching the website, www.georgeforeman.com, developing a line of steaks and signing an exclusive contract with the Home Shopping Network, the defendants had secretly transferred the controlling interest controlling interest The ownership of a quantity of outstanding corporate stock sufficient to control the actions of the firm. Controlling interest often involves ownership of significantly less than 51% of a firm's outstanding stock because many owners fail in George Foreman Foods to Victor Kirkland. Further, it alleges that Foreman ultimately refused to promote the steaks and the defendants stopped the catalog launch and interfered with the contract and licensing agreements GreatMeals, USA had entered into. Among the causes of action in the lawsuit, GreatMeals, USA charges the defendants with: Breach of Contract; Intentional and Negligent Misrepresentation misrepresentation In law, any false or misleading expression of fact, usually with the intent to deceive or defraud. It most commonly occurs in insurance and real-estate contracts. False advertising may also constitute misrepresentation. and Deceit; Intentional Interference with GreatMeals, USA and Home Shopping Network Agreements; and Intentional and Negligent Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion