Furniture store owner wins $7.3M case
A Cumberland County jury has awarded the former co-owner of Northern Mattress & Furniture Co. $7.3 million in an emotional distress case against Portland law firm Bernstein Shur.
The jury on Friday decided that the law firm was negligent in its representation of Peter Redman, former co-owner and president of the now-defunct Fairfield furniture company, in a workplace sexual harassment matter Redman says was orchestrated by his brother, Mark Redman, in order to take control of the company, according to the Kennebec Journal. Peter Redman hired Bernstein Shur in 2004 as disagreements grew over control of the company and sought advice from his attorneys on a number of matters, including his brother's challenge of his share of the company ownership. Redman said the law firm failed to investigate and defend him against allegations of sexual harassment by a female co-worker, brought against him in 2004. John Campbell, Redman's lawyer, said his client "came to Bernstein Shur for help, but his impression was they were ignoring his pleas for help." The allegations were not formally filed with the state and handled internally, according to the paper.
Peter Rubin, an attorney representing Bernstein Shur, said he was "surprised" by the jury's verdict. The firm will ask for a new trial or will appeal the verdict to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court if a new trial is not approved.
Northern Mattress & Furniture Co., which at one point had $18 million in sales and 120 employees, went out of business in late 2006. Peter Redman has since launched Priceless Mattress and Furniture in Augusta.
Go to the article from the Kennebec Journal >>
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