Greenberg Traurig Wins Critical Dismissal of Fraud Charges in
Seattle Vagabond Motel Case
SEATTLE, WA -- July 20, 2006 -- Greenberg Traurig LLP litigators
won a stunning victory in a fraud and breach of contract claim brought
by Choice Investment, LLC, in King County Superior Court, Washington
State against RPD Vagabond Associates A, LCC (“RPD”). Led by
Eric V. Rowen,
chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Western Region Real Estate Litigation
Group, the trial team secured summary judgment on all claims against
RPD, resulting in a dismissal of the plaintiff’s case with prejudice
immediately prior to the commencement of trial.
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Eric Rowen |
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The plaintiff’s claim centered on the sale of the Seattle Vagabond
Inn which was one in a portfolio of Vagabond motels purchased by
RPD and subsequently sold off on a property-by-property basis. Even
though Choice Investment acquired the inn “as-is,” knowing it was
contaminated, the company nonetheless sued for fraud, alleging that
RPD had misrepresented the environmental insurer’s willingness to
clean up the property post closing. Judge Theresa Doyle put an end
to years of needless litigation in both Los Angeles and Seattle,
by ruling that the legal cause of the plaintiff’s claim lay with
the insurer, not RPD, and even ordered the plaintiff to pay RPD’s
attorney’s fees.
“Eric and his team did an outstanding job presenting the facts
so that the judge could clearly see that there was never any wrongdoing
by RPD, and that RPD was at all times completely up front in its
dealings with Choice Investment,” said Dan Soussan, RPD’s Chief
Financial Officer. “This decision was a complete vindication of
the false allegations against RPD.”
Other members of the trial team working with Rowen included
John Lucas and
Eric Fisher, both
associates in the growing litigation group in Los Angeles, which
is now 30-strong.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with 1,500
attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The
firm is ranked seventh on The American Lawyer's Am Law 100 listing of the
largest law firms in the U.S., based on number of lawyers.
Greenberg Traurig serves clients from offices in: Albany, NY; Amsterdam, The
Netherlands; Atlanta, GA; Boca Raton, FL; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver,
CO; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL;
Morristown, NJ; New York, NY; Orange County, CA; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA;
Phoenix, AZ; Sacramento, CA; Silicon Valley, CA; Tallahassee, FL; Tokyo, Japan;
Tysons Corner, VA; Washington, D.C.; West Palm Beach, FL; Wilmington, DE; and Zurich,
Switzerland. Additionally, the firm has strategic alliances with the following independent
law firms: Olswang, London and Brussels; Studio Santa Maria, Milan and Rome; and
Hayabusa Kokusai Law Offices in Tokyo.
For additional information, please visit the firm's Web site at
www.gtlaw.com.
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