Task: songer_pretrial

What follows is an opinion from a United States Court of Appeals. You will be asked a question pertaining to issues that may appear in any civil law cases including civil government, civil private, and diversity cases. The issue is: "Did the court's rulings on pre-trial procedure favor the appellant?" This includes whether or not there is a right to jury trial, whether the case should be certified as a class action, or whether a prospective party has a right to intervene in the case, but does not include rulings on motions for summary judgment. Answer the question based on the directionality of the appeals court decision. If the court discussed the issue in its opinion and answered the related question in the affirmative, answer "Yes". If the issue was discussed and the opinion answered the question negatively, answer "No". If the opinion considered the question but gave a mixed answer, supporting the respondent in part and supporting the appellant in part, answer "Mixed answer". If the opinion does not discuss the issue, or notes that a particular issue was raised by one of the litigants but the court dismissed the issue as frivolous or trivial or not worthy of discussion for some other reason, answer "Issue not discussed". If the opinion considered the question but gave a "mixed" answer, supporting the respondent in part and supporting the appellant in part (or if two issues treated separately by the court both fell within the area covered by one question and the court answered one question affirmatively and one negatively), answer "Mixed answer". If the opinion either did not consider or discuss the issue at all or if the opinion indicates that this issue was not worthy of consideration by the court of appeals even though it was discussed by the lower court or was raised in one of the briefs, answer "Issue not discussed".

BURCIAGA, District Judge.
Facet Enterprises [“Facet”], Appellee — a supplier of, inter alia, P & D brand auto parts and equipment — filed suit against Motive Parts Warehouse [“MPW”], Appellant — a warehouse distributor doing business in the automotive replacement parts aftermarket — to collect on an open account for goods sold. MPW counterclaimed, alleging violations by Facet of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1 (1976), and Sections 2(a), (d) and (e) of the Clayton Act, 38 Stat. 730, as amended by the Robinson-Patman Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 13(a), (d) and (e) (1976), as well as breach of contract, misrepresentation, and intentional infliction of economic harm.
The district court granted summary judgment to Facet on its complaint, leaving for trial the counterclaims asserted by MPW, including the question of setoff damages allegedly arising from Facet’s failure to make appropriate credits to MPW’s account. The case was tried to a jury, with MPW in the position of plaintiff and Facet in the position of defendant.
Following ten days of evidence, the trial judge granted Facet’s motion for directed verdict on the Sherman Act and Robinson-Patman Act claims arising from Facet’s Wagon Master franchise program, and on MPW’s pendent claims for misrepresentation and intentional infliction of economic harm. MPW’s remaining Robinson-Pat-man Act claims concerning Facet’s sales to Keystone Automotive Warehouse [“Keystone”], and its breach of contract claim against Facet were submitted to the jury. The jury returned a verdict in Facet’s favor on each of those claims.
MPW’s subsequent motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or for new trial were denied, and judgment was entered against MPW on all claims. In addition, the court assessed postjudgment interest at 15% per annum and awarded attorneys’ fees to Facet in the amount of $80,246.50.
On appeal, MPW asserts that the trial court erred in granting Facet’s motion for directed verdict with respect to the Sherman Act and Robinson-Patman Act claims arising from the Wagon Master franchise program, and the pendent claim for intentional infliction of economic harm. MPW does not appeal the directed verdict against it on its misrepresentation claim. MPW also contends that the trial court erred in denying judgment notwithstanding the verdict or a new trial on its Robinson-Patman Act claims arising from Facet’s sales to Keystone, and its breach of contract claim. Finally, MPW asserts that postjudgment interest, if any, should be assessed pursuant to current law, and that the district court’s grant of attorneys’ fees was excessive and constituted an abuse of discretion.
I. Claims Concerning the Wagon Master Franchise Program
In April, 1976, as the result of a settlement in lengthy litigation between the Federal Trade Commission and the Bendix Corporation, appellee Facet was created to compete with Bendix in the automotive aftermarket. As part of the settlement, Bendix transferred to Facet the sales operation for P & D brand auto parts, to be overseen by Facet’s P & D Automotive Division [“P & D”]. In the fifty years prior to Facet’s assumption of the P & D sales operation, Bendix’ P & D component had manufactured and then sold its parts primarily to warehouse distributors [“WDs”] such as MPW, who in turn resold the merchandise to jobbers. Under Facet, P & D no longer had the profit margin associated with the manufacture of products, and found itself competing directly with manufacturers for the sale of parts to warehouse distributors. As a consequence, P & D continually lost money.
From Facet’s creation in 1976 until August, 1980, P & D’s primary method of distributing its products was through sales to WDs such as MPW. MPW operates 13 regional warehouses in the Gulf Coast area.
In January, 1980, Facet advised P & D’s managément that it must take steps to make the division profitable. P & D thereafter decided to augment its distribution system by establishing a franchise marketing program known as the “Wagon Master Plan.” The plan envisioned direct sales of a limited number of high turnover P & D products to the jobber and retail dealer markets by P & D franchisees, who would operate from trucks stocked with the requisite inventory. Such a marketing scheme, which bypasses the WD market, was successful for one of Facet’s customers, and was working in other markets as well.
P & D did not anticipate terminating its relationships with any of its WD customers and, indeed, up to the time of trial, it continued to service over 400 WDs. Rec., Vol. XI at 13. P & D predicted, however, that up to 90% of its WD customers would seek other sources of supply once the Wagon Master program became operational. P & D’s predictions were amazingly accurate: within a year after the franchise program became operational, P & D had lost between 75-90% of its WD business. Rec., Vol. XI at 13, 80; Vol. XVII at 110.
In the event WD customer losses occurred as predicted, P & D anticipated considerable cost savings through the subsequent trimming down of its full line inventory (approximately 4,000 parts had to be stocked in order to service the WD market) to a limited number (approximately 600) of high turnover items. P & D also anticipated cost savings from the eventual paring down of its sales force from 60 salesmen to as few as five or six, inasmuch as franchisees would not require ongoing sales and field assistance as did large WD customers like MPW.
Facet’s management approved the franchise concept in March of 1980. Only a few managerial level P & D employees knew about the plan prior to corporate approval. After such approval, Facet discussed the plan with its zone managers, who directed the P & D sales force, in April 1980. Thereafter, Facet informed its’P & D sales employees of the plan and offered them an opportunity to acquire franchises. Approximately 35 of the company’s 60 salesmen eventually became franchisees. Prospective franchisees were required to sign a nondisclosure agreement before they could learn about the new program. Despite such efforts to prevent dissemination of the plan, MPW learned about the franchise program on or about June 11, 1980. The franchise plan was due to become operational in August, 1980.
MPW contends that Facet and its prospective franchisees conspired to set franchisee prices at levels approximately 35% lower than WD prices, and agreed that Facet would maintain prices charged to MPW and other WDs at then current levels, giving the franchisees immense competitive advantage. MPW also contends that Facet and its prospective franchisees agreed that necessary sales assistance to the WDs would be curtailed in order to drive WDs out of the business of selling P & D products.
After learning of the franchise plan, including details of the alleged price fixing, MPW contacted Standard Motor Products [“Standard”] — a competitor of P & D which already supplied seven of MPW’s thirteen warehouses — and decided to make Standard its new supplier in its six remaining warehouses, all of which then stocked P & D products. In July, 1980, Standard lifted all but a fraction of MPW’s P & D inventory in those six warehouses and replaced it with Standard products. MPW claims that it was forced to change suppliers in order to mitigate its damages. Although MPW contends that the franchisees entered the market in April and were actively competing for MPW’s customers at that time, the trial court found, and the evidence reflects, that no Wagon Master sales were made until August, 1980, after MPW had unilaterally terminated its relationship with Facet.
MPW asserted the following five claims against Facet with respect to the Wagon Master franchise program:
1) that Facet and its prospective franchisees unlawfully conspired to fix prices and to boycott MPW, which constituted per se violations of Section 1 of the Sherman Act;
2) that Facet unreasonably restrained trade, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act under the Rule of Réason;
3) that Facet violated the Robinson-Pat-man Act by offering discriminatory prices, terms and promotional services to its franchisees in order to give them a competitive advantage;
4) that Facet intentionally interfered with MPW’s contract rights and its ability to serve its customers, which constituted intentional infliction of economic harm; and
5) that Facet breached its contract with MPW with respect to provision of sales help, merchandise returns, change-over assistance, payment terms, catalogs and cooperative advertising.
The trial court directed a verdict against MPW on the first four claims. The standard of review in assessing whether a verdict should have been directed is the same standard applied by the trial court in passing on a motion for directed verdict initially, i.e., whether the evidence is sufficient to create an issue for the jury. Swearngin v. Sears Roebuck & Co., 376 F.2d 637, 639 (10th Cir.1967). The trial court may direct a verdict only where the evidence and all inferences to be drawn therefrom are so clear that reasonable minds could not differ on the conclusion. Taylor v. Gilmartin, 686 F.2d 1346 (10th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1147, 103 S.Ct. 788, 74 L.Ed.2d 994 (1983). The evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party against whom the directed verdict is sought, and if, on the basis of the evidence and inferences to be drawn therefrom, reasonable and fair-minded persons might form different conclusions as to the facts in issue, a directed verdict is improper. Zelinger v. Uvalde Rock Asphalt Co., 316 F.2d 47 (10th Cir.1963). Stated another way, “a directed verdict is justified ‘only if the proof is all one way or so overwhelmingly preponderant in favor of the movant as to permit no other rational conclusion.’ ” Kiner v. Northcut, 424 F.2d 222, 223 (10th Cir.1970) (quoting Fischer Construction Co. v. Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., 420 F.2d 271, 275 (10th Cir.1969)).
With the foregoing principles in mind, we have thoroughly reviewed the record in this case, which comprises 29 volumes. The trial transcript alone spans 16 volumes and more than 1300 pages, supplemented by more than 850 pages of designated pleadings, in excess of 100 trial exhibits, and 3 volumes of post-trial hearing transcripts. Having reviewed these materials in the required manner, we conclude that the trial court’s rulings with respect to the Wagon Master claims must be affirmed in part and reversed in part. We will discuss each of the claims in turn.
A. Sherman Act Claims
The trial court concluded that Facet’s management independently undertook to change its method of distribution and that Facet’s principal motive in so doing was to improve its profit position. In the trial court’s view, “[i]n our private enterprise system... Facet had this fundamental right so long as it was not motivated by anticompetitive purposes.” Rec., Yol. XII at 18. Although the trial court felt there might well be some breach of contract matters and breach of business ethics arising from the Wagon Master undertaking, it concluded that there was no evidence to support MPW’s claims of price fixing, boycott or restraint of trade. Id. at 18-19. In its order denying MPW’s motion for judgment n.o.v. or a new trial, the trial court further observed that “MPW has at no time demonstrated injury to competition generally.” Rec., Vol. II at 827. With respect to the alleged price fixing, the court concluded from the evidence presented that “[although] Facet and its prospective Wagon Master franchisees discussed necessary percentage markup,... the franchisee was free to and did set his own prices.” Id.
Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act prohibits “[e]very contract, combination... or conspiracy, in restraint of trade.” 15 U.S.C. § 1. “Although this prohibition is literally all-encompassing, the courts have construed it as precluding only those contracts or combinations which ‘unreasonably’ restrain competition.” Northern Pacific Railway Co. v. United States, 356 U.S. 1, 5, 78 S.Ct. 514, 518, 2 L.Ed.2d 545 (1958) (citing Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, 221 U.S. 1, 31 S.Ct. 502, 55 L.Ed. 619 (1910)). The courts have deemed certain practices to be per se unreasonable, because of their pernicious effect on competition and lack of any redeeming virtue. Among the practices conclusively presumed to unreasonably restrain competition are price fixing, United States v. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., 310 U.S. 150, 210, 60 S.Ct. 811, 838, 84 L.Ed. 1129 (1940), and group boycotts, Fashion Originators’ Guild v. Federal Trade Commission, 312 U.S. 457, 61 S.Ct. 703, 85 L.Ed. 949 (1941). Where such practices are established by the evidence, they are considered per se violations of the Sherman Act “without elaborate inquiry as to the precise harm they have caused” to competition. Northern Pacific Railway, 356 U.S. at 5, 78 S.Ct. at 518.
With respect to the combination or conspiracy requirement of § 1, it is well established that “solely unilateral conduct, regardless of its anti-competitive effects, is not prohibited.” Contractor Utility Sales v. Certainteed Products, 638 F.2d 1061, 1074 (7th Cir.1981). A company’s unilateral decision to change its distribution system is not, by itself, prohibited by the Sherman Act. Fuchs Sugars & Syrups, Inc. v. Amstar Corp., 602 F.2d 1025,1030 (2d Cir.) cert. denied, 444 U.S. 917, 100 S.Ct. 232, 62 L.Ed.2d 172 (1979). Indeed, a company may contract with a new distributor and as a consequence terminate its relationship with a former distributor without running afoul of the Sherman Act, even if the effect of the new contract is to seriously damage the former distributor’s business. Dart Industries, Inc. v. Plunkett Co. of Oklahoma, 704 F.2d 496 (10th Cir.1983); Burdett Sound, Inc. v. Altec Corp., 515 F.2d 1245 (5th Cir.1975). And see Craig v. Sun Oil Co. of Pennsylvania, 515 F.2d 221 (10th Cir.1975), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 829, 97 S.Ct. 88, 50 L.Ed.2d 92 (1976) (conspiracy resulting merely in substitution of one distributor for another does not violate § 1, nor is an increase in the number of distributors actionable under that section).
In the case at bar, Facet argues— and the trial court apparently agreed—that it acted unilaterally in adopting the Wagon Master franchise program and that there was no evidence of conspiracy between it and the prospective franchisees. Facet points to the fact that all the prospective franchisees were P & D employees, and to the general rule that a corporation cannot conspire with its own employees. See Holter v. Moore & Co., 702 F.2d 854, 855 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 104 S.Ct. 347, 78 L.Ed.2d 313 (1983). One exception to that general rule, however, is that employees are capable of combining with their corporate employer where they have an “independent personal stake” and thus stand to benefit from conspiring with the corporation to restrain trade. Holter, 702 F.2d at 857, n. 8.
The evidence adduced at trial reflects that Facet’s initial decision to adopt the franchise concept was a unilateral business decision. Facet, acting in its own independent self-interest, saw the franchise concept as a means to cut costs and hopefully remedy P & D’s profit and loss record. Once the general concept had gained corporate approval, however, P & D management personnel met with prospective franchisees on numerous occasions to work out pricing and other details of the franchise program. MPW argues that Facet’s conduct ceased to be unilateral when, in May and June of 1980, the prospective franchisees negotiated with P & D management regarding prices to be charged to them and their WD competitors. One prospective franchisee testified that when he attended the meetings where pricing was discussed, he was acting as an independent businessman, rather than a Facet employee, and was “trying to get the best prices I could for myself and the rest of us in this program.” Rec., Vol. XVIII at 349 (testimony of Billy Lloyd Hammers). Another prospective franchisee testified, “we were concerned... that they [Facet] would start selling the WDs at the same price they were going to sell to us____ And they [Facet] said that this wouldn’t happen.” Rec., Vol. XXII at 941 (testimony of Don Watson). Jack Ladner, sales manager for P & D, admitted that he personally agreed with the prospective franchisees to fix WD prices at then current levels:
Q. And did you agree you would keep on selling the existing warehouse distributors at the prices they were getting?
A. That’s correct.
Q. So you made that agreement with these franchisees...?
A. Yes, sir.
Rec., Vol. XI at 61.
One reasonable inference to be drawn from the foregoing testimony is that the prospective franchisees, acting in their own self-interest as independent businessmen, sought to suppress competition from the WDs by securing Facet’s agreement to charge WDs substantially higher prices than it had agreed to charge the franchisees. “Price is the ‘central nervous system of the economy,’ and an agreement that ‘interfere[s] with the setting of price by free market forces’ is illegal on its face.” National Society of Professional Engineers v. United States, 435 U.S. 679, 692, 98 S.Ct. 1355, 1365, 55 L.Ed.2d 637 (1978) (citations omitted). As noted by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Cernuto, Inc. v. United Cabinet Corp., 595 F.2d 164, 168-69 (3d Cir.1979):
When a manufacturer acts on its own, in pursuing its own market strategy, it is seeking to compete with other manufacturers by imposing what may be defined as reasonable vertical restraints----
However, if the action of a manufacturer or other supplier is taken at the direction of its customer, the restraint becomes primarily horizontal in nature in that one customer is seeking to suppress its competition by utilizing the power of a common supplier. [Emphasis supplied].
If the purpose and effect of the challenged conduct is to restrain price movement and the free play of market forces, it is then illegal per se. As the Supreme Court stated in the celebrated price-fixing case, United States v. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co.:
Any combination which tampers with price structures is engaged in an unlawful activity. Even though the members of the price-fixing group were in no position to control the market, to the extent that they... stabilized prices they would be directly interfering with free play of market forces. 310 U.S. at 221 [60 S.Ct. at 843].
Viewing the record in the light most favorable to MPW, as we must on review of the directed verdict against it, Mackey v. Burke, 751 F.2d 322, 325 (10th Cir.1984), we conclude that there was sufficient evidence from which the jury could have found that the prospective franchisees had an independent personal stake in seeking to stabilize WD prices, and that there was, in fact, agreement between the prospective franchisees and Facet to fix WD prices, thereby creating a horizontal restraint on competition between the WDs and the franchisees. There was likewise sufficient evidence from which the jury could have found that the conduct of the alleged co-conspirators had either the purpose or the effect of unreasonably restraining trade under a rule of reason analysis. It was thus error for the trial court to direct a verdict with respect to MPW’s price-fixing and unreasonable restraint claims, and MPW is entitled to a new trial on those claims.
Facet contends that even if there was evidence to support the price-fixing claim, that MPW has no standing, as a matter of law, to recover for the alleged price fixing. In Facet’s view, because MPW changed suppliers prior to the time the franchise program became operational, and thus never purchased from Facet at the allegedly fixed prices, MPW has no standing to make a price-fixing claim. MPW contends that it has standing by virtue of the fact that it was the target of the alleged price fixing. MPW relies upon the Supreme Court’s discussion of antitrust standing in Blue Shield of Virginia v. McCready, 457 U.S. 465, 102 S.Ct. 2540, 73 L.Ed.2d 149 (1982). In that case, the Court remarked that Section 4 of the Clayton Act — which provides a treble-damages remedy to any person injured in his business or property by reason of anything forbidden by the antitrust laws —“does not confine its protection to consumers, or to purchasers, or to competitors, or to sellers____ The Act is comprehensive in its terms and coverage, protecting all who are made victims of the forbidden practices by whomever they may be perpetrated.” Id. at 472, 102 S.Ct. at 2545.
The trial court never expressly addressed the issue of standing. It appears from the record that Facet raised the standing issue in a motion for partial summary judgment filed several months before trial. Rec., Vol. I at 219. The trial court denied that motion as to the Sherman Act claims. The only grounds specified for the denial were that the court was not satisfied that genuine issues of material fact were not present, and that it was unclear whether MPW could make a prima facie showing on its conspiracy claim. Rec., Vol. II at 490. Because the trial court allowed the Sherman Act claims to proceed to trial on the merits, we assume by implication that the court concluded that there was no want of standing. This assumption is bolstered by the fact that the trial court’s subsequent grant of Facet’s Motion for Directed Verdict makes no mention of the standing issue. Because a copy of Facet’s Motion for Directed Verdict was not included in the designated record on appeal, we have no means to determine whether the standing issue was raised in that motion.
Standing is a question of law for the court to determine. John Lenore & Co. v. Olympia Brewing Co., 550 F.2d 495, 498 (9th Cir.1977). In this circuit, standing in antitrust eases is measured by the following two-prong test, set forth in Farnell v. Albuquerque Publishing Co., 589 F.2d 497, 500 (10th Cir.1978):
First, [plaintiff] must allege injury to his “business or property” within the meaning of the Act and, second, he must show proximate causation — that the injury directly resulted from a violation of the antitrust laws.
The causation element was more fully addressed in Reibert v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 471 F.2d 727, 731 (10th Cir.) cert. denied, 411 U.S. 938, 93 S.Ct. 1900, 36 L.Ed.2d 399 (1973), where we observed as follows:
Two elements are necessary to demonstrate proximate cause: (1) there is a causal connection' between an antitrust violation and an injury sufficient to establish the violation as a substantial factor in the occurrence of damage; and (2) that the illegal act is linked to a plaintiff engaged in the activities intended to be protected by the antitrust laws.
The causation question, by its very nature, requires an analysis of the facts.
Appellate courts have, on occasion, considered and decided the issue of standing despite the lower court’s failure to address the issue. See Wright, Miller & Cooper, Federal Practice and Procedure: Jurisdiction 2d § 3531.15 n. 10 and cases cited therein. Where, as in the case at bar, grounds for new trial exist, we deem it more appropriate to have the trial court specifically address the standing issue on remand. The trial court should make specific factual findings to support its legal conclusion on the standing issue, following the guidelines set forth in Farnell and Reibert, supra, and taking into consideration the Supreme Court’s discussion of antitrust standing in Blue Shield, supra.
With respect to MPW’s group boycott claim, we agree with the trial court’s conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to support such a claim. Although it appears from the record that the quality and quantity of P & D services to MPW diminished during the Spring of 1980— when the franchise plan was being formulated and the prospective franchisees were negotiating with P & D and beginning to explore the market for their respective franchises — there is simply no evidence of any refusal to deal. MPW failed to offer any evidence of a cognizable group boycott. We therefore affirm the trial court’s directed verdict on the group boycott claim.
B. Robinson-Patman Act claims
MPW contends that Facet afforded its franchisees discriminatory prices, terms, and services designed to undercut MPW and other WDs, in violation of the Robinson-Patman Act. 15 U.S.C. § 13 (1976). The trial court concluded that “MPW was not a reasonably contemporaneous purchaser with the Wagon Master franchisees such as is required to support a violation of section 2(a) of the Robinson-Patman Act. 15 U.S.C. § 13(a).” Appellee’s Brief, Appendix F at 6. The court stressed that the record was unequivocal as to the fact that MPW unilaterally terminated its relationship with Facet before the Wagon Master program became operational. Id.
Illegal price discrimination under § 2(a) of the Robinson-Patman Act “requires that the same product be sold at different prices to competitors.” Dart Industries, Inc. v. Plunkett Co. of Oklahoma, 704 F.2d 496, 499 (10th Cir.1983). Discrimination in services and allowances under §§ 2(d) and 2(e) of the Act likewise requires that the favored and disfavored customers stand in some competitive relationship with one another. See discussion, infra, at Section II-B. The record is devoid of evidence of any competition between MPW and the Wagon Master franchisees. The trial court concluded, and we agree, that there was no evidence from which the jury could have found MPW to be a reasonably contemporaneous purchaser within the meaning of the statute as construed by the courts. We therefore affirm the directed verdict in Facet’s favor on MPW’s Robinson-Patman Act claims arising from the Wagon Master franchise program.
C. Intentional Infliction of Economic Harm
The trial court also directed a verdict against MPW on its claim of intentional infliction of economic harm, finding that the element of malice had not been established. We construe this claim as a charge of malicious interference with contract or business relationships. Under Oklahoma law, MPW was required to present evidence that Facet maliciously interfered with MPW’s relations with its customers. Mac Adjustment, Inc. v. Property Loss Research Bureau, 595 P.2d 427 (Okla.1979). Malice is defined as the intentional performance of a wrongful act without justification or excuse. Bennett v. City National Bank & Trust Co., 549 P.2d 393, 397 (Okla.1975); Schonwald v. Ragains, 32 Okla. 22, 122 P. 203 (1912).
Having reviewed the record in the light most favorable to MPW, we find no evidence from which the jury could have concluded that Facet acted with malice in its dealings with MPW or intentionally interfered with MPW’s relations with its customers. We therefore affirm the trial court’s grant of a directed verdict as to the malicious interference claim.
D. Breach of Contract
Prior to trial, the district court granted summary judgment to Facet on its complaint for monies due from MPW on an open account, leaving for trial MPW’s counterclaim for breach of contract. MPW sought damages for Facet’s alleged failure to make appropriate credits to MPW’s account, and to pay sums MPW claimed it was owed on termination of the contract between the two companies. The jury found in Facet’s favor on MPW’s breach of contract counterclaim.
On appeal, MPW contends that it is entitled to a new trial on its breach of contract counterclaim. As grounds for a new trial, MPW asserts 1) that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to Facet on its open account claim before trial of MPW’s counterclaim, which MPW viewed as asserting setoffs against any amount owing to Facet; 2) that false testimony was presented on a material issue at trial to MPW’s prejudice; and 3) that the trial court erroneously permitted the question of notice of breach to go to the jury.
We find no error in the trial court's grant of summary judgment to Facet on its complaint. MPW’s counterclaim was wholly unrelated to the goods which were the subject of Facet’s open account claim. It was undisputed that MPW accepted the subject goods when tendered, never revoked its acceptance of the same, and never notified Facet of any defect in the goods. We agree with the following analysis of the issue by the trial court:
It seems self-evident where a seller asserts a claim for an amount owing on an open account, and the buyer admits accepting the goods and does not dispute the amount it was billed for the purchase of the goods, and further, the buyer retains possession of the goods, there is no impediment to a grant of summary judgment in favor of the seller for the contract price of the goods. Such a grant of summary relief in no way prejudices the ability of the counterclaiming buyer to demonstrate and recover damages alleged to have resulted from the seller’s breaches of contract unrelated to the goods themselves.
Brief of Appellee, Appendix A at 6-7.
MPW next asserts that Harry Hickey, controller for the P & D Automotive Division of Facet, falsely testified that MPW had been credited for several of its claims for defective merchandise. Specifically, Mr. Hickey testified that the credit claims represented by Plaintiff’s Exhibits [“PX”] 103, 106 and 107 had been honored. Ree., Vol. XXV at 38-39. In so testifying, Mr. Hickey was relying upon documentation compiled as Defendant’s Exhibit [“DX”] 26. By comparing the MPW credit requests represented by PX 103, 106 and 107 with the P & D credit memos and corresponding MPW credit requests contained in DX 26, it appears that none of the credit requests in PX 103, 106 and 107 were, in fact, honored. Rather, those three credit requests appear to have been intermingled in DX 26 with other credit requests that were properly honored.
The trial court concluded that Mr. Hickey’s credibility and the assessment of his testimony were properly issues for the jury. We agree. In order for a new trial to be granted on the ground that a witness willfully testified falsely to a material fact, the perjury must be clearly established. Hunter v. Thomas, 173 F.2d 810, 812 (10th Cir.1949). MPW simply fails to meet this burden. Although it is clear from an examination of DX 26 that the credit requests represented by PX 103, 106 and 107 were not honored, contrary to Mr. Hickey’s testimony, it does not necessarily follow that Mr. Hickey’s testimony in that regard was willfully false. Indeed, it is possible that Mr. Hickey was simply mistaken and that PX 103, 106 and 107 were inadvertently intermingled with credit requests that had, in fact, been honored. Where the court is left to speculate as to whether erroneous testimony was inadvertent or intentional, perjury has not been clearly established.
MPW also complains that the documentation upon which Mr.- Hickey based his testimony was not provided to it prior to trial, despite repeated requests therefor during pre-trial discovery. When Facet offered DX 26 into evidence, MPW asked for a moment to review the exhibit and indicated to the court that the documents had not been disclosed to it prior to trial. Ree., Vol. XXV at 6-7. The trial court allowed MPW to examine the exhibit, whereupon MPW proceeded to cross-examine Mr. Hickey. When the trial court subsequently asked if MPW had any objection to admission of DX 26, MPW replied in the negative. Id. at 32. MPW now argues that Harry Hickey’s testimony in connection with DX 26 created a “trial by ambush,” inasmuch as Facet had never before raised the affirmative defense of payment. By acquiescing in the admission of DX 26 and by failing to object on the record to Mr. Hickey’s testimony concerning alleged payment of the credit requests in question, MPW waived its right to raise those issues on appeal.
MPW also contends that the trial court erred in permitting the question of notice of breach to go to the jury. The contract provisions allegedly breached concerned credit for returned merchandise (110); credit for defective merchandise (1111); wholesaler changeover costs (1112); and return of inventory on contract cancellation (1119). PX 1. MPW also sought damages for nonpayment of cooperative advertising monies it claimed it was due. PX 111.
Paragraph 10 of the contract between Facet and MPW governed return privileges and required MPW to “write [Facet] for permission to return [any obsolete, surplus, or slow-moving inventory], which will be promptly granted.” PX 1 at 2. We cannot determine from the record whether MPW sent the requisite written request to Facet to support its claim for returned merchandise credit under this provision of the contract. If MPW did, in fact, send the requisite written request, Facet received sufficient notice of the claim as a matter of law, and there was no notice question for the jury to consider with respect to that claim.
Paragraph 11 of the contract governed defective merchandise returns, and provided as follows:
Since the WD and its wholesaler customers have no means to determine the propriety of claimed defective items by the wholesalers trade, such items may be returned to the manufacturer by collect transportation expense for merchandise credit at prices in effect at time of return; or, such items will be inspected and destroyed at the WD’s warehouse by the representative of [Facet] and [Facet] will render the merchandise credit at prices in effect at time the material is destroyed.
PX 1 at 2 (emphasis supplied). MPW’s defective merchandise claims were represented at trial by MPW credit requests, designated as PX 93-110. Harry Hickey, Facet’s sole witness on the breach of contract claim, testified that Facet had.not credited MPW’s account for the credit requests set forth in PX 93-102, 104-105, and 108-110 because the necessary documentation to support those requests had never been received. Rec., Vol. XXV at 37-38. Virtually all of those credit requests were, in fact, signed by a Facet representative.
MPW argues that Facet received sufficient notice of its defective merchandise claims, as a matter of law, when MPW tendered the merchandise in question to Facet representatives at

Question: Did the court's rulings on pre-trial procedure favor the appellant? This includes whether or not there is a right to jury trial, whether the case should be certified as a class action, or whether a prospective party has a right to intervene in the case, but does not include rulings on motions for summary judgment.
A. No
B. Yes
C. Mixed answer
D. Issue not discussed
Answer:

Answer: B