Pacific Seafood: Lawsuit has ‘no merit’
By SeafoodSource staff
20 July, 2012
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Pacific Seafood Group on Friday responded to a breach of contract lawsuit filed against it in District of Columbia Superior Court by Mayer Brown, the law firm that represented the Oregon-based seafood supplier in a series of antitrust claims.
According to the complaint, Mayer Brown stopped representing Pacific Seafood in February because of nonpayment of fees, The Legal Times reported on Thursday. Mayer Brown claims that Pacific paid part but not all of the fees it owed. The firm is suing for more than USD 5 million, which includes USD 3.8 million in fees, an additional USD 1.3 million for a discount the firm had originally provided, and interest, according to The Legal Times.
On Friday, Pacific Seafood responded that the suit had “no merit” and that it will continue to pursue its own action against the law firm. “The suit filed by Mayer Brown … is in retaliation to the lawsuit filed months earlier by Pacific Seafood,” said the company. “While Pacific does not want to comment on pending litigation, it is important to remember that while Mayer Brown was handling the litigation the plaintiffs’ class was certified and within a few months of the firm’s termination the entire case was resolved in a manner that some have referred to as ‘vindication’ for Pacific.
“Pacific was extremely unhappy with the work being done by Mayer Brown and that is what led to their termination,” continued the company. “The attorneys and experts hired by Mayer Brown were not effectively addressing the issues in the case and as a result, Pacific Seafood turned the case over to its local Oregon attorneys, Esler, Stephens, & Buckley, who then quickly and efficiently resolved the litigation in a manner that left Pacific’s relationships with its fleet intact and established standards for the rest of the industry to meet.
“While not surprising, it is disappointing to see Mayer Brown compounding litigation by filing a separate lawsuit over the same matter as Pacific’s earlier complaint for over billing. But, that is consistent with the manner that Mayer Brown handled the case for which Pacific had hired them. The goal of lawyers in litigation should be to resolve disputes, and not to multiply them. We will vigorously contest the matter at hand.”
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20 July, 2012