Godwin Tauler Secures $2.2 Million Jury Verdict

LOS ANGELES – Trial and appellate attorney Thomas H. Godwin, a founding partner of the commercial litigation firm Godwin Tauler LLP, obtained a $2.2 million jury verdict on behalf of his client, Le Kun Wu, against real estate developer Magnus Sunhill Group, LLC (“Magnus”), a current manager and two former managers of Magnus for breach of fiduciary duty, constructive fraud, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and breach of contract.  The case is captioned Wang v. Wan, Case No. GC045340.

The case involved a dispute over whether Magnus and some of its current and former managers used fraudulent breaches of fiduciary duty to take over $1.2 million of Mrs. Wu’s family money, ostensibly as seed money for a proposed mixed-use commercial center in Monterey Park, California called the Monterey Park Towne Centre (the “MPTC”).  Throughout her ordeal with the MPTC, Mrs. Wu was caring for her young daughter and her husband as he slowly died from a debilitating brain tumor.  Mrs. Wu’s husband passed away from his brain tumor in 2011.  To date, the MPTC still has not been constructed. 

The jury found for Ms. Wu on her claims for breach of fiduciary duty, constructive fraud, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract.  The jury awarded total compensatory damages of $1,175,000 against Magnus and certain current and former managers.  It also awarded punitive damages totaling an additional $1 million against a current manager and against a former manager. 

Godwin Tauler LLP represents clients in high-stakes commercial litigation.  Focus areas include: business disputes, class action defense, real estate, securities, entertainment, intellectual property and unfair competition and trade practices.  The firm handles cases at all phases, including trials and appeals.  The firm has also been engaged as rescue counsel in a number of cases, and it is able to take on litigation at any stage of the proceeding.