Electroplating Technologies Ltd. v. HH Sumco Inc.

11 Pa. D. & C.5th 160, 2009 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 311
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedSeptember 24, 2009
Docketno. 2005-C-1979
StatusPublished

This text of 11 Pa. D. & C.5th 160 (Electroplating Technologies Ltd. v. HH Sumco Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Electroplating Technologies Ltd. v. HH Sumco Inc., 11 Pa. D. & C.5th 160, 2009 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 311 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2009).

Opinion

JOHNSON, J,

Before the court for consideration is the defendant, Sumco Inc.’s, motion for post-trial relief filed on May 18,2009 and the plain[162]*162tiff’s motion for post-trial relief filed on May 28, 2009. The court heard argument on these motions on September 3, 2009.

As discussed more fully below, the defendant’s motion is granted and the plaintiff’s motion is denied.

I. RELEVANT FACTUAL BACKGROUND

This matter involves the plaintiff, Electroplating Technologies Inc.’s (ETL), claims against the defendant, HH Sumco Inc., for (1) misappropriation of trade secrets; and (2) breach of contract. ETL offered three theories under which the jury could have found a breach of contract: (1) breach of contract by unauthorized use of trade secrets; (2) breach of contract for Sumco’s exclusion of ETL from the 2000 test trials; and (3) breach of contract due to Sumco’s failure to complete all three trials contemplated by the May 2000 agreement.

After a two-week trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Sumco liable for breach of contract and awarding ETL $250,000. The jury found Sumco was not liable on ETL’s misappropriation claim. The court entered a molded verdict on May 12, 2009.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

A. Judgment N. O. V.

Ajudgment n.o.v. should be entered when “the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law and/or the evidence was such that no two reasonable minds could disagree that the outcome should have been rendered in favor of movant.” Schindler v. Sofamor Inc., 774 A.2d 765, 771 (Pa. Super. 2001) (affirming entry of judgment [163]*163n.o.v.) (quoting Davis v. Berwind Corp., 547 Pa. 260, 266, 690 A.2d 186, 189 (1997)). With the first basis for entering judgment n.o.v., “a court reviews the record and concludes that even with all factual inferences decided adverse to the movant the law nonetheless requires a verdict in his favor.” Id. With the second, “the court reviews the evidentiary record and concludes that the evidence was such that a verdict for the movant was beyond peradventure.” Id. Both standards require a court to perform the same function — to test the sufficiency of the evidence. Reading Radio Inc. v. Fink, 833 A.2d 199, 210 (Pa. Super. 2003).

B. Molding the Verdict

A court may not mold a verdict where the verdict already expresses the intent of the jury. Maize v. Atlantic Refining Co., 352 Pa. 51, 41 A.2d 850 (1945). A court will mold a jury verdict only where there is error and a manifest clear intent on the part of the jury. Krock v. Chroust, 330 Pa. Super. 108, 478 A.2d 1376 (1984). For example, the court may mold a verdict where the jury’s intention is apparent and undisputed, but informally stated in writing. Gaspero v. Gentile, 160 Pa. Super. 276, 50 A.2d 754(1947).

C. New Trial

A judge considering a post-trial motion can order a new trial pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 227.1(a)(1) “if he concludes that the factual or legal mistake was made at the trial level and that on consideration of the particular circumstances of the case, the mistake (or mistakes) formed a sufficient basis to order a new trial.” Riccio v. American Republic Insurance Co., 550 Pa. 254, 262, 705 [164]*164A.2d 422, 425 (1997). When a trial court is deciding whether to grant a new trial, there are two levels of review. Morrison v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 538 Pa. 122, 133, 646 A.2d 565, 571 (1994); Graver v. Klein, 74 D.&C.4th 547, 549 (2000). First, the court must decide whether a “mistake” was made at trial. Id. Secondly, the court decides whether the mistake forms a sufficient basis for granting a new trial. Id. If the trial court answers the first question in a negative, it should answer the second question in the negative as well. Morrison, 538 Pa. at 133 n.7, 646 A.2d at 571 n.7.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Sumco’s Motion for Post-Trial Relief: Judgment N. O. V.

Sumco asserts that it is entitled to judgment n.o.v. in this matter because, as a matter of law, Sumco is not liable to ETL for breach of contract. Additionally, Sumco asserts that the finding of liability and the award of $250,000 are wholly unsupported by the evidence presented at trial. ETL counters that there was ample evidence to support the jury’s verdict.

a. Breach of Contract for Unauthorized Use of Trade Secrets

In further support of its argument that it is entitled to judgment n.o.v., Sumco argues that, because the jury found that Sumco was not liable on ETL’s misappropriation of trade secrets claim, as a matter of law it could not have found Sumco to be liable on the first claimed breach, i. e., the alleged unauthorized use of trade secrets, otherwise the jury’s verdict would be inconsistent. Im[165]*165portantly, ETL’s claim for breach of contract by unauthorized use of trade secrets is identical in all material aspects to the misappropriation of trade secrets claim. See first amended complaint, ¶¶44-47.

Under Pennsylvania law, there is a presumption of consistency with respect to the jury’s findings. See e.g., McDermott v. Biddle, 544 Pa. 21, 25, 674 A.2d 665, 667 (1996). “[Wjhere there is a question of whether jury findings are consistent or inconsistent, consistency will be presumed unless there is no reasonable theory to support the jury’s verdict.” Beyrand v. Kelly, 434 Pa. 326, 329, 253 A.2d 269, 270 (1969).

Based on the fact that the jury found that Sumco was not liable for misappropriation of trade secrets, and on the case law that advises a presumption of consistency in jury verdicts, it is clear to the court that the jury did not find Sumco liable for breach of contract based on this first alleged breach: the alleged unauthorized use of trade secrets.

b. Breach of Contract for Exclusion of ETL From 2000 Test Trials

Sumco argues three bases for its position that there can be no breach of contract for Sumco’s exclusion of ETL from its December 2000 test trials. First, Sumco argues that, as a matter of law, the claim is barred by the four-year statute of limitations, as this claim was commenced in July 2005, more than four-and-one-half years after the alleged breach. Second, Sumco claims that ETL waived this alleged breach, as the uncontradicted evidence at trial established that ETL knew before the December 2000 trials that its principal, James Forand, would not be permitted on the Sumco plant floor, yet [166]*166notwithstanding that knowledge, ETL proceeded with the trials.

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Related

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Bluebook (online)
11 Pa. D. & C.5th 160, 2009 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 311, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/electroplating-technologies-ltd-v-hh-sumco-inc-pactcompllehigh-2009.