Hiller v. Manufacturers Product Research Group of North America, Inc. , 59 F.3d 1514 ( 1995 )

United States Court of Appeals,
Fifth Circuit.
No. 93-8421.
Sam B. HILLER, et al., Plaintiffs,
Federal Signal Corp., Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
MANUFACTURERS PRODUCT RESEARCH GROUP OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.,
Intervenor-Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
DURAVISION, INC., et al., Defendants,
Duravision, Inc., Defendant-Appellee.
DURAVISION, INC., et al., Plaintiffs,
Duravision, Inc., Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
FEDERAL SIGNAL CORP., Defendant-Appellant.
Aug. 4, 1995.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western
District of Texas.
Before GARWOOD and EMILIO M. GARZA, Circuit Judges, and HEAD,
District Judge.*
EMILIO M. GARZA, Circuit Judge:
Federal Signal Corporation ("Federal") appeals from a judgment
entered against it after trial before a jury. After finding
Federal liable for fraud and violations of the Texas Deceptive
Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act ("DTPA"), Tex.Bus. &
Com.Code Ann. §§ 17.41-17.63 (Vernon 1987), the jury awarded
*
District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, sitting
by designation.
1
Duravision, Inc. ("Duravision") and Manufacturers Product Research
Group of North America, Inc. ("MPR") compensatory damages for lost
profits, and punitive damages. Federal appeals this damage award,
and we vacate and remand.1
I
In 1987 Marc Johnson was hired by an advertising company
called Rollavision, U.S.A., Inc., which was in the business of
selling ads displayed on large video units in grocery stores,
banks, airports, and other public places frequented by consumers.
Film inside each machine rotated periodically, displaying in
succession as many as twenty-five to thirty advertisements.
Johnson worked as an ad salesman for Rollavision from October 1987
to December 1987, and his exposure to Rollavision influenced him to
start a business of his own, selling ads for machines like the ones
used by Rollavision.
After leaving Rollavision, Johnson met with representatives of
Federal, and informed them that he wanted to develop a display
machine, for placement in public establishments, which would handle
multiple ads and display them frequently during the day. Federal
represented to Johnson that it was well-equipped to design and
manufacture a device which would meet his needs. Johnson
1
The opinion of the Court consists of the following: parts
I, II.A.1, II.A.3, II.B, and II.C, and part II.A.2 to the extent
that it holds that the evidence did not establish certain
categories of lost profits with reasonable certainty. The
remainder of part II.A.2 constitutes my concurrence in part and
dissent in part to the decision of the Court, see Garwood, J.,
concurring in part and dissenting in part, infra, to remand for
retrial of all damages.
2
incorporated Duravision, Inc., and ten days later Duravision and
Federal agreed that Federal would construct twenty display machines
capable of housing from eight to forty transparency frames, and
Duravision would buy the units for $3,100 each. An addendum to
that agreement, executed several months later, provided that
Federal would not sell a Duravision display machine to anyone other
than Duravision, as long as Duravision purchased at least 100 signs
every twelve months.
Duravision then began marketing the machines, assigning to MPR
the exclusive right to buy Duravision displays from Federal for
export to Mexico and to all of South America except Colombia. In
return Duravision was to receive one-half of MPR's profits on the
resale of the machines, as well as one-half of any license fees
received by MPR. A Mexican firm, Servicios Tecnicos Orientados al
Commercio ("STOC"),2 agreed to purchase Duravision machines from
MPR, and to pay MPR a franchise fee, as well as a licensing fee for
each machine it bought. Gran Bazar—a major retailer in Mexico
City—agreed to lease a number of Duravision units from STOC for
installation in its stores. Ricardo Guerra purchased from MPR the
exclusive right to market the Duravision concept in South America,
Central America, and the Caribbean, except for Colombia, agreeing
to buy Duravision machines from MPR and to pay MPR a franchise fee,
as well as a licensing fee for each machine purchased. Duravision
also granted a franchise to an Arkansas firm known as Duravision of
2
STOC was run by Alfonso Moran and Alejandro Amescua.
Amescua is a cousin of Rodolfo Velasco, the president of MPR.
3
America, Inc. ("the Arkansas franchisee"), agreeing to sell
Duravision machines to the Arkansas franchisee at cost plus $1000,
in return for a 6% royalty on any revenues the franchisee might
earn.
These arrangements all came to nought, however, when it became
apparent that Federal was unable to produce a working Duravision
machine as promised. Despite continual reassurances of the
impending completion of the project and the quality of the
machines, Federal never delivered a working Duravision sign. As a
result, all prospects for the distribution of the Duravision
displays were lost.
This litigation ensued, with Duravision and MPR asserting
claims for fraud and violations of the Texas DTPA. The case was
tried before a jury, which found Federal liable and awarded
Duravision and MPR compensatory damages for lost profits in the
amounts of $3,995,000, and $4,750,000 respectively. The jury also
awarded punitive damages of $4,500,000 each to Duravision and MPR.
The magistrate judge entered judgment on the jury verdict and
awarded Duravision and MPR prejudgment interest.3
Federal appeals, contending that (a) the jury's findings of
lost profits must be set aside, and the corresponding damage award
reversed, because MPR's and Duravision's recovery of lost profits
is precluded by Texas law, and because the lost profits were not
proved with reasonable certainty; (b) it is entitled to a new
3
The parties consented to have the case tried before a
United States Magistrate Judge.
4
trial because the district court committed reversible error by
excluding from evidence Plaintiff's Exhibits 51 and 51a; (c) the
award of punitive damages must be set aside, because there was
neither evidence nor a jury finding that Duravision or MPR was
injured in tort; and (d) the magistrate judge's award of
prejudgment interest must be set aside.
II
A
Federal contends that the jury's finding of Duravision's and
MPR's lost profits must be set aside, and the damage award for
those lost profits must be reversed, because (1) Texas law does not
permit unestablished or unprofitable businesses, such as Duravision
and MPR, to recover damages for lost profits; (2) Duravision and
MPR failed to prove lost profits with reasonable certainty; and
(3) the statute of frauds prevents Duravision and MPR from
recovering profits.
1
a
Before we address Federal's first argument, we clarify
whether Duravision and MPR can recover any lost profits under Texas
law. Texas common law traditionally awarded only out-of-pocket
costs in fraud cases. Morriss-Buick v. Pondrom, 131 Tex. 98, 113
S.W.2d 889 (1938); see also Camp v. Ruffin, 30 F.3d 37 (5th
Cir.1994) (rejecting benefit-of-the-bargain damages in common-law
fraud action). That measure, however, is no longer exclusive.
With the enactment of the DTPA, Texas expanded the allowable
5
methods by which damages in a fraud case can be measured, and
today, Texas common law allows "either the "out-of-pocket' or the
"benefit of the bargain' damages, whichever is greater." W.O.
Bankston Nissan, Inc. v. Walters, 754 S.W.2d 127, 128 (Tex.1988).4
Fraud victims are "also entitled to recover for pecuniary loss
suffered otherwise as a consequence of [their] reliance upon the
misrepresentation." Texas Commerce Bank Reagan v. Lebco
Constructors, Inc., 865 S.W.2d 68, 73 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi
1993, writ denied).5 Where properly proven, that is, not
speculative, these special damages can include lost profits.6
Consequently, Texas law does allow the recovery of lost profits in
DTPA cases, and Duravision and MPR are not precluded per se from
proving and recovering lost profits.
4
See also Leyendecker & Assocs., Inc. v. Wechter, 683 S.W.2d
369 (Tex.1984) (acknowledging that Texas common law allows "out
of pocket' damages, but also stating that Texas law also allows
"benefit of the bargain' damages under the DTPA); Streller v.
Hecht, 859 S.W.2d 114, 116 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1993,
writ denied) ("Our common law allows recovery of either the
benefit of the bargain measure of damages or out of pocket losses
in fraud claims."); Hedley Feedlot, Inc. v. Weatherly Trust, 855
S.W.2d 826, 840 (Tex.App.—Amarillo 1993, writ denied) (same as
Streller ).
5
See also Airborne Freight Corp. v. C.R. Lee Enters., Inc.,
847 S.W.2d 289, 295 (Tex.App.—El Paso 1992, writ denied) ("[T]he
plaintiff is entitled to recover "special' or "consequential'
damages shown to be the proximate result of the
misrepresentation.").
6
See White v. Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 651 S.W.2d 260,
262 (Tex.1983) (allowing recovery of lost profits in DTPA case);
Trenholm v. Ratcliff, 646 S.W.2d 927, 933 (Tex.1983) (allowing
recovery for lost profits in fraud action); Lebco, 865 S.W.2d at
74 (allowing contractor to recover lost compensation and lost
profits when property owner with whom he had contracted induced
him to begin construction by fraudulently misrepresenting the
status of the development loan).
6
b
Federal first argues that "as a matter of law" neither
Duravision nor MPR may recover damages for lost profits, because
neither company was an established, profitable business at the time
of the transactions in question. Federal points out that
Duravision was incorporated less than one month before it entered
into the Display Sales Agreement, and has never made a profit; and
that MPR has never made a profit, although it had been in business
for several years when the transactions at issue here occurred.7
Federal argues that "under Texas law, an unestablished business is
not entitled to recover lost profits."8
A number of decisions of this Court and the Texas courts
indicate that businesses lacking a history of profitability may not
recover lost profits under Texas law. However, in light of the
most recent decisions on this subject, we conclude that this Texas
rule is not an absolute one. Under Texas law a business's failure
to demonstrate a history of profitability should be considered, but
is not independently dispositive, in deciding whether lost profits
7
Rodolfo Velasco testified that although MPR "never showed a
profit from 1984 until 1988," during those years "it was break
even." Record on Appeal, vol. 27, at 5.
8
The issue which Federal raises is one of state law, and we
review de novo the district court's resolution of that issue.
See Salve Regina College v. Russell, 499 U.S. 225, 231, 111 S.Ct.
1217, 1225, 113 L.Ed.2d 190 (1991) ("The obligation of
responsible appellate review and the principles of a cooperative
judicial federalism underlying [Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins,
304 U.S. 64, 58 S.Ct. 817, 82 L.Ed. 1188 (1938) ] require that
courts of appeals review the state-law determinations of district
courts de novo."). The parties agree that the issue is governed
by Texas law.
7
may be recovered.
The Supreme Court of Texas recently stated:
[W]here it is shown that a loss of profits is the natural and
probable consequence[ ] of the act or omission complained of,
and their amount is shown with sufficient certainty, there may
be a recovery therefor.... It is not necessary that profits
should be susceptible of exact calculation, it is sufficient
that there be data from which they may be ascertained with a
reasonable degree of certainty and exactness.... "In order
that a recovery may be had on account of loss of profits, the
amount of the loss must be shown by competent evidence with
reasonable certainty."
Texas Instruments, Inc. v. Teletron Energy Mgmt., Inc., 877 S.W.2d
276, 279 (Tex.1994) (quoting Southwest Battery Corp. v. Owen, 131
Tex. 423, 115 S.W.2d 1097, 1098 (1938)). The court also quoted a
passage from Southwest Battery which indicates that new and
unestablished businesses may not recover lost profits: "The rule
denying a recovery ... where the enterprise is new or
unestablished, is still enforced, on the ground that the profits
which might have been made from such business are not susceptible
of being established by proof to that degree of certainty which the
law demands." Id. (quoting Southwest Battery, 115 S.W.2d at 1099).
Several of our decisions indicate that the new and
unestablished business rule is a strict one, always denying
recovery to businesses which have failed to show a history of
profits. See Fiberlok, Inc. v. LMS Enters., Inc., 976 F.2d 958,
962 (5th Cir.1992) (stating that "prospective profits are not
recoverable for a newly established business or for a business that
has operated at a loss" and explaining that "[t]he former has no
track record, and the latter is an established loser"); Golden
Bear Distributing Sys. of Texas, Inc. v. Chase Revel, Inc., 708
8
F.2d 944, 951 (5th Cir.1983) (stating categorically that "Texas law
permits the recovery of the expected profits of a business only if
"there was some data and history of profits from an established
business' " (emphasis added) (quoting Atomic Fuel Extraction Corp.
v. Slick's Estate, 386 S.W.2d 180, 188 (Tex.Civ.App.—San Antonio
1964), writ ref'd n.r.e. per curiam, 403 S.W.2d 784 (Tex.1965)
(explicitly withholding approval of holding that only nominal
damages might be recovered))); Keener v. Sizzler Family Steak
Houses, 597 F.2d 453, 458 (5th Cir.1979) (stating that "[u]nder
Texas law prospective profits are not recoverable for a newly
established business or for a business which has operated at a
loss" (emphasis added)), cited in Golden Bear, 708 F.2d at 951
("accord"); Fredonia Broadcasting Corp., Inc. v. RCA Corp., 481
F.2d 781, 803 (5th Cir.1973) (stating "the well-established rule
that prospective profits from a new enterprise which has no history
of profits are too remote and speculative to be included in
compensatory damages" (quoting Southwest Bank & Trust Co. v.
Executive Sportsman Ass'n, 477 S.W.2d 920, 929 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas
1972, writ ref'd n.r.e.))).
Our statements to that effect were supported by the teaching
of the Texas courts of appeals. Most notably, in Atomic Fuel
Extraction Corp. v. Slick's Estate, the San Antonio Court of Civil
Appeals explained:
Since the decision in Southwest Battery Corporation v.
Owen, Texas has permitted recovery of lost profits to a
business that can prove it is established and making profits
at the time a contract is breached or a tort committed. That
case explains that pre-existing profits, together with other
facts and circumstances, may supply the reasonable certainty
9
required both as to the fact of damages and the amount. The
success of an enterprise, measured in profits, is dependent
upon a multitude of risks, chances and circumstances; and
without some history of profits there is inadequate data upon
which to prove the fact of damages with the certainty
required. A new and unestablished business without a profit
record leaves too much to conjecture and speculation.
Id., 396 S.W.2d at 188 (citation omitted). The court in Atomic
Fuel, citing numerous decisions, observed that "[i]n those Texas
cases which have permitted recovery, there was some data and
history of profits from an established business," and "[i]n sharp
contrast with those precedents are those which have consistently
denied future profits when the business was new and unestablished."
Id. at 188-89, quoted in Fredonia Broadcasting, 481 F.2d at 803.
The court stated that "[p]roof of an operation of a business at a
loss fails to meet the test." Id. at 189; see also First Texas
Sav. Ass'n v. Dicker Ctr., Inc., 631 S.W.2d 179, 187
(Tex.App.—Tyler 1982, no writ); Ganda, Inc. v. All Plastics
Molding, Inc., 521 S.W.2d 940, 943 (Tex.Civ.App.—Waco 1975, writ
ref'd n.r.e.); Executive Sportsman Ass'n, 477 S.W.2d at 929.
However, several recent decisions of Texas courts of appeals
indicate that the absence of a history of profitability is not
dispositive of the issue of recovery of lost profits; rather it is
one consideration, and lost profits may be recovered, even absent
a history of profitability, if other evidence establishes lost
profits with reasonable certainty. The court of appeals stated
that conclusion quite clearly in Orchid Software, Inc. v. Prentice-
Hall, Inc., 804 S.W.2d 208 (Tex.App.—Austin 1991, writ denied).
There the court stated that "more recent cases have held that a new
10
business may use other data besides past profit history to show
anticipated profits to a reasonable certainty," and held "that the
absence of a history of profits does not, by itself, preclude a new
business from recovering lost future profits." Id. at 210-11.9
The court of appeals in Pena v. Ludwig, 766 S.W.2d 298(Tex.App.—Waco 1989, writ requested), stated that although "[l]ost
profits of a new or unestablished business generally cannot be
proved to a reasonable certainty due to the absence of a prior base
period for comparison[,] ... lost profits may be recovered for a
new enterprise, if factual data is otherwise available to furnish
a sound basis for computing probable losses." Id. at 301
(citations omitted). The court explained that "[w]hether the
evidence is sufficient to support a finding of lost profits must be
determined from the facts of each case." Id.
In Frank B. Hall & Co. v. Beach, Inc., 733 S.W.2d 251(Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1987, writ ref'd n.r.e.), the appellant
argued—as does Federal here—that the jury's damage award had to be
reversed because "a "business which operates at a loss ... cannot
recover lost profits.' " Id. at 257. The court of appeals
rejected that argument, noting that "Beach did not contend ...
Hall's conduct caused it to suffer another year of operating at a
loss. Rather, Beach sought to prove that Hall's conduct caused it
to lose specific business from which it would have realized a
9
See also Wissman v. Boucher, 150 Tex. 326, 240 S.W.2d 278,
281 (1951) (stating that "the normal criterion" for recovery of
lost profits is "an established record of profits made prior to
the act which is the basis of damage claim" (emphasis added)).
11
certain profit." Id. The court explained that "[i]t is entirely
possible that a business can make a profit on individual jobs, yet
still end up with a net year-end loss. Furthermore, simply because
a business may have a net loss does not mean that it cannot suffer
further damage at the hands of another." Id. at 258.10
We are not aware of any decision of the Texas Supreme Court
that expressly decides whether the failure to demonstrate a history
of profitability—by itself—bars the recovery of lost profits.
However, the Texas Supreme Court's recent decision in Texas
Instruments, Inc. v. Teletron Energy Management, Inc. is
instructive. There the court stated:
The requirement of "reasonable certainty" in the proof of lost
profits is intended to be flexible enough to accommodate the
myriad circumstances in which claims for lost profits
arise.... "Profits are not always speculative and remote.
Whether in a given case they should be so classified depends
altogether upon the facts and circumstances of that particular
case." ... "What constitutes reasonably certain evidence of
lost profits is a fact intensive determination."11
10
The court of appeals in Hall overturned the jury's damage
award on other grounds. See Hall, 733 S.W.2d at 258-59 (noting
that verdict was based on estimates of lost profits which were
not supported by "objective facts, figures, or data").
11
The court also stated:
This does not mean, however, that the "reasonable
certainty" test lacks clear parameters. Profits which
are largely speculative, as from an activity dependent
on uncertain or changing market conditions, or on
chancy business opportunities, or on promotion of
untested products or entry into unknown or unviable
markets, or on the success of a new and unproven
enterprise, cannot be recovered. Factors like these
and others which make a business venture risky in
prospect preclude recovery of lost profits in
retrospect.
Teletron, 877 S.W.2d at 279 (emphasis added). The Texas
12
Teletron, 877 S.W.2d at 279 (quoting Southwest Battery, 115 S.W.2d
at 1099; Whiteside v. Trentman, 141 Tex. 46, 170 S.W.2d 195, 197
(1943); Holt Atherton Indus., Inc. v. Heine, 835 S.W.2d 80, 84
(Tex.1992)). Furthermore, although emphasizing that the plaintiff
in Teletron had never operated at a profit,12 the Texas Supreme
Court did not end its analysis there. The court also emphasized
that the case before it involved "the proposed sale of a new and
unique product which had never been sold before," and the
production of which appeared not to be feasible.13 Although the
absence of profit history was an important consideration in
Teletron, the court did not list it as a factor which precluded
recovery of lost profits, and stated that "[t]he focus is on the
experience of the persons involved in the enterprise and the nature
of the business activity, and the relevant market." Id. at 280.
Supreme Court's reference to "clear parameters," and
"factors" which "preclude recovery of lost profits," appears
compatible with a strict rule denying recovery whenever a
business fails to prove a history of profits: the court's
list of factors which preclude recovery was not exhaustive,
see id. (referring to "[f]actors like these and others "
(emphasis added)), and the absence of a profit history
arguably could be one such factor. However, the court's
analysis of the evidence in Teletron leads us to conclude
that treating the absence of profit history as one
consideration—but not a dispositive one—is more consistent
with the Texas Supreme Court's view of the reasonable
certainty requirement.
12
See id. at 280 (distinguishing Southwest Battery and Pace
Corp. v. Jackson, 155 Tex. 179, 284 S.W.2d 340 (1955)—two cases
where recovery of lost profits was permitted—based on the fact
that "[t]he businesses in [those] cases actually operated at a
profit," whereas the plaintiff in Teletron "never did").
13
See id. at 281 (pointing out that Pace and Southwest
Battery "involved the sale of established products").
13
We follow the Teletron court's example by declining to treat
the absence of a profit history, on the part of either Duravision
or MPR, as dispositive of the recoverability of lost profits. We
hold that the absence of a history of profitability, like the fact
that a business is new, is "but one consideration."14 Id. Several
of our decisions indicating a contrary result—Golden Bear, Keener,
and Fredonia Broadcasting—preceded the decisions in Teletron,
Orchid Software, Frank B. Hall, and Pena, and therefore do not
reflect the recent trend in Texas law which the latter cases
14
Although the court in Teletron stated that "[t]he rule
denying a recovery ... where the enterprise is new or
unestablished, is still enforced," id., 877 S.W.2d at 279
(quoting Southwest Battery, 115 S.W.2d at 1099), the court also
explained that a new business is not absolutely barred from
recovering lost profits simply because it is new:
The fact that a business is new is but one
consideration in applying the "reasonable certainty"
test. In Southwest Battery the Court endorsed
enforcement of a rule denying recovery of lost profits
"where the enterprise is new or unestablished." But
this rule does not deny recovery by a new business
simply because it is new; it denies recovery "on the
ground that the profits which might have been made from
such businesses are not susceptible of being
established by proof to that degree of certainty which
the law demands." The mere hope for success of an
untried enterprise, even when that hope is realistic,
is not enough for recovery of lost profits. When there
are firmer reasons to expect a business to yield a
profit, the enterprise is not prohibited from
recovering merely because it is new.
Id. at 280. Also, according to Teletron, the new or
unestablished " "enterprise' referred to in Southwest
Battery is not the business entity, but the activity which
is alleged to have been damaged." Id. In light of that
language we reject Federal's argument that Duravision is
barred from recovering lost profits because it was
incorporated only a matter of days before the agreement with
Federal.
14
represent. Because our 1992 decision in Fiberlok is more recent
than Orchid Software, Hall, and Pena, we regard Fiberlok as
declining to adopt the view of Texas law which those cases
represented. However, the Texas Supreme Court's decision in
Teletron implicitly approved the approach which was taken in Orchid
Software, Hall, and Pena. Therefore, to the extent that the view
of Texas law expressed here represents a departure from that in
Fiberlok,15 we believe such a departure is justified by the decision
in Teletron.
2
Deciding whether the evidence is sufficient to prove lost
profits with reasonable certainty requires a detailed discussion of
the facts. "Recovery for lost profits does not require that the
loss be susceptible of exact calculation. However, ... [t]he
amount of the loss must be shown by competent evidence with
reasonable certainty." Holt, 835 S.W.2d at 84 (citations omitted).
"As a minimum, opinions or estimates of lost profits must be based
on objective facts, figures, or data from which the amount of lost
profits can be ascertained." Id. Federal argues that most of the
lost profits awarded by the jury were not proved with reasonable
certainty, but were merely hoped for by Duravision and MPR.
Duravision and MPR respond that they proved lost profits via
15
But see Fiberlok, 976 F.2d at 963 (describing the rule
denying recovery for new and unestablished businesses as "the
general rule," and stating that that rule "does not apply to a
business established on the basis of a contract sufficiently
specific in nature as to allow credible prediction of the amount
of lost profits, particularly if factual data is available to
furnish a sound basis for computing probable loss").
15
specific contracts which would have earned revenues in Mexico,
South America, and Arkansas, but which were cancelled because of
Federal's failure to deliver the Duravision machines.
a
The jury awarded Duravision $3,995,000 in damages—almost
exactly the figure presented by Duravision's expert, Christopher
Pflaum. Pflaum computed Duravision's damages to be $3,994,902,
based on lost profits from sales of display machines, leases of
display machines, sales of advertising, license fees, and franchise
fees, in Mexico, Arkansas, and South America, less operating
expenses. Similarly, the jury awarded MPR almost exactly the
amount of damages testified to by MPR's damages expert, Timothy Ray
Moore. Moore testified that MPR suffered $4,751,530 in damages,
based on lost profits from sales and leases of display machines,
sales of advertising, license fees, and franchise fees in Mexico,
South America, and Arkansas, less operating expenses. The jury
awarded MPR $4,750,000 in damages. Because the amounts of damages
awarded by the jury so closely approximated the amounts testified
to by Pflaum and Moore, we regard the jury's verdict as finding
that the amounts testified to by the experts were correct.
"The standard for appellate review of a jury's verdict is
exacting." Chemical Distrib., Inc. v. Exxon Corp., 1 F.3d 1478,
1483 (5th Cir.1993).
"The verdict must be upheld unless the facts and inferences
point so strongly and overwhelmingly in favor of one party
that reasonable [individuals] could not arrive at any verdict
to the contrary. If there is evidence of such quality and
weight that reasonable and fair minded [individuals] in the
exercise of impartial judgment might reach different
16
conclusions, the jury function may not be invaded."
Id. (quoting Granberry v. O'Barr, 866 F.2d 112, 113 (5th
Cir.1988)). Therefore, we must decide whether a reasonable person
could find that Duravision's and MPR's lost profits were not
speculative, but were proved with reasonable certainty. "[W]e are
bound to view the evidence and all reasonable inferences in the
light most favorable to the jury's determination." Rideau v.
Parkem Indus. Serv., Inc., 917 F.2d 892, 897 (5th Cir.1990). "Even
though we might have reached a different conclusion if we had been
the trier of fact, we are "not free to reweigh the evidence or to
re-evaluate credibility of witnesses.' " Id. (quoting Glass v.
Petro-Tex Chem. Corp., 757 F.2d 1554, 1559 (5th Cir.1985)).
The Duravision concept was marketed in four main areas—in
Mexico, via S.T.O.C.; in Mexico, via an agreement with the Gran
Bazar retail chain;16 in South America, by way of an agreement with
Ricardo Guerra; and in Arkansas, through the Arkansas franchisee,
Duravision of America, Inc. The future profits which Duravision
and MPR would have earned in each of these areas are in dispute,
and we will examine each one separately.
b
Servicios Tecnicos Orientados al Commercio
In the summer of 1988 MPR acquired from Duravision the
exclusive rights (1) to purchase Duravision displays from Federal
for export to Mexico, and (2) to market the machines in Mexico.
16
The Gran Bazar lease agreement was engineered by STOC, but
will be addressed separately from STOC's sales of Duravision
machines.
17
MPR agreed to pay Duravision one half of all licensing fees from
the Duravision concept, as well as one half of all profits from the
sale of Duravision machines.
Shortly thereafter MPR transferred to STOC the exclusive right
to market the Duravision idea in Mexico. Alejandro Amescua and
Alfonso Moran, representing STOC, signed a letter approving the
following conditions of the agreement: (1) STOC would acquire
Duravision machines from MPR at the rate of $3500 per machine; (2)
for each machine imported into Mexico, STOC would pay MPR an annual
license fee of $1000 for the first year, to be negotiable
thereafter but not to be less than $1000; and (3) STOC would buy
a minimum of 100 Duravision machines during a period of 12 months.
See Record on Appeal, Defendant's Exhibit D-129.
Several days later Moran, on behalf of STOC, sent a letter to
MPR agreeing to the following additional terms "as a compl[e]ment"
to the prior agreement: (1) that the cost of the exclusive right
to market the Duravision concept in Mexico would be $175,000; and
(2) that the cost of the license would be $1000 per machine per
year "for the first three years," but would be negotiated for the
subsequent years. See id. Defendant's Exhibit D-130.
On July 30, 1988, Moran wrote Duravision a "formal letter of
intent to buy ... a minimum of eight hundred (800) "Duravision
displays' " that year, "to be delivered in the next six months,"
for $3500 each. See id. Defendant's Exhibit D-140. The terms of
the formal letter of intent were reiterated by a letter from Moran
to Duravision the following month, in which Moran stated: "By
18
accepting these terms you will assure us that nobody will be able
to purchase these Signs from you for the purpose of exporting them
into Mexico." Moran also indicated that in light of STOC's
contacts with public transit authorities in Mexico City, "very
probably the amount of eight hundred displays ordered w[ould] be
increased to around 1,200 displays the first year."17 See id.Defendant's Exhibit D-141.
Based on the foregoing information, Pflaum and Moore
calculated the profits that Duravision and MPR would have earned if
Federal had provided the Duravision display machines that it had
promised. Pflaum prepared a chart, based on projected sales of 800
units,18 which represented that Duravision would have received the
following revenues:
(i) $87,500 Duravision's half of the $175,000 fee to be paid
by STOC to MPR for the exclusive right to market the
Duravision concept in Mexico;
(ii) $1,100,000 Duravision's half of the license fees to be
paid by STOC to MPR each year for a period of three
years, on each machine imported into Mexico by STOC;19
17
See also Defendant's Exhibit D-131 (setting out additional
terms as a "complement" to the MPR-STOC agreement, and stating
that STOC's "needs ... estimated for the first year, could be
approximately ... 800 to 1200 units").
18
Pflaum prepared two charts, one of which was based on
sales of 1200 units, the other on sales of 800 units. The jury's
verdict reflects that the jury did not accept Pflaum's
calculations based on sales of 1200 units.
19
If 800 machines had been sold, and STOC had paid MPR $1000
per machine per year for three years, the total license fee paid
to MPR would have been $2,400,000 (800 machines × $1000 × 3 years
= $2,400,000). Pflaum arrived at a lower amount, $2,200,000, by
allowing for the time required to deliver all of the 800 machines
to Mexico. In late July of 1988 Moran wrote STOC's formal letter
of intent to purchase 800 machines, to be delivered within six
19
(iii) $400,000 Duravision's half of the profits to be received
by MPR on the sale of 800 units to STOC for $3500 each:
Pflaum figured that Federal would sell each unit to MPR
for $2500, and that MPR would therefore earn a profit of
$1000 on each unit, resulting in a total profit on sales
of $800,000.
The total of all of the foregoing is $1,587,500.
Moore's calculation of MPR's lost revenues differed from
Pflaum's calculations in the important respect that Moore based his
numbers on sales of 1200 machines. In other important respects
Moore's calculations mirrored Pflaum's.20 Moore prepared a chart,
based on sales of 1200 units, which represented that MPR would have
earned the following revenues:
(i) $87,500 MPR's half of the $175,000 fee paid by STOC to MPR
for the exclusive right to market the Duravision concept
in Mexico;
(ii) $1,800,000 MPR's half of the license fees to be paid by
STOC to MPR each year for a period of three years, on
months. Pflaum assumed "that by the end of 1989, all eight
hundred machines would be in place." Record on Appeal, vol. 38,
at 29. Consequently, according to Pflaum's calculations, 1990
would be the first year in which license fees of $1000 per
machine would be received for all 800 machines. Pflaum
calculated that $800,000 in license fees would be received by MPR
in each of 1990 and 1991, but only $600,000 would be received by
the end of 1989. Hence the figure $2,200,000 ($600,000 +
$800,000 + $800,000 = $2,200,000), of which Duravision's one half
share would have been $1,100,000. Pflaum's allowance for
delivery time is not challenged on appeal.
20
The jury's verdict is inconsistent to the extent that it
awarded damages to Duravision based on the sale of 800 Duravision
machines, but awarded damages to MPR based on the sale of 1200
machines. Because Duravision and MPR agreed to divide equally
the profits from the sale of all machines, the jury verdict is
unsupported by the evidence to the extent that it implicitly
finds MPR would have earned revenues based on the sale of an
additional 400 machines. However, because the parties present no
argument as to this issue it is not properly before the Court.
20
each machine imported into Mexico by STOC;21
(iii) $600,000 MPR's half of the profits to be received by MPR
on the sale of 1200 units to STOC for $3500 each: Moore
figured that Federal would sell each unit to MPR for
$2500, and that MPR would therefore earn a profit of
$1000 on each unit, resulting in a total profit on sales
of $1,200,000
The total of the foregoing revenues is $2,487,500.
i
Federal initially challenges these damages calculations by
arguing that MPR and Duravision failed to establish with reasonable
certainty that any of the 1200 Duravision machines could have been
sold.22 Although I agree as to any sales in excess of 800 machines,
I conclude that sufficient facts and figures indicated the future
sale of 800 machines to permit recovery of corresponding lost
profits.
21
Unlike Pflaum, Moore did not allow for the time required
to deliver all of the machines he anticipated would be purchased
by STOC. Neither his failure to do so—nor the jury's finding
accepting his calculations to that effect—is challenged on
appeal. Moore simply calculated that $1000 would be paid on each
of 1200 machines every year for three years, resulting in a total
receipt by MPR of $3,600,000 ($1000 × 1200 machines × 3 years =
$3,600,000). MPR's half of that sum would, of course, be
$1,800,000.
22
Arguably, the machines could not even have been bought
from Federal under the terms of the parties' agreements, since
the record contains no evidence of a contract binding Federal to
produce all the Duravision displays that the jury's damage award
was based on. Duravision and MPR's claims for lost profits are
necessarily predicated not only on the demand for Duravision
machines, but also on their ability to meet that demand.
Consequently, the absence of evidence that Federal was
contractually bound to produce the hundreds of machines which
formed the basis of the jury's verdict calls into question the
certainty of the lost profits which the jury found. However,
Federal does not argue that Duravision's and MPR's lost profits
were, for that reason, not proved with reasonable certainty.
That argument is therefore waived.
21
MPR's expert, Moore, computed lost profits on the basis of
1200 machines, which Moran mentioned in a letter to Duravision. In
that letter Moran stated: "Also be informed that we contacted the
officers in the Subway System in Mexico City and the Airport
management and very probably the amount of eight hundred displays
ordered will be increased to around 1,200 displays the first year."
Record on Appeal, Defendant's Exhibit D-141. The only other
indication that 1200 machines would be purchased by STOC is found
in an earlier letter from Moran to MPR, in which Moran stated that
STOC's "estimated" "needs" for the first year "could be
approximately ... 800 to 1200 units." Record on Appeal,
Defendant's Exhibit D-130.
Moran's statements of an approximate number of machines which
he "could" need, and which he "very probably" would order, does not
provide the degree of certainty which is required for recovery of
lost profits. "As a minimum, opinions or estimates of lost profits
must be based on objective facts, figures, or data from which the
amount of lost profits can be ascertained." Holt, 835 S.W.2d at
84. "We cannot uphold an award of damages based on speculation."
Hall, 733 S.W.2d at 259 (overturning jury verdict where evidence
supporting finding of lost profits was estimate, unsupported by
underlying facts, of "about" how much plaintiff could have made);
see also Fenwal, Inc. v. Mencio Sec., Inc., 686 S.W.2d 660, 665
(Tex.App.—San Antonio 1985, writ ref'd n.r.e.) (overturning jury
verdict where evidence supporting lost profits was statement that
company would do "in the neighborhood of $300,000 in gross sales"
22
and profit would be "in the neighborhood of about I guess
$60,000"). Moran's statements regarding the purchase of 1200
machines are unsupported by any underlying facts, and are patently
speculative.23 As such they are insufficient to prove with
reasonable certainty any lost profits from the sale of Duravision
machines over 800 units, and the jury's verdict awarding MPR lost
profits must be modified accordingly. MPR may not recover lost
profits from sales or from license fees for any of the 400 machines
erroneously included in Moore's calculations.
As to the remaining 800 signs, however, I reject Federal's
arguments. First of all, I conclude that a binding contract was
entered into between STOC and MPR which entitled MPR to the sale of
100 Duravision machines during the first year of the contract. A
letter from Moran to MPR specifically stated, "the minimum quantity
... will be the buying of 100 units." A binding contract which
23
Several witnesses at trial inadvertently referred to
Moran's statements as an order for 1200 machines. See Record on
Appeal, vol. 25, at 152 (where Moran testified that he "place[d]
an order" with Duravision for 800 machines, and that "order g[o]t
increased to twelve hundred machines"); id. vol. 24, at 87
(where Rodolfo Velasco testified that "STOC increase[d] the
number of signs it was ordering from duravision and M.P.R. group
... from eight hundred to twelve hundred units"); id. vol. 26,
at 99 (where Moran testified that he "decided to increase the
order by another four hundred"). In light of the explicit terms
of Moran's correspondence, the foregoing testimony does not
support the conclusion that either of Moran's letters amounted to
an order for 1200 machines. See generally Fed.R.Evid. 1002 ("To
prove the content of a writing ... the original writing ... is
required, except as otherwise provided in these rules or by Act
of Congress."), 1004 (providing that "[t]he original is not
required, and other evidence of the contents of a writing ... is
admissible if" the original is lost, destroyed, not obtainable,
in the possession of the opposing party, or not closely related
to a controlling issue).
23
would have resulted in ascertainable profits can satisfy the
plaintiff's burden of proving lost profits with reasonable
certainty. See Holt, 835 S.W.2d at 85 (stating that plaintiffs
"could have supported their lost profits with testimony that they
had lost out on specific contracts"); Fleming Mfg. Co. v. Capitol
Brick, Inc., 734 S.W.2d 405, 407 (Tex.App.—Amarillo 1987, writ
ref'd n.r.e.) (stating that "[p]roof of existing contracts for ten
inch bricks ... would have satisfied th[e] burden" of proof with
reasonable certainty).24 A binding agreement between MPR and STOC
for the purchase of 100 units proved those sales with reasonable
certainty in this case.
The remaining units upon which Pflaum based his calculations
were the subject of Moran's formal letter of intent. Although
apparently not a binding contract, neither is Moran's letter of
intent a mere statement of opinion or conjecture, as was his
reference to a probable order of 1200 machines. Moran stated his
intent to purchase a specific number of machines (800) for a stated
price ($3500 each) within a definite time period (six months). As
a result, the formal letter of intent satisfied the requirement of
"objective facts, figures, or data from which the amount of lost
profits can be ascertained." Holt, 835 S.W.2d at 84.
Furthermore, several weeks later Moran repeated his statement
of intent in the following letter to Marc Johnson:
Dear Marc:
24
Federal concedes that Texas courts have permitted recovery
of lost profits where there was "proof of existing, enforceable
contracts." Reply Brief for Federal at 4.
24
In reference to our July 30th, Letter of Intent for Eight
Hundred (800) "Duravision Displays" we are confirming you that
as per our conversations with Mr. Rodolfo Velasco we accepted
that the price for each Display will be $3,500.00 USD FOB
Mexico City and we will pay you the amount of $1,000.00 USD
per display per year as a "License Fee" for using the
exclusive rights to market this concept in Mexico.
By accepting these terms you will assure us that nobody will
be able to purchase these Signs from you for the purpose of
exporting them into Mexico....
SINCERELY YOURS.
/s/ALFONSO MORAN DIRECTOR.
Record on Appeal, Defendant's Exhibit D-141.
Moran's letters amply support the inference that STOC would
have entered into a binding contract for the purchase of those
displays had they been available.25 Furthermore, there is no reason
to believe that MPR would have been less willing than STOC to
complete the sale of the 800 Duravision machines. Even assuming
that the machines would have cost MPR $3100 each, as Federal
contends, MPR would have made a profit on the sale of each machine,
and therefore had good reason to sell the machines which STOC
desired to purchase. In light of these facts, it is reasonably
certain that a binding contract for the sale of 800 Duravision
machines would have been completed, had they been produced.26
25
Moran testified at trial that in his experience in
business, written agreements usually follow formal letters of
intent. See Record on Appeal, vol. 26, at 93.
26
Federal contends that the "number of displays that could
have been sold if the displays had functioned properly is a
matter of pure speculation" because Moran's "letters of intent
were not supported by orders from" stores where the displays
would eventually be installed. Reply Brief for Federal at 8. We
disagree. Despite the absence of contracts to install units in
the field, Moran issued the formal letter of intent and, several
25
Federal argues, however, that Moran's formal letter of intent
is merely an unenforceable agreement to agree, and as such will not
support recovery of lost profits damages. Federal relies for that
proposition on Reid v. El Paso Construction Co., 498 S.W.2d 923(Tex.1973), where the Supreme Court of Texas reversed an award of
lost profits which was based on an unexecuted collateral contract,
holding that proof of the lost profits was "remote, contingent, and
too uncertain." Id. at 925. However, in Reid the Texas Supreme
Court did not hold that executory contracts generally are
insufficient evidence of future lost profits. Furthermore, Reid is
distinguishable on its facts.
The plaintiffs in Reid purchased land from the defendants and
entered into an oral agreement with a third party to build
apartment buildings on the premises. See id. The plaintiffs
alleged that they lost profits, which they would have earned by
building the apartments, because that the defendants had secretly
altered the drainage of the land before selling it to the
plaintiffs, causing it to flood with the first heavy rains. Id. at
924-25. In denying recovery of the lost profits, the Texas Supreme
weeks later, sought MPR's and Duravision's acceptance of its
terms. See supra, Record on Appeal, Defendant's Exhibits D-140
(July 30 letter of intent), D-141 (letter of 20 August). That
evidence showed with reasonable certainty that Moran would have
entered into a contract to buy 800 units, even though he had not
obtained contracts to install the units in public establishments.
Admittedly, the absence of contracts for installation of the
units might have compromised STOC's ability to honor an agreement
to purchase 800 units from MPR. However, it is always possible
that contracts will be breached, and Texas courts nonetheless
have indicated that contracts which would have given rise to
certain profits may satisfy the requirement of reasonable
certainty.
26
Court noted that there was "no evidence that [the defendants] knew
or had any reason to know about an agreement by which plaintiffs
intended to or had a contract to erect apartment units on the
vacant lot...." Id. at 925. Here, by contrast, Federal knew that
Duravision would attempt to distribute hundreds of its machines for
placement in public establishments. Therefore, Reid does not
require reversal in this case.
Federal also relies on Federal Land Bank Ass'n v. Sloane, 793
S.W.2d 692 (Tex.App.—Tyler 1990), rev'd in part on other grounds,
825 S.W.2d 439 (Tex.1991), in which the court of appeals overturned
a jury verdict awarding damages for lost profits. See id. at 699-
700, 701. Hoping to raise broiler chickens for sale to Pilgrim's
Pride, the Sloanes sought financing from FLBA for construction of
two chicken houses. See id. at 694. FLBA's loan officer assured
the Sloanes that their loan application had been approved, but
several months later FLBA informed the Sloanes that the money would
not be forthcoming. See id. at 694-95. As a result, the Sloanes
were unable to finalize an agreement with Pilgrim's Pride. See id.
at 695. The Sloanes sued FLBA, and the jury awarded damages for
profits that the Sloanes would have made under a contract with
Pilgrim's Pride. See id.
The court of appeals reversed the award of lost profits,
stating that "there was no proposed form of contract between the
Sloanes and Pilgrim introduced into evidence; [and] there was no
proof as to any of the specific terms of such proposed future
contract from which the jury could award lost profits with
27
reasonable certainty." Id. at 699. Sloane is easily distinguished
from this case because Moran's formal letter of intent did propose
a contract between STOC and MPR, including specific terms of price,
quantity, and delivery date. Because it is distinguishable on its
facts, Sloane is not controlling.27
I would therefore hold that Duravision and MPR proved with
reasonable certainty that they would have sold 800 Duravision
display machines to STOC, and that both MPR and Duravision are
27
The court of appeals in Sloane also relied on dicta from
the court of appeals' opinion in Allied Bank West Loop v. C.B.D.
& Associates, 728 S.W.2d 49 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1987,
writ ref'd n.r.e.). The court in Allied Bank stated that "[i]n
order to recover lost profits, a party must show either a history
of profitability or the actual existence of future contracts from
which lost profits can be calculated with reasonable certainty."
Id. at 54-55. However, the Allied Bank case did not raise the
issue whether future contracts must actually be in existence to
permit the recovery of lost profits where there is no profit
history: the court sustained the award of lost profits because
the plaintiff's "financial history ... showed profitability."
Id. at 55. Furthermore, after carefully examining the two cases
cited by Allied Bank for the requirement of existing future
contracts—Southwest Battery and Automark of Texas v. Discount
Trophies, 681 S.W.2d 828 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1984, no writ)—we can
find no support for such a rigid rule. To the contrary, both
Southwest Battery and Automark indicate that the recoverability
of lost profits must be decided upon the facts of each case. See
Southwest Battery, 115 S.W.2d at 1099 ("It is impossible to
announce with exact certainty any rule measuring the profits the
loss for which recovery may be had."); Automark, 681 S.W.2d at
829 ("Each such case must be determined on its own facts."); see
also Teletron, 877 S.W.2d at 279 (stating that the "requirement
of "reasonable certainty' in the proof of lost profits is
intended to be flexible enough to accommodate the myriad
circumstances in which claims for lost profits arise," and that
"[w]hat constitutes reasonably certain evidence of lost profits
is a fact intensive determination"). Although we recognize the
probative force of existing contracts in lost profits cases, see
Holt, 835 S.W.2d at 85 ("The Heines could have supported their
lost profits with testimony that they had lost out on specific
contracts...."), we do not regard Texas law as including a strict
requirement of the actual existence of future contracts wherever
no history of profitability is shown.
28
entitled to collect license fees and profits from the sale of those
machines.
ii
Federal further contends that the evidence does not support
Moore's and Pflaum's assumption that Federal would have sold
machines to MPR for $2500. In calculating MPR's and that
Duravision's profits on the sale of displays to STOC, Moore and
Pflaum posited that MPR could have purchased the machines from
Federal for $2500 each and sold them to STOC for $3500 each,
resulting in a per-machine sales profit of $1000. Duravision and
MPR contend that Federal promised to reduce the cost of each
display from $3100—the amount provided in the initial agreement
between Duravision and Federal—to $2500. Federal argues that no
agreement was reached for a reduction in the price of a Duravision
display from $3100 to $2500, and that Duravision and MPR's experts
merely speculated that the price of display machines would drop to
$2500. Federal contends that any profits from the sale of display
machines should thus be based on a cost to MPR of $3100, resulting
in a profit of only $400 on the sale of each machine.
Pflaum, Duravision's expert, admitted that he had never seen
a document which stated an agreed price per unit for the Duravision
displays.28 When asked whether he was "aware of how the twenty-five
hundred dollar per machine cost came into effect," Pflaum answered:
"There were some early discussions I've seen notes on...." MPR's
28
See Record on Appeal, vol. 30, at 16 ("I've seen a lot of
things about what the price is going to be. I can't say that any
one of them says this is the price we agree on.").
29
expert, Moore, who also based his calculations on the price of
$2500 per machine, agreed that he had "never seen a letter written
from Federal sign in which they agree to keep the price at
twenty-five hundred dollars." Neither had Moore seen an invoice
from Federal Sign bearing the price $2500 per machine.
Federal's district manager, Mike Harris, dealt extensively
with Duravision and MPR regarding the price of Duravision displays.
Harris testified that he had "had no way of knowing what the final
purchase price would be," and that "the only representations that
[Federal] ever made to [Duravision were] that [Federal] would try
to have the machine priced in th[e] ballpark" of $2500. Record on
Appeal, vol. 34, at 216. During his testimony Harris specifically
denied "that [he] represented that the price would be twenty-five
hundred dollars or less," id. at 218, and further testified as
follows: "We had discussions. We may have said, it might be
twenty-five hundred, maybe it will be twenty-five hundred, it could
be twenty-five hundred. We were still in the development process
... and there was no way for us to know what the price would be."
Id.
Other evidence in the record tends to show that Harris may
have promised a reduction in the price of the Duravision machines.
However, that evidence merely raises questions about the amount of
any possible price reduction. Rodolfo Velasco, of MPR, testified
as follows:
Q What was your agreement with Federal Sign relative to how
much each machine would cost if you bought in quantities?
A Mike Harris told me that the price would be reduced. From
30
the first machine that I paid thirty-five hundred dollars,
that would be reduced around twenty-three to twenty-five
hundred dollars ... if I purchased in volume.
Id. vol. 24, at 83. Velasco also indicated in a letter to
Duravision that Harris had "offered a discount after the first
twenty machines and the price that [was] quoted was around
$2,350.00 to $2,400.00 USD per machine." Id. Defendant's Exhibit
D-121. John Vickers, of Duravision, testified that he was once
present when Velasco ordered two hundred signs, and "[t]he
agreement was twenty-six hundred and sixty-five dollars for the
first hundred and twenty-five hundred thereafter." Id. vol. 23, at
44.29 Although this evidence supports the conclusion that a price
reduction was agreed to by Federal, it does not show sufficiently
what the amount of the reduced price would have been. Velasco does
not identify a specific agreed price: he refers to two different
ranges of prices—$2300 to $2500, and $2350 to $2400. Vickers
testified that, of the 200 machines ordered, 100 would have cost
$2650.
Furthermore, the evidence does not show sufficiently when any
reduction in price would have occurred. In his letter to
Duravision, see supra, Velasco indicates Harris promised a
reduction after the first twenty machines. However, Velasco
testified differently at trial:
Q And what type of volume did you have to purchase in order to
get the price down to twenty-five hundred dollars per machine?
A He had it mentioned that he knew that we were talking
29
Vickers testified that this agreement was reached between
Rodolfo Velasco and Mike Harris.
31
about—to start eight hundred to twelve hundred units.
Id. vol. 24, at 83-84. Although Vickers testified about an order
for 200 machines, he did not say when this order was placed, or how
many Duravision machines would have been sold already before these
200 machines. Therefore, the evidence does not show sufficiently
whether a reduction in price would have been in effect when MPR
purchased the 800 machines for resale to STOC.
As a result, I would reverse the damage awards for MPR and
Duravision to the extent that they are based on a sale price to MPR
of $2500 and a corresponding profit margin of $1000 per machine.
The district court did not address whether Federal would have
reduced the price of Duravision displays below the rate of $3100
each, which was provided for in the original Display Sales
Agreement between Duravision and Federal.30 Because the district
court instead accepted the experts' assumption that Federal would
have reduced its price to $2500, I would not on our own initiative
make that determination. Duravision and MPR did, however, prove
that some profits had been lost, and I would therefore remand for
a determination of what both the price of the displays and the
corresponding lost profits would have been.
iii
We also find insufficient evidence to prove with reasonable
certainty that STOC would have paid license fees for each of the
30
It is also speculative whether MPR could have continued to
purchase the machines for $3100, since the contract with Federal
only bound Federal to provide 20 machines at that price.
However, Federal does not make that argument. It is therefore
waived.
32
800 machines in 1990 and 1991.31 Both Moore and Pflaum calculated
lost profits based on license fees of $1000 per machine for 1990
and for 1991. However, as Federal points out, there is no
objective evidence to prove that STOC would have continued to pay
the license fees during those years. MPR and Duravision do not
cite, and we have not found, any evidence that STOC held contracts
for the sale of advertising on the machines it intended to purchase
from MPR. Therefore, there are no objective facts and figures to
show that STOC could have done enough business during 1990 and 1991
to be able to pay $800,000 per year in license fees. Furthermore,
STOC was not contractually obligated to continue paying license
fees for three years. Although the agreement between STOC and MPR
stated that the amount of the license fees would be negotiated
after three years, it did not identify three years as the term of
the agreement. Therefore STOC was not bound by any agreement for
a term of three years. See City of Big Spring v. Bd. of Control,
404 S.W.2d 810, 817 (Tex.1966) (stating that "when a contract has
no definite and determinable term ... it may be terminated at the
end of a reasonable time in order to carry out the intention of the
parties"). Absent a binding agreement or other objective data to
show that STOC would have paid the license fees beyond the first
year, there is insufficient evidence to prove with reasonable
certainty that MPR and Duravision would have shared $800,000 in
license fees during 1990 and during 1991. The award of lost
31
Federal does not argue that the license fees would not
have been paid during the first year—1989.
33
profits from STOC's license fees must therefore be vacated, and I
would hold that Duravision and MPR may recover lost profits only
from license fee revenues that the jury found they would have
received prior to 1990: $300,000 for Duravision, and $400,000 for
MPR.
iv
In summary, I would hold that the evidence shows with
reasonable certainty that 800 Duravision displays would have been
sold to STOC in Mexico. As a result, the total profit on sales of
displays to STOC from which lost profits could be recovered should
on remand be calculated as follows: ($3500-price determined on
remand) × 800 machines, and Duravision and MPR are each entitled to
recover lost profits from half of that sum.
I would also hold that Duravision may recover lost profits
from license fees of only $300,000—the amount which Pflaum
calculated Duravision would have received before 1990, and that MPR
also may recover lost profits only from license fees it would have
received prior to 1990. Furthermore, to the extent that the lost
license fees awarded to MPR are based on the sale to STOC of 1200
Duravision displays, those lost license fees were not proved with
reasonable certainty. It was only shown with reasonable certainty
that 800 machines would have been sold to STOC. Consequently,
rather than the $1,800,000 which the jury awarded, I would hold
that MPR may recover lost profits from license fee revenues of only
34
$400,000.32
Also, I would not disturb the award of lost profits based on
one-half of the $175,000 franchise fee paid by STOC to MPR—$87,500
to each of Duravision and MPR.33
c
Gran Bazar
Accepting the calculations promulgated by Duravision's and
MPR's experts, the jury also awarded damages to both companies for
profits which would have been earned as a result of a leasing
agreement with Gran Bazar, a major retailer in Mexico City. The
experts' calculations were based on the following scenario.
Gran Bazar would lease thirty Duravision displays, all
32
I recognize that this award varies from the amount which
would be recovered by Duravision. For reasons already discussed,
see supra notes 18, 20, Pflaum computed a different damage amount
for lost license fees than did Moore. However, because that
aspect of the damage award for Duravision is not challenged on
appeal, the issue is not before this Court.
33
Federal argues that the $175,000 franchise fee paid by
STOC to MPR cannot give rise to damages because it was a
collateral agreement unanticipated by Federal. For this
proposition Federal cites only to a segment of Rodolfo Velasco's
testimony where he states that Duravision and Federal, in
entering into the Display Sales Agreement, did not anticipate the
installation of Duravision machines in Mexico. See Record on
Appeal, vol. 27, at 127. However, Velasco's testimony does not
prove Federal failed to foresee that Duravision might earn
revenues such as franchise fees. It suggests only that Federal
did not anticipate the distribution of Duravision machines in
Mexico. Other evidence supports the conclusion that Federal was
aware of Duravision's and MPR's plans for marketing the
Duravision displays. During meetings with Marc Johnson, prior to
the execution of the agreement between Federal and Duravision,
Mike Harris of Federal learned that Duravision might try to sell
or lease its machines in Oklahoma and Texas, and that they "were
talking about a good number of machines." Federal's argument
that the franchise fee was unanticipated is without merit.
35
belonging to STOC, and place fifteen of the units in each of two
Gran Bazar stores. Lease payments would be $80,000 per year per
machine, such that the total as to all thirty machines would be
$2,400,000 per year. Lease payments would be received initially by
STOC, which would then remit one half—$1,200,000 annually—to MPR;
and MPR would pay to Duravision one half of that—$600,000.
Therefore the lease revenues for a given year were ultimately
divided as follows: $1,200,000 to STOC; and $600,000 each to
Duravision and MPR.34
Moore calculated MPR's lost profits based on lease payments
for 1989, 1990, and 1991, resulting in a total for MPR of
$1,800,000. Like Moore, Pflaum calculated Duravision's lost
profits from leases to Gran Bazar for 1989, 1990 and 1991, totaling
$1,800,000. However, Pflaum also calculated lost profits for the
last quarter of 1988, in the amount of $150,000 (1/4 × $600,000 =
$150,000), so that Duravision's total damage estimate for profits
from leasing fees was $1,950,000. The jury awarded MPR and
Duravision damages in accordance with those figures.
Federal first argues the evidence did not show with reasonable
certainty that Gran Bazar would lease thirty Duravision machines to
34
It is undisputed that STOC and MPR agreed to share equally
any profits STOC received by leasing Duravision signs to Gran
Bazar. See id. vol. 25, at 134 (where Alfonso Moran, director of
STOC, testified that STOC was "going to split fifty/fifty as part
of joint venture some profits with M.P.R. Group"); id. vol. 26,
at 84 (where Moran testified that "STOC and MPR ... had an
agreement to split, one half, fifty-fifty ... all monies"); see
also id. at 119. It is also undisputed that MPR agreed to share
equally with Duravision any profits it made by marketing the
Duravision concept in Mexico. See id. Defendant's Exhibit D-
124.
36
Gran Bazar. At the time of the agreement between STOC and Gran
Bazar there was one Gran Bazar store in operation in Mexico City,
and the grand opening of another store was planned. Federal
contends that the lease of thirty Duravision units for these stores
was a mere "contingency" which was not proven with reasonable
certainty. We disagree.
Several witnesses, including Marco Antonio Luna, the
sub-director of Gran Bazar, and Alfonso Moran, the director of
STOC, testified that Gran Bazar leased fifteen Duravision machines
for the first Gran Bazar store. Luna also testified that twenty
Duravision machines "were going to be installed in the Gran Bazar
store, the second one," and that these machines were "on the same
agreement" as the machines for the first store. Record on Appeal,
vol. 25, at 49-50. Rodolfo Velasco testified that the same
agreement was reached for the second Gran Bazar store as for the
first—providing for fifteen machines. See id. vol. 23, at 198. A
letter from MPR to Federal also refers to a "contract" with "the
second Gran Bazar" for "15 more machines and another $1.2 million."
The letter says that "we"—apparently referring to MPR and
STOC—"were going to be paid $2,000.00 USD per ad per year in each
machine for 15 machines." Id. Defendant's Exhibit D-185. This
evidence would permit a reasonable juror to conclude that Gran
Bazar and STOC had a contract for the lease of at least thirty
Duravision signs.35 I would therefore hold that the evidence of
35
Luna's testimony that twenty displays would have been
placed in the second Gran Bazar suggests that 35 signs in all
would have been leased.
37
those contracts proved with reasonable certainty that thirty signs
would have been leased to Gran Bazar by STOC. See Holt, 835 S.W.2d
at 85; Barbouti v. Munden, 866 S.W.2d 288, 297 (Tex.App.—Houston
[14th Dist.] 1993, writ denied) ("One party's testimony of
estimated profits, without proof of the existence of an actual
contract or any objective data, is not sufficient in our opinion to
support an award of lost profits." (emphasis added)); Fleming
Mfg. Co., 734 S.W.2d at 407; Davis v. Small Business Inv. Co., 535
S.W.2d 740, 743 (Tex.Civ.App.—Texarkana 1976, writ ref'd n.r.e.)
(upholding denial of lost profits damages where, inter alia,
"[t]here was no evidence of contracts or sales which could have
been anticipated").
Federal also contends, however, that the evidence did not show
with reasonable certainty that Gran Bazar would pay $80,000 per
machine to lease the Duravision units. Federal argues that a
letter from Marco Antonio Luna, sub-director of Gran Bazar,
indicates $80,000 was to be paid for all fifteen units which were
to be leased for the first Gran Bazar location. See Record on
Appeal, Defendant's Exhibit D-138. Federal's argument is without
merit.
Luna admitted at trial that the letter in question, which is
written in Spanish, did not explicitly say $80,000 was to be paid
for each machine. See id. vol. 25, at 79, 81. As Luna testified,
the letter refers only to a lease of fifteen machines for $80,000.
However, the letter does not purport to be a contract between STOC
and Gran Bazar. It merely states that "Gran Bazar is interested in
38
market[ing] the ads in ... Duravision displays" under a leasing
agreement. Id. Defendant's Exhibit D-138 (emphasis added).
Furthermore, Luna repeatedly testified that the oral agreement
between STOC and Gran Bazar obligated Gran Bazar to pay the sum of
$80,000 annually for each machine, see id. vol. 25, at 24-25, 29,
79. Alfonso Moran, the director of STOC, testified to the same
effect. See id. vol. 26, at 81. Their testimony was sufficient to
prove that an agreement between Gran Bazar and STOC required Gran
Bazar to pay $80,000 per machine per year. Because of the
existence of that contract, I would hold that the evidence showed
with reasonable certainty that STOC would have received $80,000 per
year for each machine it leased to Gran Bazar. See Holt, 835
S.W.2d at 85; Barbouti, 866 S.W.2d at 297; Fleming Mfg. Co., 734
S.W.2d at 407; Davis, 535 S.W.2d at 743.
Finally, Federal argues that the evidence failed to show with
reasonable certainty that any signs would have been leased by Gran
Bazar during 1990 and 1991—the second and third years as to which
damages were awarded for lost lease revenues. Federal contends
that "no objective facts and data in the record supported that
speculation." We agree. We have not found, and MPR and Duravision
do not cite, any evidence in the record which indicates that the
Gran Bazar lease agreement extended for a period greater than one
year. Alfonso Moran, the director of STOC, testified that the Gran
Bazar agreement was "for an indefinite period of time." Record on
Appeal, vol. 26, at 32. Furthermore Rodolfo Velasco, writing to
Federal on behalf of MPR, indicated that the "contract with Gran
39
Bazar was signed for $1.2 million Dollars (15 machines at $80,000
USD per year)." Id. Defendant's Exhibit D-185. Velasco also
referred to the agreement regarding the second Gran Bazar location
as a "contract ... for 15 more machines and another $1.2 million."
Id. Velasco's letter does not indicate that he regarded the Gran
Bazar contracts as having a term of three years. To the contrary,
the letter suggests that Velasco considered the Gran Bazar
contracts to be worth only $1.2 million each, which was the agreed
rental payment for one year. On direct examination Pflaum,
Duravision's expert, was asked why his calculations of Duravision's
damages extended over a period of three years, and he responded:
"In reviewing, looking at the projections, this looked like it was
going to be a very profitable business. And, clearly, a very
profitable business." Id. vol. 38, at 33.36 The most we have found
to support the projection of lease revenues into a second and third
year is Moran's testimony that he was "in this deal for the long
term." Id. vol. 26, at 37. Moran's statement of a general desire
to continue participating in what was, in his words, a "terrific
36
Pflaum also answered "yes" to the following question:
"With respect to the Gran Bazar line, you contend, as I
understand it, that the agreement was that Gran Bazar would pay
eighty-thousand dollars, per machine, per year, for three years,
to lease the machines, to STOC." Record on Appeal, vol. 30, at
19 (emphasis added). Pflaum's testimony does not reflect any
facts of the STOC-Gran Bazar agreement which would support his
"contention." Pflaum, an expert in finance, testified about the
economic consequences of the transactions in question here. He
did not testify from personal knowledge about the facts of the
transactions which took place. See id. at 23 (where Pflaum
testified that his understanding of the Gran Bazar transaction
was "based on reading the depositions and talking to Mr.
Velasco").
40
business," reveals neither an agreement between STOC and Gran Bazar
to lease the Duravision machines for more than one year, nor any
other facts, figures, or data sufficient to prove with reasonable
certainty that profits would have been earned from the Gran Bazar
deal for a period of three years.
Because we agree with Federal's third argument, I would hold
that MPR and Duravision may recover lost profits from the Gran
Bazar lease agreement only for revenues which would have been
received during the first year of that agreement—$600,000 in lease
revenues for each of Duravision and MPR. Accordingly, I would
reverse the jury's verdict awarding lost profits based on an
additional $1,200,000 to MPR and an additional $1,350,000 to
Duravision on the grounds that it was not proved with reasonable
certainty that the Gran Bazar lease agreement would have remained
in effect for more than one year.
d
South America
Duravision and MPR's experts also calculated, and the jury
found, damages resulting from the loss of a sale of 300 Duravision
machines to Ricardo Guerra, for distribution in South America. The
jury found that Duravision lost $639,845, and MPR lost $525,000,
consisting of profits on sales of Duravision machines, as well as
license and franchise fees which would have been paid by Guerra.
Federal argues that the amount of Duravision's and MPR's lost
profits from license fees, and from sales of Duravision machines to
Guerra, was not proved with reasonable certainty. We agree.
41
In a written contract, Guerra purchased from MPR the right to
market, sell, and use the Duravision display in South America,
Central America, and the Caribbean, except for Panama and Columbia.
See Record on Appeal, Defendant's Exhibit D-134. In return for
those rights Guerra agreed to pay MPR $225,000, of which he paid
$22,500 upon the signing of the contract. MPR agreed to supply
Guerra with Duravision signs "enough for [his] demand" at the price
of $3500 per machine, and Guerra agreed to pay MPR an annual
license fee for each machine purchased.37
Both Pflaum and Moore calculated lost profits based on the
sale to Guerra of 300 Duravision machines, and the jury apparently
credited the experts' calculations. We find the evidence
insufficient to prove with reasonable certainty that 300 machines
would have been sold to Guerra. The contract between Guerra and
MPR does not require Guerra to purchase any particular number of
Duravision machines. See id. In a letter to Guerra on behalf of
MPR, Rodolfo Velasco wrote: "We accept your proposal to not
establish a minimum quantity of purchase per year of these devices
since the market potential existing in Central and South America
has not yet been determined." Id. Intervenor's Exhibit I-155.
Therefore, the record contains no evidence of a contract for the
sale and purchase of 300 Duravision machines or any other number of
machines.
37
Because we reverse the award of license fees based on the
lack of evidence to prove with reasonable certainty that any
number of machines would have been sold, we do not reach the
issue of the amount of the license fee that Guerra agreed to pay.
42
Furthermore, the other evidence upon which MPR and Duravision
rely to show that 300 machines would have been purchased is too
conjectural to satisfy the requirement of reasonable certainty.
MPR and Duravision place considerable weight on a letter from
Alejandro Amescua to MPR, in which Amescua states that he has
"started talks with [Sr.] Ricardo Guerra ... about the possibility
of acquiring the rights to commercialize the concept Duravision in
all the countries of South America...." Id. Defendant's Exhibit D-
132. After mentioning Guerra's "contacts," Amescua states that
"[t]he person contacted and is functioning [sic] in important
chains of supermarkets in South America, mentions at the minimum of
150 stores where [displays] could be located and at the minimum of
2 units per each store, which represent the sale of 300-400 units
the first year." This letter is insufficient to prove with
reasonable certainty that 300 Duravision display units would have
been sold to Guerra. It merely refers to an unnamed person who
"mentions" 150 stores where displays "could be located," and that
evidence does not provide the facts and figures which would permit
a trier of fact to determine with reasonable certainty that 300
units actually would have been sold. See Automark of Texas v.
Discount Trophies, 681 S.W.2d 828, 830 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1984, no
writ) (observing that Texas courts which have permitted recovery of
lost profits have relied on "objective facts, figures, and data and
not upon the subjective opinions of interested parties" (citing
White v. Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 651 S.W.2d 260, 262
(Tex.1983)).
43
Nor is Duravision's and MPR's burden satisfied by the
following testimony from Rodolfo Velasco: "Q: How many signs did
Ricardo Guerra order from M.P.R. Group? A: He wanted to install
three hundred signs...." Record on Appeal, vol. 24, at 25. The
fact that Guerra "wanted" to install three hundred Duravision signs
in South America falls short of proving that he would have
purchased those signs, or even that he intended to purchase them
under the terms of his agreement with MPR. Velasco's letter to
Guerra reflects that Guerra was unwilling to agree to purchase any
minimum number of Duravision displays, because the potential of the
South American and Central American markets was undetermined. See
id. Invervenor's Exhibit I-155. The fact that Guerra wanted to
distribute 300 machines in South America therefore does not prove
with reasonable certainty that he actually would have purchased
them.
Nor is Duravision's and MPR's burden satisfied by a few
handwritten notes which were admitted into evidence. See id.Defendant's Exhibit D-131. These notes include the following
language: "Mr. Guerra 1. Has an agmt w/ 180 store chain in Col.
Arg & Ven 2. Install 3-5 machines in ea." We understand this note
to say that Guerra had an agreement with a chain of 180 retail
stores in Colombia, Argentina, and Venezuela to place 3-5 machines
in each store. However, as Federal points out, Guerra did not have
the right to market Duravision displays in Colombia, see id.Defendant's Exhibit D-134 (Guerra's contract with MPR), and the
note indicates that some of the stores were located in Colombia.
44
Because the note does not indicate how many of the stores involved
in the "agreement" were located in countries where Guerra was
entitled to market Duravision displays, it does not prove with
reasonable certainty that Guerra would have bought any particular
number of Duravision displays under his agreement with MPR.
Therefore the amount of damages was not proved with reasonable
certainty.38
Because the evidence does not show that any particular number
of Duravision signs would have been sold to Ricardo Guerra for
distribution in South America, the evidence fails to prove with
reasonable certainty any amount of lost profits based on sale to
Guerra of Duravision units. MPR and Duravision therefore may not
recover profits which allegedly would have been earned on the sale
of Duravision signs.39 Nor may Duravision or MPR recover license
fees which allegedly would have been paid annually for each
Duravision machine sold.
However, I would hold that MPR and Duravision may each recover
38
MPR and Duravision contend that "Guerra was going to put
the machines in Venezuela, not in Columbia as suggested by
Federal." However, the portions of the record which Duravision
and MPR cite provide no support for that assertion. See Record
on Appeal, vol. 23, at 169-70, 179-80.
39
Moore and Pflaum calculated—and the jury awarded—$1000 in
sale profits for each of 300 Duravision machines to be sold to
Guerra. The sum of $1000 profit on the sale of each machine was
based on an anticipated reduction in the price charged by Federal
for the machines—from $3100 to $2500. We have already held that
such a reduction in the price of the machines was not proved with
reasonable certainty. See supra part II.A.2.b.ii. However,
because we reverse the jury's award of sales profits on other
grounds, the lack of evidence to prove the anticipated reduction
in price does not present a basis for relief.
45
lost profits based on one-half of the $225,000 franchise fee which
Guerra agreed to pay for the right to market Duravision machines in
South America.40 Guerra agreed to buy the exclusive right to market
the Duravision concept in South America for $225,000, and his
obligation to do so was not contingent upon his use of the rights
purchased. The written agreement for Guerra to pay the franchise
fee proved with reasonable certainty that Duravision and MPR each
would have received half of that sum—$112,500. See Holt, 835
S.W.2d at 85; Barbouti, 866 S.W.2d at 297; Fleming Mfg. Co., 734
S.W.2d at 407; Davis, 535 S.W.2d at 743. To the extent of lost
profits based on that amount, I would therefore hold that the
jury's verdict is supported by the evidence.
e
Arkansas
Duravision granted a franchise to an Arkansas company called
Duravision of America, Inc. ("the Arkansas franchisee"), which set
out to place Duravision machines in public establishments and sell
advertising on the machines. It is undisputed that the Arkansas
franchisee agreed to purchase twenty-one display units from
Duravision, and that the Arkansas franchisee agreed to pay
Duravision a six percent royalty on any revenues it earned by
selling advertising. Pflaum calculated—and the jury awarded to
Duravision—damages for lost profits based on (1) lost sales of
twenty-one Duravision units to the Arkansas franchisee; and (2)
40
It is undisputed that MPR was to remit to Duravision
one-half of the $225,000 franchise fee to be paid by Guerra.
46
royalties which would have been paid to Duravision by the Arkansas
franchisee.
Based on a per unit profit of $1000, the jury awarded
Duravision $21,000 for profits lost on sales of Duravision units to
the Arkansas franchisee. Federal does not argue that the evidence
fails to prove these lost profits with reasonable certainty.41
However, Federal does challenge Pflaum's calculations, and the
jury's award, of profits that Duravision would have earned by way
of its six percent royalty on the Arkansas franchisee's sales of
advertising. We agree that these royalty-based profits were not
proved with reasonable certainty.
Pflaum testified that between the last quarter of 1988 and the
end of 1991, Duravision would have earned royalties totalling
$81,367. Based on the twenty-one Duravision displays which were to
be installed by the Arkansas franchisee, Pflaum calculated
royalties during the fourth quarter of 1988 and all four quarters
of 1989, and during the years 1990 and 1991. Pflaum figured that
the numbers of ads being shown in each display would increase
quarter-by-quarter and year-by-year: on average each Duravision
display would contain only twenty ads during the last quarter of
1988, but by 1991 each Duravision display would be showing
41
Whereas profits on the sale of Duravision displays to STOC
were awarded based on an anticipated reduction in Federal's
per-unit price for displays, see supra part II.A.2.b.ii., the
profit margin of $1000 on units sold to the Arkansas franchisee
was based on a provision in the franchise agreement that
Duravision would "make the sign available to Franchisee at ...
cost plus $1,000.00 per sign." Record on Appeal, Plaintiff's
Exhibit P-48.
47
thirty-six ads. Pflaum also figured that the annual revenue earned
on each ad would increase from $500 in 1988, to $566 in 1989, to
$669 in 1990, and $735 in 1991.
We conclude that these calculations, and the damage award
based thereon, were not supported by the facts, figures, and
objective data required to prove lost profits with reasonable
certainty. We have not found in the record, and Duravision and MPR
do not cite, any objective facts to support Pflaum's prediction
that the Arkansas franchisee would have sold twenty ads per machine
in 1988, much less thirty-six ads per machine in 1991. Only four
contracts for the sale of advertising were actually obtained by the
Arkansas franchisee, one of which encompassed the sale of two ads.
When asked whether his "assumption of number of ads per sign" was
"based on written contracts," Pflaum responded in the negative:
"[T]hat's purely an assumption on my part based on reading Mr.
Bilgisher's Deposition42 and knowing that the people who were
running that franchise were experienced businessmen, spent a
hundred thousand dollars of their own money trying to get that
business going. They were serious people." Second Supplementary
Record on Appeal at 141. That is insufficient objective evidence
to prove with reasonable certainty that the Arkansas franchisee
would have sold ads in the numbers forecast by Pflaum.
However, as we mentioned, four contracts were actually
obtained by the Arkansas franchisee for the sale of ads, and I
42
The parties do not cite to the Bilgisher deposition, and
it is not included in the record on appeal.
48
would hold that those contracts prove with reasonable certainty
that Duravision would have earned a royalty of six percent on the
sales embodied in those four agreements. See Holt, 835 S.W.2d at
85; Barbouti, 866 S.W.2d at 297; Fleming Mfg. Co., 734 S.W.2d at
407; Davis, 535 S.W.2d at 743. The total revenue from those sales
was $5,395.00 ($999.00 + $1099.00 + $2098.00 = $5395.00), and six
percent of that sum is $323.70. I would affirm the jury's award of
lost profits based on royalties in that amount, as well as the
award of damages based on $21,000 in profits from the sale of
Duravision units to the Arkansas franchise—which is not challenged
by Federal. As a result, I would hold that MPR and Duravision may
recover lost profits based on revenues from Arkansas in the amount
of $21,323.70.43
43
We must briefly address an argument, pressed strenuously
by Federal at oral argument, which relates to all of the damages
awarded by the jury for lost profits. In the Texas Supreme
Court's recent decision in Teletron, that court held that lost
profits were not proven with reasonable certainty, and placed
considerable weight on the fact that the transactions at issue
"involve[d] the proposed sale of a new and unique product which
had never been sold before." Teletron, 877 S.W.2d at 280. The
court pointed out that "there [was] no evidence that a thermostat
like the T-2000 has ever been produced and sold by anyone," and
distinguished its prior cases permitting an award of lost
profits—Pace and Southwest Battery—on that basis. See id.
Federal contends that the same result must be reached here,
because the Duravision display machine—which was supposed to
accommodate 40 advertising frames at once, rather than only 25 or
30—was a unique product which was never successfully produced.
Although we recognize that a properly working Duravision machine
was never successfully manufactured by Federal, the record does
not reflect that the machine envisioned by the parties was so
unique that Teletron requires a wholesale denial of any lost
profits. It is undisputed that Marc Johnson got the idea for the
Duravision machine from his experience with similar machines that
he observed while working for Rollavision in California.
Furthermore, the record contains evidence of several other
companies, both in this country and abroad, which marketed a
49
f
To summarize part II.A.2, I would hold that the following
revenues on behalf of Duravision were proved with reasonable
certainty:
(i) lost profits from the sale of Duravision machines to STOC,
equal to ($3500—price to be determined on remand) × 800
working machine similar to the Duravision display. The major
difference between the other machines and the Duravision machine
is its capacity to accommodate forty advertising frames rather
than twenty or thirty. We do not conclude, based on that
difference, that the Duravision machine was a totally unique
product or that "there was no comparable device on the market."
Id. at 277. Instead this is a case where a manufacturer
attempted, unsuccessfully, to improve on a type of machine which
had been manufactured by others.
We also find unpersuasive Federal's argument that the
award of lost profits damages must be reversed altogether
because the individuals involved in MPR and Duravision had
little experience with video display machines. The
experience of the individuals involved is clearly an
important factor in determining whether lost profits may be
recovered. See id. at 280 ("The focus is on the experience
of the persons involved in the enterprise and the nature of
the business activity, and the relevant market.").
Furthermore, Marc Johnson had only a few months' experience
with Rollavision, U.S.A., Inc., and Rodolfo Velasco
apparently had no prior experience with devices of this
kind. However, under the facts of this case the individual
participants' lack of experience with a particular type of
machine is not fatal to their claim for lost profits.
Whatever their prior experience, they were able to acquire a
number of binding contracts and other arrangements which
showed with reasonable certainty that certain profits would
have been earned if not for Federal's misconduct. The
individuals' lack of experience with video advertising
therefore is not determinative.
We also reject MPR's argument that the jury's damages
award must be sustained in its entirety because MPR suffered
harm to its credit reputation. The jury did not award
damages for that type of harm: it accepted Moore's
calculations, which did not include an amount for damage to
MPR's credit reputation. Because MPR has not appealed the
jury's verdict, the issue of damages for MPR's alleged loss
of credit reputation is not properly before the Court.
50
machines;
(ii) $300,000 in license fees to be paid by STOC to MPR;
(iii) $87,500 from fee paid by STOC to MPR for the exclusive right
to market the Duravision concept in Mexico;
(iv) $600,000 in lease revenues from Gran Bazar in Mexico City;
(v) $112,500 from Guerra's franchise fee for the right to market
the Duravision concept in South America; and
(vi) $21,323.70 from the Arkansas franchisee.
I would also hold that the following lost revenues on behalf
of MPR were shown with reasonable certainty:
(i) lost profits from the sale of Duravision machines to STOC,
equal to ($3500—price to be determined on remand) × 800
machines;
(ii) $400,000 in license fees to be paid by STOC to MPR;
(iii) $87,500 from fee paid by STOC to MPR for the exclusive right
to market the Duravision concept in Mexico;
(iv) $600,000 in lease revenues from Gran Bazar in Mexico City;
and
(v) $112,500 from Guerra's franchise fee for the right to market
the Duravision concept in South America.
Because the jury awarded damages for lost profits from
revenues in excess of those amounts, I would vacate the judgment
entered upon that verdict, and remand only for a determination of
the price that Federal would have sold at and the amount of lost
profits based on that price. For reasons explained infra at part
II.B, Federal is also entitled to a new trial on the issue of the
distribution of lost profits which would have been earned from the
distribution of Duravision machines outside the United States and
Canada. See infra part II.B. Accordingly, I would hold that on
remand, Duravision and MPR may recover only lost profits based on
51
revenues which, in my opinion, I would find were proved with
reasonable certainty.44
3
Federal also argues that the statute of frauds, Tex.Bus. &
Com.Code Ann. § 2.201(a) (Vernon 1968), bars Duravision's and MPR's
recovery of lost profits for sales of signs not agreed to in
writing. Section 2.201(a) provides:
Except as otherwise provided in this section a contract
for the sale of goods for the price of $500 or more is not
enforceable by way of action or defense unless there is some
writing sufficient to indicate that a contract for sale has
been made between the parties and signed by the party against
whom enforcement is sought or by his authorized agent or
broker. A writing is not insufficient because it omits or
incorrectly states a term agreed upon but the contract is not
enforceable under this paragraph beyond the quantity of goods
shown in such writing.
Federal contends that "[t]he only agreement in writing obligates
Federal to supply only 20 displays," and "[t]herefore, even
assuming Duravision and MPR proved lost profits with the requisite
proof, they would be limited to recovering profits lost only from
these 20 displays." We disagree.
The statute of frauds does not bar recovery on a claim of
fraud or misrepresentation which sounds in tort. See Sloane, 825
S.W.2d at 442 (holding that statute of frauds did not bar recovery
where plaintiff alleged negligent misrepresentation, not breach of
contract); Sibley v. Southland Life Ins. Co., 36 S.W.2d 145, 146
(Tex.1931) (holding that because the plaintiff's "cause of action
44
Because Texas law permits the recovery of lost profits,
and not lost revenues, see Holt, 835 S.W.2d at 83 n. 1, on remand
MPR's and Duravision's expenses, as well as their revenues, must
be determined. See infra part II.B.
52
... [was] grounded in tort and not in contract ... [r]esponsibility
for the tort committed [was] not affected by the fact that the
false promise was made orally"); Turner v. PV Int'l Corp., 765
S.W.2d 455, 461 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1988) ("The statute of frauds is
not a defense to any action for damages based on fraud or breach of
fiduciary duty, both being tort actions." (citing Sibley )), writ
denied per curiam, 778 S.W.2d 865 (Tex.1989); Inman v. Wallace,
558 S.W.2d 554, 556 (Tex.Civ.App.—Waco 1977, no writ) (" "The fact
that false representations are made in connection with a contract
which the general statute of frauds requires to be in writing does
not render it necessary that such representations shall be in
writing in order that they may sustain an action of deceit ...
where plaintiff does not seek to enforce the contract or sue for a
breach thereof.' " (citation omitted)).45
Whether a particular claim sounds in tort or contract is not
simply a matter of the legal theory pleaded. "[O]ften it is
difficult in practice to determine the type of action that is
brought. We must look to the substance of the cause of action and
not necessarily the manner in which it was pleaded." Jim Walter
Homes, Inc. v. Reed, 711 S.W.2d 617, 617-18 (Tex.1986); see also
Southwestern Bell Tel. Co. v. DeLanney, 809 S.W.2d 493, 494
(Tex.1991) (agreeing that negligence claim "sounded only in
contract" because plaintiff "sought damages for breach of a duty
45
Krupp Organization v. Belin Communities, Inc., 582 S.W.2d
514 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1979, writ ref'd n.r.e.),
upon which Federal relies, is a breach of contract case, see id.
at 516, and is therefore distinguishable.
53
created under the contract"); Barbouti, 866 S.W.2d 288 (stating
that although plaintiff "alleged ... fraud and conspiracy to commit
fraud," defendants' "liability, if any, ar[ose] from failure to
comply with the ... agreement; therefore the claim sound[ed] only
in contract"); Collins v. McCombs, 511 S.W.2d 745, 747
(Tex.Civ.App.—San Antonio 1974, writ ref'd n.r.e.) ("Even if it be
conceded that an action in tort for deceit is unaffected by the
provisions of the statute of frauds, the judicial disregard of the
statute should be limited to situations in which the essence of the
action truly sounds in tort.").
Whether a particular claim sounds in tort depends in part on
the duty alleged to have been violated:
If the defendant's conduct ... would give rise to liability
independent of the fact that a contract exists between the
parties, the plaintiff's claim may also sound in tort.
Conversely, if the defendant's conduct ... would give rise to
liability only because it breaches the parties' agreement, the
plaintiff's claim ordinarily sounds only in contract.
DeLanney, 809 S.W.2d at 494; see also Lawson v. Commercial Credit
Business Loans, 690 S.W.2d 679, 681 (Tex.App.—Waco 1985, writ ref'd
n.r.e.) (holding that § 2.201 did "not insulate [the defendant]
from liability under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act for the
false and misleading statements which its employees made...."
because the evidence raised an issue whether the defendant "did
more than merely fail to perform under an oral agreement");
Keriotis v. Lombardo Rental Trust, 607 S.W.2d 44, 46
(Tex.Civ.App.—Beaumont 1980, writ ref'd n.r.e.) (holding that DTPA
action for misrepresentations failed "under the statute of frauds"
because "no attempt [was] made to establish any acts other than the
54
promise to convey and the failure to do so").
"[I]t is also instructive to examine the nature of the
plaintiff's loss. When the only loss or damage is to the subject
matter of the contract, the plaintiff's action is ordinarily on the
contract." DeLanney, 809 S.W.2d at 494; see also Keriotis, 607
S.W.2d at 46 (stating that "both the alleged misrepresentations and
the damages sought support the conclusion that plaintiff is
attempting to recover damages for failure to perform an oral
promise governed by the statute of frauds"); Collins, 511 S.W.2d
at 747 ("Where plaintiff, although casting his complaint in the
form of a cause of action for fraud, is attempting to recover
damages for the breach of the promise, it is clear that he is, in
effect, attempting to enforce the oral agreement."). " "The nature
of the injury most often determines which duty or duties are
breached. When the injury is only the economic loss to the subject
of a contract itself the action sounds in contract alone.' "
DeLanney, 809 S.W.2d at 494 (quoting Jim Walter Homes, 711 S.W.2d
at 618).
Under the foregoing Texas authorities, Duravision's and MPR's
fraud and DTPA claims sound in tort: this is not a case where the
defendant's misconduct amounts to little more than breach of a
contract. In addition to alleging that Federal failed to perform
as it had promised, Duravision and MPR alleged and proved that
Federal made numerous misrepresentations of the impending
production and delivery of Duravision displays which were not
provided for by agreements between Federal and either Duravision or
55
MPR. Although the parties disagree as to how many display machines
Federal was contractually bound to manufacture, neither of them
contends that all of the hundreds of machines as to which the jury
found misrepresentations were provided for by an agreement between
the parties.46 Nor does the record support the conclusion that any
agreement encompassed that many machines. Furthermore, this is not
a case where "the only loss or damage is to the subject matter of
the contract," DeLanney, 809 S.W.2d at 494, since the jury awarded
damages based on lost profits from numerous Duravision signs which
were not provided for by any agreement between Federal and
Duravision or MPR.47 The damages awarded by the jury in this case
therefore were not merely damages for breach of a contract.
Because Duravision's and MPR's claims sound in tort rather than
contract, recovery on those claims is not defeated by the statute
of frauds.
B
Federal also contends that the magistrate judge committed
reversible error by excluding from evidence Plaintiff's Exhibits 51
and 51a. "Determinations of admissibility of evidence rest largely
within the discretion of the trial court." United States v. Gorel,
46
Federal contends that it only agreed to produce the 20
machines provided for in the original agreement with Duravision.
Duravision and MPR argue that the addendum to that contract
increased Federal's obligation to 100 machines every 12 months.
47
In almost every instance where we found that Duravision
and MPR proved their lost profits with reasonable certainty, we
so found because the display machines in question were the
subject of binding contracts. See supra part II.A.2. However,
the contracts to which we refer were not contracts between the
parties to this lawsuit.
56
622 F.2d 100, 105 (5th Cir.1979), cert. denied, 445 U.S. 943, 100
S.Ct. 1340, 63 L.Ed.2d 777 (1980). "The trial judge has wide
discretion as to relevance and materiality of evidence. Such
rulings will not be disturbed on appeal absent a clear showing of
an abuse of discretion." United States v. Grimm, 568 F.2d 1136,
1138 (5th Cir.1978). Nevertheless, we conclude that Federal's
argument has merit.
Exhibit 51 is a written contract between Federal, Duravision,
and MPR wherein Duravision assigned to MPR the exclusive right to
purchase Duravision displays from Federal for distribution
everywhere in the world except the United States and Canada "[i]n
exchange for a four percent (4%) royalty on the gross amount [MPR]
receives as license fees." Exhibit 51-A is an agreement, signed by
Marc Johnson and Rodolfo Velasco, which provides that
any net proceeds whatsoever received from MPR Group, Inc.'s
efforts in obtaining users of the Duravision Concept in the
world except for the United States of America and Canada shall
be owned and distributed fifty percent (50%) to Marc E.
Johnson, after the payment to Duravision Incorporated of a
four percent (4%) royalty on all gross amounts received from
license fees.
At trial counsel for Federal offered these exhibits into evidence,
and the magistrate instructed counsel that he could go into Exhibit
51 if he could "establish that was a valid, binding contract."
Counsel then elicited from John Vickers, a representative of
Duravision, an admission that nothing on the face of Exhibit 51 or
Exhibit 51-A indicated it was not a valid, binding contract.
Vickers testified, however, that neither agreement ever took
effect, since the parties agreed orally that the agreements were to
57
take effect only upon the acquisition of Duravision by Montello
Resources, and that takeover never happened. The magistrate judge
thereafter excluded Exhibits 51 and 51-A from evidence. In light
of the magistrate judge's comments and Vickers' testimony, we
believe that the magistrate judge excluded Exhibits 51 and 51-A
because he found that they did not represent binding agreements,
and thus were not relevant. See Fed.R.Evid. 401 (defining relevant
evidence); 402 (providing that evidence which is not relevant is
inadmissible).
Federal argues that the magistrate judge abused his discretion
by sustaining Duravision and MPR's objection to Exhibits 51 and 51-
A on relevance grounds. Federal contends that the exhibits are
relevant because Vickers' testimony that the agreements never took
effect "went at most to the weight of the agreement, not to its
admissibility." We agree.
As Vickers conceded at trial, nothing on the face of the
agreements suggests that they were not to take effect until the
completion of the Montello takeover. Therefore, by ruling that the
agreements were not effective, the magistrate judge improperly
added to the terms of the agreement, based on parol evidence.
Texas' parol evidence rule provides: "When parties have concluded
a valid integrated agreement with respect to a particular subject
matter, [that] rule precludes the enforcement of inconsistent prior
or contemporaneous agreements." Hubacek v. Ennis State Bank, 159
Tex. 166, 317 S.W.2d 30, 31 (1958); see also Tripp Village Joint
Venture v. MBank Lincoln Centre, N.A., 774 S.W.2d 746, 749
58
(Tex.App.—Dallas 1989, writ denied) (stating that extrinsic
evidence is inadmissible to "supplement" the terms of a written
instrument that on its face is complete and unambiguous); 14
Tex.Jur.3d Contracts § 224 (1981) ("A contract takes effect from
the time the parties agree on its terms."). The magistrate judge's
conclusion that Exhibits 51 and 51A were ineffective, and thus
irrelevant, was therefore premised on a misapplication of Texas
law, and the magistrate judge abused his discretion by excluding
those exhibits from evidence.
Duravision and MPR argue that even if the exclusion of
Exhibits 51 and 51A was error, it was harmless error, see
Fed.R.Evid. 103 ("Error may not be predicated upon a ruling which
admits or excludes evidence unless a substantial right of the party
is affected...."), because Plaintiff's Exhibit 55, which was
admitted into evidence, referred to an agreement providing
Duravision a four percent royalty on MPR's profits. That argument
is unpersuasive. Exhibit 55 does not mention the agreement found
in Plaintiff's Exhibit 51A, which entitled Marc Johnson to half of
MPR's profits after Duravision's four percent royalty. That
agreement allocated forty-eight percent of all profits earned on
Duravision displays outside the U.S.A. and Canada to Johnson, who
was not awarded damages by the jury, and who is not a party to this
appeal. Had the jury seen that agreement and regarded it as a
binding contract, it should have awarded substantially less damages
for lost profits to MPR and Duravision. Therefore, the admission
of Plaintiff's Exhibit 55 does not render the exclusion of
59
Plaintiff's Exhibit 51A harmless.48 Federal is entitled to
reversal, and to a new trial on the issue of lost profits which
would have been affected by the agreement in Exhibit 51A, i.e. lost
profits on Duravision machines which would have been distributed
outside the United States and Canada. On remand, if it is
determined that Exhibits 51 and 51A represent a binding agreement,
the lost profits awarded to Duravision and MPR should be reduced as
demonstrated by the distribution specified in that agreement.
C
Federal next argues that the award of $9,000,000 in punitive
damages to Duravision and MPR must be reversed because punitive
damages may only be awarded where the claimant has suffered a
distinct injury in tort, whereas in this case Duravision's and
MPR's damages flow solely from Federal's breach of the Display
Sales Agreement. "Punitive damages are not recoverable for breach
of contract. The party seeking punitive damages must obtain at
least one finding of an independent tort with accompanying actual
damages." Texas Nat'l Bank v. Karnes, 717 S.W.2d 901, 903
(Tex.1986); see also Bellfonte Underwriters Ins. Co. v. Brown, 704
S.W.2d 742, 745 (Tex.1986) (referring to "the basic principles"
that "punitive damages are not awarded for breach of contract," and
"the award of damages in tort is a prerequisite to recovery of
punitive damages"). "If th[e] issue sounds in contract, no
48
Because we hold that Federal is entitled to reversal based
on the exclusion of Exhibit 51A, we do not reach the question
whether the admission of Plaintiff's Exhibit 55 renders the
exclusion of Exhibit 51 harmless.
60
punitive damages should [be] awarded." Karnes, 717 S.W.2d at 903.
Because we have already concluded that Duravision's and MPR's
claims sound in tort, rather than contract, see supra part II.A.3,
we reject Federal's attack on the jury's award of punitive
damages.49 Because we remand for retrial of the actual damages
awarded, however, we also remand for retrial of the extent to which
Duravision and MPR are entitled to punitive damages.50
III
For the foregoing reasons, I would VACATE the judgment of the
district court and REMAND only in part. However, because Judges
Garwood and Head would remand for a new trial as to all damages,
actual and exemplary, see Garwood, J., concurring in part and
dissenting in part, infra,51 we VACATE the judgment of the district
court and REMAND for a new trial consistent with the opinion of the
Court.52
GARWOOD, Circuit Judge, in which HEAD, District Judge, joins,
concurring in part and dissenting in part:
49
Federal also contends that the magistrate judge erred in
awarding prejudgment interest. Because we vacate the judgment
and remand for a new trial on the issue of damages, we do not
review the award of prejudgment interest.
50
Alamo Nat'l Bank v. Kraus, 616 S.W.2d 908, 910 (Tex.1981)
(requiring a reasonable ratio between actual and punitive
damages); Southwestern Investment Co. v. Neeley, 452 S.W.2d 705,
707 (Tex.1970) ("[T]he amount of exemplary damage should be
reasonably proportioned to the actual damages found.").
51
Although I am sympathetic with Judges Garwood and Head's
position on retrial, I believe that Part II.A.2 is consistent
with Texas law and does not require a new trial on all damages
issues.
52
See supra note 1 for a delineation of those parts
constituting the opinion of the Court.
61
I concur in parts I, II.A.1, II.A.3., II.B. and II.C. of Judge
Garza's thorough opinion. I also join in those portions of part
II.A.2. holding that, for the reasons there stated, various
specific categories of claimed lost future revenues may not be
recovered because the evidence does not establish them with
reasonable certainty. Although I agree with the ultimate
determination that the evidence suffices to adequately establish
that DURAVISION and MPR suffered some recoverable lost profits, in
my view the only practical and just course is to order a new trial
as to all damages, actual and exemplary. The jury's actual damage
findings were not divided by category but rather consisted only of
one lump sum figure for each plaintiff, $3,995,000 for DURAVISION
and $4,750,000 for MPR, in response to a single special
interrogatory.53 Nothing else in the verdict provides any basis on
which to divide or allocate the damage award. Judge Garza's
opinion demonstrates that less than a third of each plaintiff's
lump sum actual damage award is sustainable, and that the entirety
of each punitive damage award must be retried.54 All significant
53
The punitive damages were similarly awarded each plaintiff
in a single lump sum ($4.5 million each) in response to a single
interrogatory.
54
I do not necessarily agree with all those portions of part
II.A.2. as find various categories of claimed lost future
revenues adequately established. In determining whether the
evidence suffices to allow a finding that these items were
established with reasonable certainty, I would give more weight
to the newness and lack of profit experience of the businesses
involved, both that of the plaintiffs themselves and STOC, the
inexperience of their executives and owners in both this type of
business and in the foreign markets concerned, the lack of a
track record for this or similar products in those foreign
markets, the paucity of evidence as to the financial
62
categories of claimed lost profits were hotly disputed and none is
established as a matter of law. In these circumstances, a full
retrial on damages is plainly called for.
responsibility of STOC and Guerra, the substantial differences
between the markets (and business practices) in the foreign
nations concerned and those in the United States, and the more
uncertain and changing nature of the former. I do not ultimately
resolve these concerns as I believe a full new trial—at which the
evidence may be different—on damages is required. I do agree
with Judge Garza that "the absence of evidence that Federal was
contractually bound to produce the hundreds of machines which
formed the basis of the jury's verdict [or that such machines
were available at the requisite price elsewhere] calls into
question the certainty of the lost profits which the jury found."
See supra note 22.
63