Kinman & Curry Prevail in Wrongful Termination Lawsuit In Paso Robles
PASO ROBLES, Calif., May 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinman & Curry, a leading local law firm specializing in business and employment law since 1993, represented Mark Kenyon, who was recently awarded $500,671 by a Paso Robles jury for wrongful termination by his former employer Applied Technologies Associates Inc., (ATA). Kenyon was a vice president with 28 years of experience at the time of his termination. ATA is one of Paso Robles' largest business conglomerates with more than 1,400 employees world-wide.
Background of the case is as follows:
Kenyon's work record was exemplary, having received consistent raises and numerous performance bonuses throughout his employment with ATA. His company personnel record was unblemished, with no previous written complaints. For many years he reported directly to the company's founder and president, Donald Van Steenwyk, who died in 2009. Upon Mr. Van Steenwyk's death, his wife Elizabeth inherited the company, whose holdings include ATA, Scientific Drilling in Houston, TX., numerous commercial properties and a winery, Adelaida Cellars. Lacking management experience, Mrs. Van Steenwyk was forced to rely upon new and unproven corporate officers, none of whom had ever served her late husband.
A probationary employee filed a meritless claim of hostile supervision against Kenyon with the new management. Unbeknownst to Kenyon, corporate counsel Dan Carter launched a one-sided investigation and interviewed numerous employees who were given carte blanche to revive old, baseless personal grievances regarding Kenyon. Kenyon was kept completely in the dark and never allowed to know of the complaints or to respond. His only notice of the entire process occurred at a 10-minute meeting with Carter at a local Starbucks coffee shop. There Carter gave Kenyon an employee warning notice. However, the next day he was suspended before returning to work and shortly thereafter fired without ever being given the opportunity to learn of the charges or to respond. Absent a lawsuit, Kenyon would never have heard of the accusations leveled against him.
The jury trial lasted three weeks. The jury rejected ATA's defense that Kenyon was properly and lawfully terminated. All 12 jurors agreed to the amount of damages. The verdict is one of, if not, the largest wrongful termination awards in San Luis Obispo County history. Kenyon was ably represented by trial attorney Barry Kinman. ATA was represented by Mollie Burks-Thomas of the Los Angeles firm of Gordon & Rees.
About Kinman & Curry
For 20 years Kinman & Curry has been serving clients throughout California with quality legal services. Area of expertise include business litigation and employment law, real estate, wine industry, insurance and construction. Transactional law includes corporation and LLC formations, wills, trusts and estate planning. Kinman & Curry is unique in that every client and case is directly attended to by the founding partners, Barry Kinman and Marilyn Curry. Personal service and zealous representation set the firm apart. For more information call 805-238-1405.
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SOURCE Kinman & Curry
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