Brannock & Humphries Obtains Affirmance Of Summary Judgment In Breach Of Contract Case

The Second District Court of Appeal has upheld a summary judgment entered in favor of a small business owner who was sued by a former employee, putting an end to the employee’s lawsuit and handing a win to Brannock & Humphries, which represented the business owner on appeal.

The case arose after the employee breached a contract governing the operation of a Tampa-based dry-cleaning business.  The contract provided that the employee would operate the business in exchange for a certain monthly amount of the gross profits.  When the employee breached the contract, the owner of the company defaulted her and terminated the agreement.  The employee then sued, claiming that the owner had prevented her from fulfilling her obligations and had breached the agreement himself.

After the employee’s complaint was twice dismissed, the trial court eventually entered summary judgment in favor of the owner, finding that the employee’s claims lacked any legal or factual basis in the parties’ contract.  The employee then appealed, and Brannock & Humphries was hired to respond to the employee’s appellate arguments.  After written briefing, the Second District affirmed, agreeing with Brannock & Humphries that the employee had breached the contract and was not entitled to any damages.