Opinion ID: 2427974
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the nature of lost profits evidence

Text: Recovery of lost profits is allowed where a business relationship is established on the strength of a contract but is adversely effected by a contracting party's misconduct under the contract. See Pace Corp. v. Jackson, 155 Tex. 179, 284 S.W.2d 340, 348 (1955). We have held that recovery for lost profits does not require that the loss be susceptible of exact calculation. Holt Atherton, 835 S.W.2d at 84. In fact, [i]n their nature, profits are more or less conjectural or speculative. Pace Corp., 284 S.W.2d at 348. Nevertheless, a party must prove lost profits by some competent evidence with reasonable certainty. Holt Atherton, 835 S.W.2d at 84; Southwest Battery, 115 S.W.2d at 1098. To withstand no evidence review, [a]t a minimum, opinions or estimates of lost profits must be based on objective facts, figures, or data ... [and] [r]ecovery of lost profits must be predicated on one complete calculation. See Szczepanik v. First S. Trust Co., 883 S.W.2d 648, 649 (Tex.1994). Before today, this Court had held that [i]t is impossible to announce with exact certainty any rule measuring a party's lost profits. Southwest Battery, 115 S.W.2d at 1099. In fact, until today, this Court hastened to sanction any one method for determining lost profits. Holt Atherton, 835 S.W.2d at 85. Nevertheless, today the Court conducts an improper factual sufficiency review of Presidio's lost profits evidence by weighing Presidio's testimony against what the Court calls the proper calculation of lost profits. 960 S.W.2d at 50 (emphasis added). I would affirm the jury's verdict because Presidio presented some evidence, by providing an objective and complete calculation, to support its loss with reasonable certainty. Holt Atherton, 835 S.W.2d at 84-85. II. PRESIDIO'S LOST PROFITS EVIDENCE