Cades Schutte LLP is pleased to announce a significant legal victory for its client, EC Paia, in a complex land contract dispute involving 330 acres in Paia.
In 2016, Michael Baskin entered a contract with Alexander & Baldwin (A&B) to purchase the land in Paia on Maui. Mr. Baskin found himself unable to close on the contract on his own and sold the contract to our client, EC Paia. EC Paia paid Mr. Baskin for the contract and agreed to other obligations. EC Paia purchased the land from A&B.
In 2020, Mr. Baskin sued EC Paia claiming that EC Paia had breached the agreements. EC Paia denied the breach and counterclaimed for fraud related to statements that were made by Mr. Baskin when the parties were discussing the terms of their contract.
In the first trial, our team successfully defended the claims against EC Paia. The United States District Court for the District of Hawaii found that EC Paia did not breach its obligations to Mr. Baskin. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed.
In the second trial on EC Paia’s counterclaim, our team successfully enforced EC Paia’s claims. The District Court found that Mr. Baskin had defrauded EC Paia, awarded EC Paia over $665 thousand and determined that EC Paia has no further obligation to Mr. Baskin.
“I am extremely proud of our team for this momentous win,” said partner Calvert G. Chipchase, who led the trial team. “We represented the client in numerous rounds of litigation for four years. The fact that we were able to obtain such a favorable result for our client is a testament of the strength of Cades Schutte’s litigators.”
In addition to Cal, the trial team also included Lisa K. Swartzfager, Lindsay N. McAneeley, and Darene K. Matsuoka.
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About Cades Schutte LLP
Cades Schutte is a full-service law firm with over 80 attorneys, providing superior service in over 40 practice and industry areas from our main office in Honolulu and offices in Kahului, Kona, Līhu‘e, and Waimea. Since the founding of our firm in 1922, Cades Schutte attorneys have been called on to serve as counsel in some of the most notable cases and transactions in the State of Hawai‘i.
Cades Schutte offers a wide range of corporate and personal legal services with an emphasis on business counseling. The firm is proud to serve local, national, and international clients, and regularly handles estate planning, tax, real estate, finance, and civil litigation matters.
Cades Schutte is organized into four departments—Finance, Real Estate, and Corporate; Litigation; Tax; and Trusts and Estates—but departmental lines are fluid. Cades Schutte attorneys from different departments routinely collaborate on projects to benefit the firm’s clients. This approach provides a full array of the firm’s expertise and experience.
The firm has adopted a democratic style of management in which the strategic direction and vision for the firm are developed by its partners, and headed by its Management Committee.
Contact:
Erika Galarneau
Marketing & Business Development Manager
808.521.9257
communications@cades.com
