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Timestamp: 2020-08-11 01:33:32
Document Index: 39153767

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 4', '§ 15']

FindACase™ | Auwood v. Harry Brandt Booking Office Inc.
Auwood v. Harry Brandt Booking Office Inc.
WILLIAM AUWOOD AND NEAL S. OSSEN, AS TRUSTEES IN BANKRUPTCY FOR LIBERTY THEATRE CORPORATION, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS, CROSS-APPELLEES,
HARRY BRANDT BOOKING OFFICE, INC., GROTON CINEMA, INC., AND UNITED ARTISTS COMMUNICATIONS, INC., DEFENDANTS-APPELLEES, CROSS-APPELLANTS
Appeal and cross-appeals from a judgment of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, entered after a jury trial before Peter C. Dorsey, Judge, awarding plaintiffs $3.00 in treble damages for injury resulting from violation of antitrust laws, 15 U.S.C. § 1 et seq. See 647 F. Supp. 1551 (1986). Vacated in part, and remanded for entry of judgment in favor of plaintiffs in the amount of $225,000 in treble damages, less settlement amounts.
Timbers, Kearse, and Mahoney, Circuit Judges.
Plaintiffs William Auwood and Neal S. Ossen, as Trustees in bankruptcy for Liberty Theatre Corporation ("Liberty"), appeal from a final judgment entered in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut following a jury trial before Peter C. Dorsey, Judge, awarding them $3.00 as treble damages for injury suffered by Liberty as a result of an agreement or conspiracy among the defendants to allocate "first-run" films among theatres other than Liberty, in violation of § 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1 (1982). On appeal, plaintiffs contend that the district court erred (1) in denying their motion for a new trial on the issue of damages, and (2) in reducing the jury's damage award of $75,000, labeled by the jury as "nominal," to $1. Defendants Harry Brandt Booking Office, Inc. ("Brandt"), Groton Cinema, Inc. ("Groton Cinema"), and United Artists Communications, Inc. ("UA Communications"), cross-appeal, contending (1) that the court should have granted judgment in their favor notwithstanding the verdict ("n.o.v.") because plaintiffs failed to prove a conspiracy of which defendants were members and failed to prove injury, and (2) that any award of costs or attorneys' fees to plaintiffs should be reduced by amounts previously received by plaintiffs in settlements with other defendants. For the reasons below, we conclude that the judgment of the district court should be modified to award plaintiffs $225,000 in treble damages, less amounts plaintiffs have received from other alleged coconspirators in settlement of their claims.
In 1979, Liberty and Auwood, its principal, commenced the present action against several theatre chains and film distributors, alleging that the defendants had entered into an agreement among themselves to allocate the rights to license first-run films among the exhibitor parties to the agreement, to the exclusion of Liberty, thereby causing injury to Liberty in its business and property in violation of § 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § l. The complaint sought an unstated amount in damages, to be trebled in accordance with § 4 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 15 (1982).
A 13-day jury trial was held, with the jury considering separately the issues of liability and damages. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 49(a), special verdict interrogatories were given to the jury on each set of issues.
(a) For the period 1976-1977 . . . $3,000.00
(b) For the period 1978-1981 . . . $67,000.00
(c) For the period 1982-1985 . . . $5,000.00
4. What amount, if any, have plaintiffs proven would fairly, reasonably and justly compensate plaintiffs for any lost profits sustained during the period 1978-April 1981 ...