A Slice of Paradise

Carlsmith Ball secured a victory for Hana Ranch Partners (HRP) when it became embroiled in a dispute over the sale of more than 3,000 acres of the entity’s ranch land.

During a contested evidentiary hearing, Carlsmith discovered a key document not disclosed by the plaintiff’s counsel, which rendered all of the hearing issues frivolous. The injunctive relief portion of the case was deemed moot, and most issues in dispute were eliminated.

Recently, the firm obtained an order striking the plaintiff’s expert witnesses, resulting in the plaintiff’s admitted inability to prove its case-in-chief. The ruling was followed by Carlsmith successfully obtaining full summary judgment on all of the plaintiff’s claims based on the prior rulings in the case, the legal issues set forth in the Operating Agreement and Hawaii law, and reliance on the business judgment rule.