Our Cases: Anthony J. Manatt v. Bradford J. Manatt

David L. Charles | Matthew D. Callanan

August 23, 2024 | Litigation | Press Release

In 2018, our client sought declaratory judgment to compel Defendant to sell their company shares under a mandatory buy-sell agreement. Defendant resisted, arguing that there was a factual dispute about whether the buy-sell agreement was enforceable. 

In 2021, after delay resulting from the global COVID pandemic, the district court granted Defendant's motion for a directed verdict. We appealed the dismissal of our client's claims by the district court and the Iowa Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's decision, remanding the case for a new trial.  We moved for summary judgment, which was granted prior to retrial, and the case was appealed by Defendant for a second time.

June 12, 2024 we once again argued the case in the Court of Appeals and on August 21st, the court affirmed the trial court's decision granting summary judgment in favor of our client.

You can read the court opinion in its entirety here.