Clients and Successes

Construction Litigation: Successful Defense. Successfully defended general contractor and property owner against four frivolous, inflated, and coordinated mechanic’s liens that would have required a $500k+ bond to discharge before owner could sell property. Resolved in less than 60 days after several forced depositions and frivolous litigation threats.

Property Rights: ~$500k Settlement. On the day of trial and after judgment was entered against one defendant (of three), secured settlement by other two defendants to pay ~$500k in slander of title, tortious interference of property rights, and trespass case. The settlement amount was more than double the actual damages and attorney’s fees combined.

Breach of Fiduciary Duty: Reduced Buyout by $500k: Successfully forced a 25% partner out of a business after suing to remove it as Manager, mismanagement, breach of fiduciary duty, and other claims, resulting in a buyout of that partner for $500k less than market value.

Industrial Trade Group v. PCP Group, et al.
DeKalb County – Poole Huffman guided our client through the pre-trial process and tried the case to a $477,000 jury verdict for our clients for breach of a management agreement and lease, and defeated a $3,000,000 counterclaim.

Malicious Prosecution: $400k+ Verdict. After an 8-day trial, the jury returned a verdict in excess of $400k for malicious prosecution and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. The award included a full award of attorney fees. The defendants included a Fulton County Commissioner which was found liable for his role in the arrest and prosecution of Mr. Huffman’s clients.

Fraud: $300k+ Verdict. Obtained jury verdict in excess of $300k on behalf of two clients against con-artist who defrauded them out of $90k. Verdict included $100k in punitive damages and a full award of attorney’s fees. Apology obtained during cross-examination. This verdict was a Top-50 Verdict in Georgia that year.

Wrongful Foreclosure: ~$200k Loan Forgiveness: Achieved complete forgiveness on a 1st and 2nd mortgage owed to a national mortgage company resulting in an ~$200k forgiveness and a free and clear house to the borrower. This settlement was achieved after vigorously prosecuting a discovery dispute to an attorney’s fee award.

Negligence/Fraud: $125k Settlement. After two days at trial and before closing arguments, obtained a settlement of $125k on behalf of student who sued Georgia College and State University for fraud and negligence for not being accredited in the program the student was seeking. Settlement well exceeded all attorney’s fees and special (monetary) damages. The case and successful resolution made the local TV. Apology obtained during cross-examination of College’s main witness.

Commercial Eviction / Breach of Fiduciary Duty: $100k+ Settlement: Achieved six figure settlement against a tenant after aggressively pursuing the business and filing suit against the partners individually (who did not have a personal guaranty) for breach of fiduciary duty for plundering the business of its assets.

Breach of Fiduciary Duty: ~$100k Verdict. Secured a jury verdict of nearly $100k on behalf of homeowners against their HOA for abusive behavior and breach of fiduciary duty. Verdict included an award of attorney’s fees.

Shaan Hospitality v. Wynn
Cherokee County – In this collection matter, a commercial landlord contacted Poole Huffman nearly five-and-a-half years after a tenant defaulted and moved out. We investigated the guarantors on the lease and discovered assets. Long after the client wrote off the debt, Poole Huffman settled the case for almost $100,000.

Business Partnership Dispute: Successful Receivership & Return of Retirement Savings: Successfully represented a business partner, who invested virtually her entire retirement savings in a business, in obtaining a receivership appointed over corporate assets, injunctive relief, and ultimately, a favorable resolution, which returned almost all her retirement savings to her.

Negligent Construction: Full Damages: After a bench trial, obtained plaintiff’s verdict for full damages in negligent construction case involving a faulty roof installation for full damages.

Business Dispute: Complete Dismissal of Claims: Due to aggressive defense in business partnership dispute with allegations of fraud, racketeering and other claims, received a complete dismissal with prejudice of all claims against my client.

Construction: Defense Judgment. Successfully defended a contractor in a negligent construction case involving alleged wrongful permitting and damages resulting from faulty work. Instead, obtained a judgment on contractor’s counterclaims and successfully collected it.

Property Rights: Obtained injunctive relief (an order halting foreclosure) in a wrongful foreclosure case involving two commercial properties and four residential properties. Thereafter, quickly settled for five figures in damages.

Property Rights: Complete Relief: Successfully obtained summary judgment and declaratory judgment in favor of client in dispute with neighbors over ingress/egress rights, easement issues, and land ownership issues. Client received 100% of what was requested including a permanent injunction against the neighbors’ interference.

Property Rights: Successfully obtained summary judgment and declaratory judgment in favor of client in dispute with neighbor over rights to use and ownership of a private landing strip. After noticed for trial, obtained favorable resolution with Defendants.

“Todd took over the case within weeks of trial, and crafted a trial strategy and crystal-clear message that impressed our jury. Todd skillfully presented our case and masterfully cross-examined opposing witnesses. By the time of trial, Todd understood the facts, contracts and legal theories better than anyone involved in the case, and over the one-week trial, presented it in a way the jury could understand.” – Dick W.