Miles P. Clements, the firm’s senior jury trial attorney, and a team which included Paul C. Thibodeaux, Joe N. Mole, Kyle Spaulding, Ben Castoriano, Mary Ferry and Suzie Wilson, obtained a jury verdict of $21,733,411 in favor of ION Geophysical Corporation, a  Houston based technology company (NYSE: IO), whose office in Harahan manufactures seismic surveying devices used world-wide in exploration for deep-water oil and gas deposits. Jury selection began on September 21, and on the night of October 1, the jury in the 24th Judicial District Court in Gretna rendered its verdict, finding defendants guilty of fraud, violation of Louisiana’s Unfair Trade Practices Act and breach of contract. Defendants included an operating company of battery manufacturer Greatbatch, Inc. (NYSE: GB), and its Electrochem division.

On October 14, Judge Joan S. Benge entered Judgment on the jury verdict for $21,733,411 plus pre-judgment interest from date of judicial demand, attorneys’ fees and all costs. The Judgment, with accrued interest, currently totals $32,712,505. Additional sums due for attorneys’ fees and costs will be determined at a hearing set in November.

Frilot was first hired by ION in 2007, shortly after the case, which had been filed in 2002, was dismissed by the District Judge on defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment. The firm successfully appealed the dismissal, which was reversed and the case remanded back to the District Court for trial. This was a very challenging and complex case. Clements and his team were able to develop new case theories and eventually obtain incriminating admissions from defendants establishing that ION’s confidential information and trade secrets had been misappropriated, and that defendants were guilty of unethical and deceptive conduct.

After the jury left the courtroom, Judge Benge commented that this was the largest verdict ever  returned in her courtroom. It is believed to be one of the largest verdicts ever rendered by a jury in Gretna.

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