Supply Pro, Inc. and Harmon K. Fine, Individually v. Ecosorb International, Inc., D/B/A Biocel Technologies ( 2016 )


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  • Opinion issued August 30, 2016
    In The
    Court of Appeals
    For The
    First District of Texas
    ————————————
    NO. 01-15-00621-CV
    ———————————
    SUPPLY PRO, INC. AND HARMON K. FINE, INDIVIDUALLY, Appellants
    V.
    ECOSORB INTERNATIONAL, INC. D/B/A BIOCEL TECHNOLOGIES,
    Appellee
    On Appeal from the 11th District Court
    Harris County, Texas
    Trial Court Case No. 2012-24524
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    Appellants Supply Pro, Inc. and Harmon K. Fine appeal a final judgment
    rendered on a jury verdict in favor of appellee Ecosorb International, Inc. d/b/a
    Biocel Technologies in a breach of contract and fraud case. In five issues, appellants
    argue that: (1) there is legally insufficient evidence to support the jury’s finding that
    the parties agreed to include a clawback provision1 as part of a workout agreement
    entered into by the parties; (2) alternatively, the trial court erred by refusing to submit
    appellants’ requested jury charge question on fraudulent inducement/equitable
    estoppel; (3) the evidence is legally insufficient to support the damage awards for
    storage charges, the clawback provision, and the take-or-pay term; (4) the evidence
    is legally insufficient to support the awards of punitive damages; and, (5) the trial
    court erred by not incorporating Biocel’s remitittur on prejudgment interest into the
    judgment.
    We modify the trial court’s judgment, and affirm, as modified.
    Background
    Harmon Fine is the President and owner of Supply Pro, Inc. (Supply Pro).
    Supply Pro manufactures absorbent floating boom that is used to contain and cleanup
    offshore oil spills.
    After British Petroleum’s (BP) Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April
    2010, causing a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, scrap polypropylene, Supply
    Pro’s regular boom-fill material, was in short supply after the spill. As a result,
    1
    Biocel refers to this provision as the “participation clause.” For ease of reference,
    however, we will adopt appellants’ terminology.
    2
    Supply Pro and other boom manufacturers had to look for a competitively priced
    alternative.
    Ecosorb International, Inc. d/b/a Biocel Technologies (Biocel), and its parent
    company, International Cellulose Corporation (ICC), manufacture and sell one such
    alternative—K-Sorb, a cellulose fiber product that has been chemically treated to
    make it water repellent. Steve Kempe is the owner of ICC, which manufactures
    K-Sorb and the other goods that Biocel sells. After the Deepwater Horizon spill,
    Biocel’s product was in demand by companies which manufactured oil containment
    booms. In May 2010, Supply Pro began purchasing K-Sorb from Biocel to use as a
    filler in its booms.
    In mid-June 2010, BP (through Supply Pro’s distributor, Pacific
    Environmental) requested Supply Pro to produce ten truckloads of boom per day. To
    achieve that level of production, Supply Pro invested heavily in expanding its
    facilities and equipment and increased its employees from 50 to 350. By June 29,
    Supply Pro was expecting to produce and ship five truckloads of boom per day in
    early July, then ten per day by the middle of July.
    On July 11, Biocel emailed Supply Pro that it had “many new customers that
    are booking more than their needs” and that “due to the extreme production demands
    created by the oil containment crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, all orders for our
    3
    hydrophobic materials” would, among other things, be “non-cancellable, ‘take or
    pay.’” Supply Pro did not reply to this email.
    On July 13, 2010, Supply Pro submitted blanket purchase order no. 41724 (the
    July 13 PO) for 31,680 bags (twenty-eight truckloads) of K-Sorb. This PO did not
    include any terms and conditions besides the product, quantity, price, and net
    thirty-day payment terms.
    On July 16, 2010, Biocel issued order acknowledgment No. 5301 (the July 16
    OA) for the July 13 PO which confirmed a purchase price of $14,572.80 for only
    1,056 bags (one truckload) of K-Sorb.
    BP capped the leaking well on July 15, 2010. Then, on July 23-25, Tropical
    Storm Bonnie dispersed the remaining oil from the spill. In the late afternoon on July
    27, BP instructed Supply Pro to reduce its production from ten truckloads of boom
    per day to three, but cautioned that circumstances could change quickly as the oil
    moved or reached land areas.
    On July 29, Supply Pro submitted PO no. 41778 (the July 29 PO) to Biocel
    for the 29,568 bags (twenty-eight truckloads) of K-Sorb that would be needed to
    meet BP’s three-truckload production level. On July 29, Biocel issued an OA (the
    July 29 OA) for Supply Pro’s July 13 PO. This OA also included Biocel’s
    non-cancellation take-or-pay term.
    4
    On July 30, BP instructed Supply Pro to stop all boom production, but
    acknowledged that production could resume at a later time.
    On or about August 4, 2010, Supply Pro sent a notice to Biocel stating that it
    was canceling the remainder of its July 13 PO and all of its July 29 PO. As of that
    date, Biocel had already produced 6,912 bags of K-Sorb pursuant to these purchase
    orders.
    Fine and Kempe met for lunch on August 11, 2010. Kempe testified in detail
    about the workout agreement that he and Fine reached at that meeting. According to
    Kempe, he sent an email to Fine on August 13, 2010 that reflected the terms of their
    deal.
    In his August 13, 2010 email to Fine, Kempe stated: “I am certain we can
    work together to craft a mutually agreeable resolution.” Kempe further stated:
    “Based on our discussions and some subsequent thinking, we propose the
    following.” He then set forth the terms of the workout which was organized into two
    parts.
    The first part of the email applied if Supply Pro was not compensated by
    Pacific or BP for its cancelled orders. This part contained three sections providing:
    (1) Supply Pro and Biocel would try to sell the 6,912 bags of K-Sorb over a 6-month
    period (until February 1, 2011), at which time Supply Pro would purchase any
    remaining bags; (2) Supply Pro was given the option of (i) paying $12,750
    5
    restocking fee in order to immediately return the raw chemical feedstock that Biocel
    had on hand to Biocel’s suppliers or (ii) having Biocel use the feedstock to produce
    K-Sorb that could be sold or used later, in which case Supply Pro would be invoiced
    for any bags of K-Sorb remaining as of January 2011; and (3) Biocel would waive
    remaining purchase requirements under open orders.
    The second part, which appellants refer to as the “clawback provision,”
    applied if Supply Pro was compensated by Pacific or BP. It contained five sections,
    which provided, among other things, that: Biocel would be compensated by Supply
    Pro in the same proportion Supply Pro was compensated for cancelled orders (“less
    the restocking fee outlined above if the raw material return option is elected by
    Supply Pro”); “other than the offset for the 12[,]750 restocking fee should Supply
    Pro elect that option there will be no other offsets to compensate or quantities
    delivered;” and Supply Pro would notify Biocel in a timely manner in the event of
    receipt of payments from BP.
    After setting forth these alternative scenarios, Kempe stated: “Kindly confirm
    your acceptance of the above. I also need to hear from you specifically regarding the
    disposition of the unconverted raw material.” Kempe further stated that Biocel is
    “reviewing several strategies” that Fine and Kempe discussed at lunch “regarding
    ongoing natural fiber boom sales” and that Biocel will contact Fine the following
    week to discuss Biocel’s ideas.
    6
    On August 16, Fine sent Kempe an email, replying to the August 13 email.
    Fine’s email: (1) authorized Biocel to return the raw materials and charge Fine
    $12,750; and (2) agreed to purchase the balance of the 6,912 bags of K-Sorb
    remaining after six months. Fine’s email did not expressly refer to any of the other
    proposed terms set forth in Kempe’s August 13th email. Kempe replied that same
    day and informed Fine that the return process was underway.
    At trial, Kempe explained that subsections 1-2 of part one, and all of part two,
    including the clawback provision, were agreed to at lunch. Kempe testified that Fine
    acknowledged to Kempe during their meeting that Supply Pro was subject to
    Biocel’s take-or-pay terms. Fine claimed “he [Supply Pro] was left holding the bag
    with all the expenses and the cancellation of what he had in progress.” Fine said he
    did not expect to be paid for cancelled orders. Fine and Kempe concluded the lunch
    with a handshake:
    We [Fine and I] had an agreement and a handshake at Goode’s BBQ. I
    followed that up—not—I’m not an attorney. I did the best I could
    preparing that document, summarizing that agreement. There’s a lot of
    detail in that. I sent that to him in case I missed something. He
    responded to me with the two portions of the agreement that required
    me to do something, rejected none of the other elements as we had
    agreed at lunch and we moved on from there; that’s correct.
    On August 27, Kempe emailed Fine that the raw material return had been completed.
    On September 4, after negotiations between BP and Pacific, Supply Pro
    received a check for $1,592,448 from Pacific, which it contends was intended to
    7
    compensate for some of the costs incurred expanding its production facility. Biocel
    did not learn of this payment until September 2014—over two years after it filed suit
    against appellants.
    On December 1, Fine advised Kempe that Supply Pro still had twenty-one
    truckloads of boom in its warehouse and $1.7M of feedstock that would probably
    never be used. None of the remaining 6,912 bags of K-Sorb in Biocel’s factory were
    ever sold, and Supply Pro did not pay for them.
    Biocel filed suit against appellants in 2012, and the case was tried to a jury in
    February 2015. The jury found in Biocel’s favor with regard to its breach of contract
    and fraud claims against appellants. Specifically, the jury found that: (1) Supply Pro
    and Biocel agreed that the clawback provision proposed in the August 13 email
    would be part of the “workout agreement,” (2) Supply Pro failed to comply with the
    workout agreement, (3) Biocel and Fine agreed that Fine would personally guaranty
    the workout agreement, (4) Fine failed to comply with the personal guaranty, and
    (5) Supply Pro and Fine each committed fraud against Biocel.2
    2
    As it was submitted in the charge, Biocel’s fraud claim was based on the allegations
    that Fine and Supply Pro had fraudulently induced the workout agreement by: (1)
    entering into it without intending to perform; and (2) misrepresenting that Supply
    Pro was in a precarious financial position due to the sudden evaporation of its market
    for boom and that Supply Pro had no expectation of receiving compensation for the
    cancellation of its boom sales.
    8
    The jury also found breach of contract damages for: (a) the price of the 6,912
    bales on February 1, 2011 that Biocel was unable to resell at a reasonable price
    ($95,385.60); (b) commercially reasonable and necessary charges for the custody
    and care of the goods stored by Biocel ($303,815.65); and (c) Biocel’s proportionate
    share of compensation received by Supply Pro from its distributor for the termination
    of the boom deliveries ($385,517.00).
    With regard to Biocel’s fraud damages, the jury found that: (1) the price of
    the 6,912 bales on February 1, 2011 that Biocel was unable to resell was $95,385.60,
    (2) commercially reasonable and necessary charges for the custody and care of the
    goods stored by Biocel were $303,815.65; (3) Biocel’s proportionate share of
    compensation received by Supply Pro from its distributor for the termination of the
    boom deliveries was $385,517.00, and (4) the unpaid amounts due under the July
    POs was $480,902.60.
    Finally, the jury unanimously found that there was clear and convincing
    evidence that Supply Pro’s and Fine’s fraud harmed Biocel, and assessed $800,000
    in exemplary damages against Supply Pro and $1,000,000 in exemplary damages
    against Fine.
    On April 21, 2015, pursuant to Biocel’s election not to take the contract
    damages, the trial court entered judgment on the fraud and exemplary damage
    findings. Specifically, the court rendered judgment in favor of Biocel for: (1)
    9
    $783,421.05 in actual damages and $118,266.64 in prejudgment interest against
    appellees, jointly and severally; (2) $800,000 in exemplary damages against Supply
    Pro; and (3) $1,000,000 in exemplary damages against Fine. 3 The $783,421.05 in
    actual damages awarded includes all of the fraud damages that the jury found, except
    for the $480,902.60 the jury found was due under the July POs.
    Appellants filed various timely post-judgment motions. The trial court denied
    appellants’ post-judgment motions on June 29, 2015, but did not rule on, or modify
    the judgment to reflect, the remittitur that Biocel filed on June 29, 2105 to correct
    the award of prejudgment interest. This appeal followed.
    Clawback Provision
    In their first issue, appellants argue that there is legally insufficient evidence
    supporting the jury’s liability findings relating to the clawback provision.
    A.    Standard of Review
    When conducting a legal sufficiency challenge, we view the evidence in the
    light most favorable to the verdict, crediting favorable evidence if reasonable jurors
    could do so and disregarding contrary evidence unless reasonable jurors could not.
    City of Keller v. Wilson, 
    168 S.W.3d 802
    , 827 (Tex. 2005); see Tiller v. McLure, 
    121 S.W.3d 709
    , 713 (Tex. 2003) (holding that, in reviewing “no evidence” point, court
    3
    The judgment also awarded Biocel $637,455 in attorney’s fees through trial and an
    additional $75,000 in contingent attorney’s fees.
    10
    views evidence in light that tends to support finding of disputed fact and disregards
    all evidence and inferences to contrary). To sustain a challenge to the legal
    sufficiency of the evidence supporting a jury finding, the reviewing court must find
    that (1) there is a complete lack of evidence of a vital fact; (2) the court is barred by
    rules of law or of evidence from giving weight to the only evidence offered to prove
    a vital fact; (3) there is no more than a mere scintilla of evidence to prove a vital
    fact; or (4) the evidence conclusively established the opposite of a vital fact.
    Volkswagen of Am., Inc. v. Ramirez, 
    159 S.W.3d 897
    , 903 (Tex. 2004). “[M]ore than
    a scintilla of evidence exists if the evidence ‘rises to a level that would enable
    reasonable and fair-minded people to differ in their conclusions.’” Ford Motor Co.
    v. Ridgway, 
    135 S.W.3d 598
    , 601 (Tex. 2004) (quoting Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc. v.
    Havner, 
    953 S.W.2d 706
    , 711 (Tex. 1997)). Conversely, evidence that is “so weak
    as to do no more than create a mere surmise or suspicion” is no more than a scintilla
    and, thus, no evidence. 
    Id. (quoting Kindred
    v. Con/Chem., Inc., 
    650 S.W.2d 61
    , 63
    (Tex. 1983)).
    B.    Applicable Law
    1.     Contract Interpretation
    In construing a written contract, our primary concern is to ascertain and give
    effect to the parties’ intentions as expressed in the document. Italian Cowboy
    Partners, Ltd. v. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 
    341 S.W.3d 323
    , 333 (Tex. 2011); Frost
    11
    Nat’l Bank v. L&F Distribs., Ltd., 
    165 S.W.3d 310
    , 311–12 (Tex. 2005). Contract
    terms will be given their plain, ordinary, and generally accepted meanings unless the
    contract itself shows them to be used in a technical or different sense. Valence
    Operating Co. v. Dorsett, 
    164 S.W.3d 656
    , 662 (Tex. 2005). If, after applying the
    pertinent contract construction rules, the contract can be given a certain or definite
    legal meaning or interpretation, then it is not ambiguous, and we will construe the
    contract as a matter of law. Frost Nat’l 
    Bank, 165 S.W.3d at 312
    .
    If a contract is ambiguous, the court should accept parol evidence and can
    empanel a jury to decide, as an issue of fact, the “true intent of the parties.” Coker v.
    Coker, 
    650 S.W.2d 391
    , 394–95 (Tex. 1983); see also Pitts & Collard, L.L.P. v.
    Schechter, 
    369 S.W.3d 301
    , 315 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011, no pet.).
    While evidence of circumstances can be used to inform the contract text and render
    it capable of one meaning, extrinsic evidence can only be considered to interpret an
    ambiguous writing, not to create an ambiguity. See Kachina Pipeline Co., Inc. v.
    Lillis, 
    471 S.W.3d 445
    , 450 (Tex. 2015) (citations omitted).
    2.     Contract Formation
    A plaintiff suing based on a contract must prove the essential elements of a
    contract, including offer, acceptance, and a meeting of the minds. See Principal Life
    Ins. Co. v. Revalen Dev., LLC, 
    358 S.W.3d 451
    , 454–55 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2012,
    pet. denied). “[T]he offer must be reasonably definite in its terms and must
    12
    sufficiently cover the essentials of the proposed transaction that, with an expression
    of assent, there will be a complete and definite agreement on all essential details.”
    
    Id. at 455;
    see also CRSS Inc. v. Runion, 
    992 S.W.2d 1
    , 4 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st
    Dist.] 1995, writ denied) (“[A]n acceptance must be identical with the offer to make
    a binding contract”). In other words, “[t]he parties must agree to the same thing, in
    the same sense, at the same time.” Principal Life Ins. 
    Co., 358 S.W.3d at 455
    .
    “Whether the parties reached an agreement is a question of fact.” Parker Drilling
    Co. v. Romfor Supply Co., 
    316 S.W.3d 68
    , 72 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.]
    2010, pet. denied). “Whether an agreement is legally enforceable, however, is a
    question of law.” 
    Id. There are
    certain circumstances in which silence may operate as acceptance.
    “When an offeree fails to reply to an offer, his silence and inaction operate as an
    acceptance . . . . [w]here because of previous dealings or otherwise, it is reasonable
    that the offeree should notify the offeror if he does not intend to accept.”
    RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF CONTRACTS § 69(1) (Am. Law Inst. 1981). Whether
    silence is acceptance, however, is a question of fact. See Union Carbide Corp. v.
    Jones, No. 01-14-00574-CV, 
    2016 WL 1237825
    , at *6 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st
    Dist.] Mar. 29, 2016, no pet. h.) (mem. op.). An ambiguous acceptance also presents
    a question of fact for the factfinder. See Amedisys, Inc. v. Kingwood Home Health
    13
    Care, LLC, 
    437 S.W.3d 507
    , 517 (Tex. 2014) (citing Coleman v. Reich, 
    417 S.W.3d 488
    , 493–94 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2013, no pet.)).
    C.    Analysis
    Biocel argues that Fine’s September 10, 2013 deposition testimony and
    Kempe’s trial testimony are some evidence that the parties accepted all of the terms
    set forth in Kempe’s August 13 email, including the clawback provision. We can
    consider extrinsic evidence as part of our sufficiency review if the workout
    agreement is ambiguous. See 
    Coker, 650 S.W.2d at 394
    –95; see also Kachina
    Pipeline Co., 
    Inc., 471 S.W.3d at 450
    (noting that extrinsic evidence cannot be used
    to create contractual ambiguity).
    Fine’s August 16 response expressly references only two parts of Kempe’s
    proposed workout agreement: (1) Biocel’s offer of assistance in selling the 6,912
    bags of K-Sorb, and (2) Biocel’s proposed plan to mitigate some of its losses by
    returning any unused raw materials to its manufacturer. When he authorized Biocel
    to return the raw materials, Fine also agreed to pay the associated $12,750 restocking
    fee. Notably, this restocking fee provision is in both the first section of Kempe’s
    email, and in the clawback provision. Fine’s August 16 response does not expressly
    reject or accept the remaining provisions of the offer, nor does he suggest any
    modifications to the offer.
    14
    After reviewing the plain language of the August 13 and August 16 emails,
    we conclude that Fine’s silence in the written documents, with regard to the other
    terms of Kempe’s offer, is susceptible to more than one reasonable interpretation.
    See Union Carbide Corp., 
    2016 WL 1237825
    , at *6 (stating that party’s silence may
    be interpreted as acceptance and if offeree’s silence is ambiguous, this creates
    question of fact). If Fine’s silence was intended to indicate that he implicitly
    accepted all of the terms of Kempe’s offer, then the clawback provision is part of the
    workout agreement. If, however, Fine’s silence was intended to indicate that he
    rejected those other terms, then Fine’s reply does not meet the requirements for an
    acceptance because “an acceptance must be identical with the offer to make a
    binding contract.” CRSS 
    Inc., 992 S.W.2d at 4
    . We note that because Fine’s August
    16 email did not attempt to modify the terms of Kempe’s offer, his response is not a
    counteroffer. See Parker Drilling 
    Co., 316 S.W.3d at 74
    (stating that purported
    acceptance that changes or qualifies offer’s material terms constitutes rejection and
    counteroffer rather than acceptance).4
    Because Fine’s silence in the written record creates an ambiguity as to whether
    he is accepting or rejecting the other terms of Kempe’s offer, including the clawback
    provision, a question of fact is presented with regard to appellants’ intent. See
    4
    We have not found—and the parties have not directed us to—any cases in which a
    party’s express acceptance of some parts of an offer, but silence as to others,
    constitutes an implicit modification of the offer.
    15
    Amedisys, 
    Inc., 437 S.W.3d at 517
    . In light of such ambiguity, the jury was free to
    consider parol or extrinsic evidence when determining fact questions such as what
    was the parties’ agreement about the clawback provision.
    Some of the parol or extrinsic evidence that Biocel relies upon is Fine’s
    September 10, 2013 deposition testimony which seems to indicate that appellants
    accepted all of the terms set forth in Kempe’s August 13 email, including the
    clawback provision:
    Q.     Okay. And, so, your agreement—you accepted essentially the
    terms of the work-out deal as contained in the August 13th
    e-mail; is that fair?
    A.     Yes.
    Appellants argue that Biocel’s reliance upon this statement is misplaced because
    Fine’s testimony relates only to the first section of the workout agreement, and not
    the clawback provision. While questioning Fine about his August 16 email to
    Kempe, Fine was asked whether he accepted the terms of the workout agreement “as
    contained in the August 13th e-mail.” It is undisputed that Kempe’s August 13th
    email included the clawback provision. However, the question was not limited to a
    specific section of the offer and applies to the entire offer, which includes the
    clawback provision. Further, Fine, who did not testify at trial, did not qualify his
    answer during his deposition or introduce any evidence that his response was limited
    to the first half of the workout agreement.
    16
    In addition to Fine’s deposition testimony, Kempe testified at trial about
    previous dealings with Fine that made it “reasonable that [Fine] should notify
    [Kempe] if [Fine] d[id] not intend to accept.” RESTATEMENT (SECOND)                OF
    CONTRACTS § 69(1). Kempe testified that, at a lunch meeting on August 11, he and
    Fine discussed and agreed, at least in principle, to all of the terms of the workout
    agreement set forth in Kempe’s August 13 email, including the clawback provision.
    Kempe testified that, given this oral agreement, Kempe treated Fine’s August 16
    email as a full acceptance and went forward with the deal by returning the feedstock.
    Specifically, Kempe testified that Fine “responded to me with the two portions of
    the agreement that required me to do something, rejected none of the other elements
    of the agreement as we had agreed at lunch and we moved on from there.”
    Appellants argue that Kempe’s testimony should be excluded from our
    sufficiency review because it is conclusory and barred by the parol evidence rule.
    See City of Emory v. Lusk, 
    278 S.W.3d 77
    , 89 (Tex. App.—Tyler 2009, no pet.) (“A
    conclusory and nonprobative opinion is legally insufficient to support a jury
    verdict.”). Evidence is legally conclusory if it does nothing more than state a legal
    conclusion, and it is factually conclusory if it does not provide the underlying facts
    to support a conclusion. See Rizkallah v. Conner, 
    952 S.W.2d 580
    , 587–88 (Tex.
    App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1997, no writ). Kempe testified at length about each
    provision of the agreement reached at the August 11 lunch and averred that he and
    17
    Fine had discussed and agreed to the provisions. Therefore, Kempe’s testimony is
    not conclusory and, as previously discussed, it was not barred by the parol evidence
    rule.
    In light of Fine’s deposition testimony, Kempe’s trial testimony, and the
    August 13 and August 16 emails, there is more than a scintilla of evidence to support
    the jury’s finding that Biocel and Supply Pro agreed that the clawback provision
    would be part of the workout agreement.
    We overrule appellants’ first issue.
    Fraudulent Inducement
    In their second issue, appellants argue that if the take-or-pay term was part of
    the parties’ original agreements on the July 13 and July 29 purchase orders, then it
    was arguably induced by fraud and the evidence raised a material fact question on
    this issue, and the trial court erred by refusing to submit appellants’ requested charge
    question on fraudulent inducement/equitable estoppel. Biocel responds that the
    workout agreement was a novation, and/or a compromise and settlement agreement,
    and, therefore, it superseded any defenses to the original purchase agreements.
    Novation is the substitution of a new agreement between the same parties or
    the substitution of a new party with respect to an existing agreement. New York Party
    Shuttle, LLC v. Bilello, 
    414 S.W.3d 206
    , 214 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2013,
    pet. denied). When a novation occurs, only the new agreement can be enforced. 
    Id. 18 “A
    novation agreement need not be in writing or evidenced by express words of
    agreement, and an express release is not necessary to effect a discharge of an original
    obligation by novation.” Bank of N. Am. v. Bluewater Maint., Inc., 
    578 S.W.2d 841
    ,
    842 (Tex. Civ. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1979, writ ref’d n.r.e.). “The intent to
    accept the new obligation in lieu and in discharge of the old one may be inferred
    from the facts and circumstances surrounding the transaction [and] the conduct of
    the parties.” 
    Id. The parties
    do not dispute that the workout agreement is a novation of the
    original July purchase agreements. Appellants argue, however, that the workout
    agreement does not foreclose its claim for fraudulent inducement because the
    workout agreement does not contain an express release of such claims or a disclaimer
    of reliance. See, e.g., Italian 
    Cowboy, 341 S.W.3d at 332
    (stating that contract with
    adequate disclaimer of reliance clause can negate fraudulent inducement claim as
    matter of law) (citing Schlumberger Tech. Corp. v. Swanson, 
    959 S.W.2d 171
    , 179
    (Tex. 1997)). As this court has previously noted, however, “an express release is not
    necessary to effect a discharge of an original obligation by novation.” Bank of N.
    
    Am., 578 S.W.2d at 842
    .
    Appellants further contend that the workout agreement, like all other
    contracts, is subject to avoidance on the ground of fraudulent inducement. The
    opinions that appellants rely upon for this proposition, however, are distinguishable
    19
    because in those cases the parties alleged that the settlement agreement itself, not the
    previous agreement, was the product of fraudulent inducement. See generally Ford
    Motor Co. v. Castillo, 
    444 S.W.3d 616
    (Tex. 2014); Italian 
    Cowboy, 341 S.W.3d at 331
    . On appeal, appellants argue that they were fraudulently induced to accept the
    take-or-pay provision in the underlying agreements, i.e., the July purchase
    agreements. They do not argue that they were fraudulently induced to accept the
    workout agreement, i.e., the novation. We have not found—and appellants have not
    cited—any Texas cases in which a settlement agreement or novation was set aside
    because of a claim that the original, or an underlying agreement, was the product of
    fraudulent inducement.
    Accordingly, we find appellants’ argument unpersuasive. We hold that
    because the workout agreement constitutes a novation of the original purchase
    agreements, it superseded all defenses to the original agreements, and therefore,
    appellants’ fraudulent inducement claim is moot.5
    We overrule appellants’ second issue.
    5
    Biocel further contends that even if appellants’ challenges to original purchase
    agreements were not moot, appellants would still not have been entitled to a jury
    question on their fraudulent inducement/equitable estoppel claim because they did
    not present any evidence at trial that anyone from Biocel made any false, material
    misrepresentations or that appellants actually relied upon these statements.
    20
    Sufficiency of Damages Award
    In their third issue, appellants argue that the evidence is legally insufficient to
    support the damage awards for the clawback provision, the take-or-pay term, and the
    storage charges.
    A.    Clawback Provision
    In answer to questions 6c, 7c, and 10, the jury found that Biocel’s damages
    pertaining to the clawback provision were $385,517.00. Appellants argue that
    because the clawback provision was not part of the workout agreement, it could not
    have been fraudulently induced or breached, and therefore, the evidence is legally
    insufficient to support the jury’s answers awarding recovery for this element of
    damage. Because we have determined that there is legally sufficient evidence to
    support the jury’s finding that the parties agreed to include the clawback provision
    in the workout agreement, we find appellants’ argument unpersuasive.
    B.    Take-or-Pay Term
    In answer to questions 7d and 11, the jury found that the unpaid amount due
    under the July 13 and July 29 POs was $480,902.60. This represents the amount that
    would have been due for all 34,848 bags that remained undelivered when Supply
    Pro cancelled the POs. This amount is equal to the sum of the damages the jury found
    in response to questions 7a ($95,385.60) and 7c ($385,517.00).
    21
    Appellants argue that Biocel could not recover the $480,902.60 due under the
    July POs based on its fraud claim because Biocel alleged fraud only with regard to
    the workout agreement, not the underlying POs, and that because of the way the jury
    charge was organized, an award of damages based on 7d and 11 amounts to a double
    recovery. The trial court’s award of $783,421.05 in actual damages, however, equals
    the sum of the first three categories of fraud damages that the jury found: the price
    of the 6,912 bags of K-Sorb ($95,385.60), plus storage ($303,815.65), plus Biocel’s
    proportionate share of BP’s payment ($385,517.00), minus an agreed credit
    ($1,297.20). The record does not reflect that the trial court awarded Biocel any
    damages based on the jury’s answers to questions 7d and 11.
    C.    Storage Fees
    Appellants argue that the evidence is legally insufficient to support the award
    of $303,815.65 in damages for storage charges because there is no evidence that: (1)
    the 6,912 bags of K-Sorb should have been stored at all; (2) Biocel incurred any
    out-of-pocket cost for storing that material; or (3) the storage rate charged by Biocel
    was commercially reasonable.
    1.     Standard of Review
    We measure the sufficiency of the evidence against the submitted charge to
    determine whether evidence supports both the existence of damages and the amount
    awarded. See Regal Fin. Co. v. Tex Star Motors, Inc., 
    355 S.W.3d 595
    , 601 (Tex.
    22
    2010). If the terms used in the charge are not defined for the jury, and no objection
    is made on this issue, we measure sufficiency of the evidence against the commonly
    understood meanings of such terms. See Osterberg v. Peca, 
    12 S.W.3d 31
    , 55 (Tex.
    2000).
    Evidence is legally insufficient when (a) evidence of a vital fact is completely
    absent; (b) the court is barred by rules of law or of evidence from giving weight to
    the only evidence offered to prove a vital fact; (c) the evidence offered to prove a
    vital fact is no more than a mere scintilla; or (d) the evidence establishes conclusively
    the opposite of the vital fact. City of 
    Keller, 168 S.W.3d at 810
    . When conducting
    our sufficiency review, we consider only the evidence and reasonable inferences
    supporting the jury’s damages finding, and we must disregard any evidence to the
    contrary, except when such evidence is conclusive. See 
    id. at 817,
    821.
    2.     Analysis
    Although the jury was asked to find the “commercially reasonable and
    necessary charges for custody and care of the goods stored by Biocel,” the key terms,
    i.e., “commercially reasonable” and “necessary,” were not defined in the charge.
    Because no objection was made to the lack of definitions, we will review the
    sufficiency of the evidence based on the charge that was given and give these
    undefined terms their commonly understood meaning. See 
    Osterberg, 12 S.W.3d at 55
    .
    23
    Black’s Law Dictionary defines “reasonable” as “[f]air, proper, or moderate
    under the circumstances” and commerce as involving the exchange of goods and
    services. BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY 110, 523 (1996 pocket ed.). The common
    meaning of “necessary” is “being essential, indispensable, or requisite.” Sw. Bell
    Tel., L.P. v. Emmett, 
    459 S.W.3d 578
    , 584 (Tex. 2015) (citing to WEBSTER’S NEW
    UNIVERSAL UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY 1161 (1996 ed.)). Thus, the phrase
    “commercially reasonable and necessary charges” can be commonly understood to
    refer to charges that are “[f]air, proper, or moderate” in the context of an exchange
    of goods and services and are “essential, indispensable, or requisite.”
    The evidence establishes that on December 1, 2010, Kempe emailed Fine that,
    pursuant to their workout agreement, any of the 6,912 bags of K-Sorb that remained
    unsold by February 1, 2011, would be invoiced and shipped to Supply Pro. On
    February 1, Kempe invoiced Supply Pro $95,385.60 for the 6,912 bags. That same
    day, Fine and Kempe exchanged a series of contentious email messages regarding
    the remaining materials. In particular, after reminding Fine that Biocel had already
    “maintained this material on [appellants’] behalf for over 6 months,” Kempe stated
    that any of the 6,912 bags of K-Sorb that were not delivered would accrue storage
    charges of $0.15 per bag in March, $0.20 per bag in April, and $1.00 per bag
    thereafter.
    24
    When asked at his deposition if he was trying to renege on the workout
    agreement in early February 2011, Fine testified that he was not, and he claimed that,
    at that time, he intended to “eventually take the . . . fiber,” he just could not take it
    on February 1st, as the parties had originally agreed. Fine also testified that although
    Biocel sent him monthly invoices for the storage fees, he never disputed the charges
    or attempted to store the product elsewhere, or negotiate an alternative storage
    arrangement with Biocel. Because Fine never paid for or took delivery of the K-Sorb,
    or directed Biocel to discard or store the product elsewhere, Biocel continued to store
    the bags in its production plant until the time of trial. The jury awarded Biocel
    $303,815.65 in damages, which is the full amount of the accumulated storage
    charges from March 1, 2011 until the time of trial.
    In support of the award of storage fees, Kempe testified that Biocel stored
    Fine’s K-Sorb in its manufacturing plant because the company does not have a
    designated storage facility. According to Kempe, the stored material took up
    between 3,000-3,500 square feet of space in the plant that would otherwise have
    been used for productive purposes. Kempe also testified that Biocel had to adjust the
    manner in which it conducted business in order to accommodate the large volume of
    K-Sorb being stored in its production facility.
    Kempe explained that “the purpose of imposing a storage charge” was “[t]o
    compensate [Biocel] for the burden of storing and maintaining the material.” When
    25
    asked if it “cost [Biocel] money to have to take up floor space or truck space to store
    material for somebody,” Kempe responded, “Sure. There’s an inconvenience and
    kind of a non-discrete financial burden on dealing with that issue.” Kempe further
    testified that Fine “didn’t have to take delivery [of the K-Sorb]. He could have asked
    me to store it, which is what he in effect did. I’m storing product that by contract
    and by our agreement belonged to him as of February 1st, 2011.” When asked why
    the cost of storage increased over time, Kempe explained that it was “[b]ecause of
    the ongoing burden of us having to manage, handle, store and to try to maintain that
    in as good of condition as possible.”
    There is some evidence that appellants agreed to purchase the K-Sorb that
    Biocel had in its possession on February 1, 2011, and that appellants, not Biocel,
    owned the bags of K-Sorb as of that date. There is also some evidence that Biocel
    told appellants that they would be charged a storage fee for any bags still in Biocel’s
    possession beginning on March 1, 2011. There is also evidence that Biocel sent
    appellants monthly invoices for the accruing storage fees and that appellants never
    disputed the storage charges or attempted to work out alternative storage
    arrangements with Biocel.
    The jury could reasonably infer from Kempe’s testimony that the amount of
    storage fees charged by Biocel was fair under the circumstances in order to
    compensate Biocel for the financial burden associated with its management and
    26
    storage of appellants’ product. The jury could also infer that, given their contractual
    obligation, and Fine’s expressed intent to “eventually take the . . . fiber,” it was
    necessary for Biocel to continue to store the K-Sorb until Supply Pro took possession
    of the product, or instructed Biocel to destroy it or store it elsewhere.
    Therefore, although Kempe did not specifically testify that the storage charges
    were “necessary” or “reasonable,” the jury was nevertheless provided sufficient
    evidence from which it could conclude that the storage charges were essential in
    order to compensate Biocel for the financial burden of storing appellants’ product,
    unless and until appellants took possession of the product or instructed Biocel how
    to proceed with their property, e.g., store it elsewhere or discard it. See generally
    Ron Craft Chevrolet, Inc. v. Davis, 
    836 S.W.2d 672
    , 677 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1992,
    writ denied) (stating that witness does not have to speak “magic words,” such as
    “reasonable” and “necessary,” to support jury’s damages award).
    Appellants also argue that the evidence is legally insufficient because there is
    no evidence that Biocel incurred any out-of-pocket cost for storing the K-Sorb. The
    jury, however, did not have to find that Biocel incurred any out-of-pocket costs or
    expenses in order to award storage damages in this case. The jury was simply asked
    to find the amount of “commercially reasonable and necessary charges for custody
    and care of the goods stored by Biocel.” Business and Commerce Code section 2.710
    permits recovery of incidental damages in UCC cases, e.g., “commercially
    27
    reasonable charges . . . incurred in . . . care and custody of goods after the buyer’s
    breach.” TEX. BUS. & COM. CODE ANN. § 2.710 (West 2009). Although the UCC
    governs the parties’ original purchase agreements, it does not apply to the workout
    agreement, which is not a contract for the sale of goods—it is a settlement agreement
    and a novation of the original agreements. See Adams v. Petrade Int’l, Inc., 
    754 S.W.2d 696
    , 715 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1988, writ denied). Because the
    UCC is inapplicable to the workout agreement, the trial court did not err by refusing
    to include the word “incurred” in this portion of the charge and the UCC cases that
    appellants rely upon are similarly distinguishable. See, e.g., Malone v. Carl Kisabeth
    Co., Inc., 
    726 S.W.2d 188
    , 191–92 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1987, writ ref’d n.r.e.)
    (reversing and rendering take-nothing judgment in UCC case).
    After reviewing the evidence presented to the jury, including Fine’s and
    Kempe’s testimony, we hold that there is more than a scintilla of evidence to support
    the jury’s award of damages based on storage fees.
    We overrule appellants’ third issue.
    Punitive Damages Award
    In their fourth issue, appellants argue that the evidence is legally insufficient
    to support the awards of punitive damages against Supply Pro ($800,000) and Fine
    ($1,000,000) and that the combined award of $1,800,000 exceeds the statutory
    damages cap and violates due process. The crux of appellants’ arguments is that they
    28
    must be treated separately for purposes of assessing liability for fraud (i.e., that
    Fine’s conduct should not be imputed to Supply Pro), but, since Fine is the
    corporation’s lone shareholder, he and the corporation are effectively the same
    entity, and, therefore, they must be treated as one, solitary defendant for purposes of
    assessing exemplary damages that are based on the same conduct.
    A.     Standards of Review
    When reviewing the legal sufficiency of the evidence to support an award of
    punitive damages, i.e., exemplary damages, an appellate court must be mindful of
    the burden of proof governing the determinations of the factfinder. See Finley v.
    P.G., 
    428 S.W.3d 229
    , 238 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014, no pet.). An
    elevated burden of proof at trial requires a higher standard of review on appeal. City
    of 
    Keller, 168 S.W.3d at 817
    (citation omitted). An award of exemplary damages
    under Texas law requires the claimant to meet an elevated burden of proof, i.e., clear
    and convincing evidence. See 
    Finley, 428 S.W.3d at 238
    . Clear and convincing
    evidence means the “measure or degree of proof that will produce in the mind of the
    trier of fact a firm belief or conviction as to the truth of the allegations.” In re J.F.C.,
    
    96 S.W.3d 256
    , 264 (Tex. 2002). The constitutionality of exemplary damages is a
    legal question, which we review de novo. Tony 
    Gullo, 212 S.W.3d at 307
    .
    29
    B.    Applicable Law
    Under Chapter 41 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, a claimant
    may be awarded exemplary damages if it can prove by clear and convincing evidence
    that it was harmed as a result of the other party’s fraud. TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM.
    CODE ANN. § 41.003(a)(1), (b) (West 2015). In addition to authorizing awards of
    exemplary damages in suits for fraud, Chapter 41 also sets forth the factors that
    courts must consider when assessing such damages and it limits the amount and
    scope of an individual defendant’s liability for exemplary damages.
    Specifically, in assessing exemplary damages, the factfinder must consider:
    (1) the nature of the wrong; (2) the character of the conduct at issue; (3) “the degree
    of culpability of the wrongdoer”; (4) the situation and the parties’ sensibilities; (5)
    the extent to which such conduct offends a public sense of justice and propriety; and
    (6) the defendant’s net worth. 
    Id. § 41.011(a)
    (West 2015). In multi-defendant cases,
    “an award of exemplary damages must be specific to a defendant, and each
    defendant is liable only for the amount of the award made against that defendant.”
    
    Id. § 41.006
    (West 2015).
    Chapter 41 also caps the maximum amount of damages that may be awarded
    against an individual defendant in a given case. See TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE
    ANN. § 41.002(b) (West 2015). Pursuant to section 41.008:
    Exemplary damages awarded against a defendant may not exceed an
    amount equal to the greater of:
    30
    (1)(A) two times the amount of economic damages; plus
    (B) an amount equal to any noneconomic damages found by the jury,
    not to exceed $750,000; or
    (2) $200,000.
    TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE § 41.008(b) (West 2015). The parties do not dispute
    that the exemplary damages cap applies in this case.
    In addition to this statutory cap, there are also due process limits against
    grossly excessive or arbitrary exemplary damage awards. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins.
    Co. v. Campbell, 
    538 U.S. 408
    , 417–18, 
    123 S. Ct. 1513
    , 1520–21 (2003). The
    prevailing principle is that a “grossly excessive” award of exemplary damages
    offends due process because it “furthers no legitimate purpose and constitutes an
    arbitrary deprivation of property.” 
    Id. at 417,
    123 S. Ct. at 1520. In conducting a due
    process review, courts must consider: (1) the degree of reprehensibility of the
    defendant’s conduct; (2) the ratio between actual and exemplary damages; and (3)
    the size of civil penalties in similar cases. 
    Id. at 418,
    123 S. Ct. at 1520. Although
    there are no bright-line rules, there is a long history of penalties in the double, treble,
    and quadruple range, and awards in the single-digit range are more likely to comport
    with due process. 
    Id. at 425–26,
    123 S. Ct. at 1524.
    C.    Sufficiency of the Evidence
    Appellants argue that the evidence is legally insufficient to support the jury’s
    award of exemplary damages against Supply Pro based on fraud because the
    31
    evidence is legally insufficient to prove that Supply Pro committed fraud
    independently from Fine. Biocel responds that the evidence is sufficient to support
    the jury’s award against Supply Pro because the evidence conclusively establishes
    that Fine is a vice principal of Supply Pro, and therefore, Fine’s tortious conduct can
    be imputed to Supply Pro as a matter of law. See Bennett v. Reynolds, 
    315 S.W.3d 867
    , 884 (Tex. 2010).
    In its live pleading at trial, Biocel alleged that appellants engaged in fraud
    when Supply Pro entered into the workout agreement with no intention to perform
    under the contact, and when Supply Pro misrepresented to Biocel that Supply Pro
    was in a precarious financial position after the spill and had no hope of receiving
    compensation for BP’s cancelled orders.
    Question 5 asked the jury: “Did Supply Pro or Harmon Fine commit fraud
    against Biocel?” The jury answered, “yes,” to both Supply Pro and Fine. When asked
    whether there was clear and convincing evidence that Biocel was harmed by the
    fraud of Supply Pro or Fine in Question 8, the jury unanimously answered “yes,” to
    both Supply Pro and Fine. Notably, the jury was never asked whether Supply Pro
    committed fraud against Biocel independently from Fine.6 Appellants did not object
    6
    The jury was also never instructed that Supply Pro was responsible for Fine’s acts
    and omissions, or that Fine’s fraud could be attributed to Supply Pro, but only if the
    jury found that Fine was Supply Pro’s vice-principal. See generally GTE Sw., Inc.
    v. Bruce, 
    998 S.W.2d 605
    , 618 (Tex. 1999) (holding corporation may be liable for
    torts of its vice-principals and stating that individual’s “status as a vice-principal of
    32
    to the charge on this basis and they are not challenging the charge on appeal.
    Accordingly, we will assess the sufficiency of the evidence based on the charge that
    was actually submitted to the jury. See 
    Osterberg, 12 S.W.3d at 55
    .
    It is well established that corporations, like Supply Pro, can “only act through
    individuals.” Tri v. J.T.T., 
    162 S.W.3d 552
    , 562 (Tex. 2005). A vice-principal is an
    individual who represents the corporation in its corporate capacity, and “‘includes
    persons who have authority to employ, direct, and discharge servants of the master,
    and those to whom a master has confided the management of the whole or a
    department or division of his business.’” See 
    Bennett, 315 S.W.3d at 884
    (quoting
    GTE Sw., Inc. v. Bruce, 
    998 S.W.2d 605
    , 618 (Tex. 1999)). The acts of a
    vice-principal are deemed to be acts of the corporation for purposes of exemplary
    damages because the vice-principal “represents the corporation in its corporate
    capacity.” 
    Bennett, 315 S.W.3d at 883
    (quoting Hammerly Oaks, Inc. v. Edwards,
    
    958 S.W.2d 387
    , 391–92 (Tex. 1997)). A corporation’s officers are considered
    corporate vice-principals. See 
    Bennett, 315 S.W.3d at 884
    .
    Further, a corporation and its corporate officer can both be liable for
    exemplary damages based on the same misconduct. See 
    Bennett, 315 S.W.3d at 884
    –
    the corporation is sufficient to impute liability to [the corporation] with regard to
    his actions taken in the workplace”); cf. Steel v. Wheeler, 
    993 S.W.2d 376
    , 381 (Tex.
    App.—Tyler 1999, pet. denied) (holding failure to submit question and instruction
    harmless because evidence on point was conclusive).
    33
    85. In Bennett, the Texas Supreme Court held that both the corporation and its
    president were subject to exemplary damages based on the president’s stealing of
    cattle, because the president, Bennett, was a corporate vice-principal who was acting
    in his corporate capacity when he stole the cattle. 
    Id. Specifically, the
    court stated
    that based on Bennett’s status as the corporation’s “highest corporate officer, the
    president,” and Bennett’s testimony that he “[runs] the ranch” and made the
    decisions for the corporation, “not only was Bennett indisputably a vice-principal of
    [the c]orporation, he was most likely the only vice-principal and the only person
    whose conduct and decisions could subject the corporation to exemplary damages.”
    
    Id. at 884.
    Appellants argue that Bennett is distinguishable because section 41.008’s cap
    did not apply in that case. See TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE § 41.008(c)(13) (West
    2015) (setting forth felony theft exception to statutory cap). The applicability of the
    damages cap, however, has no bearing with respect to whether a corporation and its
    corporate officer can both be liable for exemplary damages based on the same
    misconduct.
    Appellants further note that in addressing whether the corporation (as well as
    its president, Bennett) could be independently liable for punitive damages, the court
    did not confine its analysis to the fact that Bennett was a vice-principal of the
    corporation. See 
    Bennett, 315 S.W.3d at 884
    –85. The court also focused on whether
    34
    Bennett had used his corporate authority over corporate employees, on corporate
    land, to convert cattle using corporate equipment. See 
    id. at 884–85.
    Those facts,
    however, go to whether Bennett was acting in his capacity as a corporate
    vice-principal and are not independent grounds for imputing a corporate officer’s
    conduct to its corporation. See GTE Sw., 
    Inc., 998 S.W.2d at 618
    (defining corporate
    vice-principals to include “persons who have authority to employ, direct, and
    discharge servants of the master, and those to whom a master has confided the
    management of the whole or a department or division of his business”).
    In this case, the evidence conclusively establishes that Fine, Supply Pro’s
    owner and President, is a corporate officer of Supply Pro, and, therefore, a
    vice-principal of the corporation.7 See 
    Bennett, 315 S.W.3d at 884
    (defining
    vice-principals as, inter alia, corporate officers) (citation omitted). As Supply Pro’s
    vice-principal, Fine’s actions are “deemed to be the acts of the corporation itself.”
    GTE Sw., 
    Inc., 998 S.W.2d at 618
    . Notably, appellants are not challenging the
    sufficiency of the evidence supporting the jury’s finding that Fine committed fraud
    against Biocel. Because the evidence conclusively establishes that Fine is Supply
    7
    A corporation, however, cannot be liable for its vice-principal’s actions “if the vice-
    principal’s misconduct occurred while he was acting in a personal capacity
    unrelated to his authority as a corporate vice-principal.” Bennett v. Reynolds, 
    315 S.W.3d 867
    , 884–85 (Tex. 2010). There is ample evidence that Fine was acting in
    his corporate capacity when he negotiated and entered into the workout agreement
    on behalf of Supply Pro after he canceled the purchase orders that Supply Pro had
    previously placed with Biocel.
    35
    Pro’s corporate vice-principal, and therefore, his conduct can be imputed to Supply
    Pro as a matter of law, we hold that there is legally sufficient evidence that Supply
    Pro committed fraud against Biocel. See 
    Bennett, 315 S.W.3d at 883
    –84.
    D.    Statutory Cap and Excessiveness of Exemplary Damages Award
    Appellants also argue that Fine and Supply Pro must be treated as one
    defendant for purposes of assessing exemplary damages because Fine and Supply
    Pro are effectively the same entity, and that the combined $1.8 million award of
    exemplary damages, based solely on the conduct of Fine, exceeds section 41.008’s
    cap on the amount of exemplary damages that may be awarded based on the conduct
    of one defendant. Appellants further contend that the combined award of $1.8
    million in exemplary damages is excessive in light of the fact that the alleged fraud
    did not cause physical harm, threaten safety, or cause or threaten financial ruin. See
    State 
    Farm, 538 U.S. at 419
    , 123 S. Ct. at 1521 (identifying factors courts consider
    when assessing reprehensibility of defendant’s conduct for purposes of evaluating
    constitutionality of exemplary damages award) (citation omitted).
    Specifically, appellants argue that refusing to treat them as a single defendant
    for purposes of assessing exemplary damages “defeats the purpose of Chapter 41 to
    limit, rather than increase, damages.” The plain language of Chapter 41, however,
    indicates that it is intended to limit the amount of damages recoverable against an
    individual defendant in a given legal proceeding, not a group of defendants. See TEX.
    36
    CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE §§ 41.006 (prohibiting joint and several liability for
    exemplary damages and stating that “each defendant is liable only for the amount of
    the award made against that defendant”), 41.008(b) (limiting amount of exemplary
    damages recoverable from “a defendant”), and 41.011(a)(3), (6) (stating that
    factfinder must consider, inter alia, “the degree of culpability of the wrongdoer” and
    “the net worth of the defendant” when determining amount of exemplary damages
    to award). Supply Pro and Fine, its owner, president, and corporate vice-principal,
    are both named defendants in the underlying suit.
    Appellants also suggest that it is a violation of due process when the
    vice-principal doctrine allows a corporation and a vice-principal like Fine who is
    also the corporation’s sole shareholder, to both be subject to exemplary damages for
    the same conduct. Citing to Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., appellants argue that
    the award of punitive damages against Supply Pro and Fine “amounts to a multiple
    award of punitive damages for the same conduct by a single person.” See
    Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. v. Malone, 
    972 S.W.2d 35
    , 48 (Tex. 1998). In that
    case, the court recognized that “repeatedly imposing punitive damages on the same
    defendant for the same course of wrongful conduct may implicate substantive due
    process 
    constraints.” 972 S.W.2d at 50
    (emphasis added). Owens-Corning Fiberglas
    Corp., however, is distinguishable on its facts because, unlike here, that case
    involved one defendant who was being subjected to multiple punitive damage
    37
    awards in different legal proceedings that were brought by different plaintiffs based
    on the defendant’s exact same conduct, i.e., manufacturing and distributing
    asbestos-containing products. The exemplary damages awarded in this case were
    awarded against different defendants, Supply Pro and Fine.
    We have not found any authority requiring courts to treat a corporation and
    its vice-principal as a single defendant. It is well established that a corporation is a
    separate legal entity from its shareholders, officers, and directors. Singh v. Duane
    Morris, L.L.P., 
    338 S.W.3d 176
    , 181–82 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2011,
    pet. denied) (citing Sparks v. Booth, 
    232 S.W.3d 853
    , 868 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2007,
    no pet.)). “A bedrock principle of corporate law is that an individual can incorporate
    a business and thereby normally shield himself from personal liability for the
    corporation’s contractual obligations.” 
    Singh, 338 S.W.3d at 182
    (citing 
    Sparks, 232 S.W.3d at 868
    ). An entity’s corporate status, however, cannot be used as both a
    sword and a shield, i.e., used when it benefits the shareholders, only to be
    disregarded when it is advantageous for the shareholders or corporate organizers to
    do so. See 
    Singh, 338 S.W.3d at 182
    (citations omitted). That is essentially what
    appellants are asking this court to do—to disregard Supply Pro’s corporate status in
    order to limit the total amount of exemplary damages recoverable in this case from
    the two named defendants.
    38
    Accordingly, we find appellants’ argument that they should be treated as one
    defendant for purposes of assessing exemplary damages to be unpersuasive.
    In light of our resolution of this issue, we need not address appellants’
    argument that the combined award of $1.8 million in exemplary damages against
    one defendant violates due process.
    We overrule appellants’ fourth issue.
    Remitittur on Prejudgment Interest
    In their fifth issue, appellants argue that the trial court erred by not
    incorporating Biocel’s remitittur on prejudgment interest into the judgment.
    Although Biocel filed a remittitur with the trial court reflecting that prejudgment
    interest should have been $116,779.82 rather than the $118,266.64, the trial court’s
    judgment awarded Biocel $118,266.64 in prejudgment interest. Biocel does not
    dispute on appeal that $116,779.82 is the amount of prejudgment interest that should
    have been awarded in this case. Accordingly, we sustain appellants’ fifth issue and
    modify the judgment to award Biocel $116,779.82 in prejudgment interest. See TEX.
    R. APP. 43.2(b).8
    8
    In light of our resolution of this case, we need not consider Biocel’s counter-issue.
    39
    Conclusion
    We modify the trial court’s judgment, and affirm, as modified.
    Russell Lloyd
    Justice
    Panel consists of Chief Justice Radack and Justices Jennings, and Lloyd.
    40