Hahn Loeser & Parks San Diego Partner Gabe P. Wright and Associate Ashlyn Mossy recently obtained victory on all counts for a firm client, following a three-day bench trial in San Mateo County Superior Court. After considering the evidence and arguments presented at trial, the court entered judgment in favor of the client on all 13 causes of action asserted in the plaintiff’s complaint, including claims for breach of contract and fraud. The court also awarded judgment to the client on its cross-complaint for breach of contract, resulting in a decisive outcome that resolved both the claims brought against the client and the client’s affirmative claim for relief.
The case arose out of a private school tuition agreement and involved a wide range of contract issues and defenses, including rescission, performance obligations, and the parties’ respective rights and remedies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trial required the team to address the plaintiff’s contract and fraud theories while also presenting the client’s cross-complaint and demonstrating why the evidence supported judgment in the client’s favor. Against the backdrop of pandemic-related disruption, the dispute presented factual and legal questions regarding contractual expectations, changed circumstances, and the enforceability of tuition-related obligations.
The trial was conducted remotely, adding another layer of complexity to the presentation of evidence, witness testimony, exhibit management, and courtroom coordination. Remote proceedings required the trial team to ensure that documents were organized and accessible, witnesses were prepared for the virtual format, and the presentation remained clear and effective despite the absence of a traditional courtroom setting. The experience underscored that remote trials demand not only substantive command of the record, but also meticulous attention to technology, timing, and procedure.
