On December 4, 2006, the Michigan Lawyers Weekly reported that a three-member arbitration panel in a breach a contract case between two Michigan-based Tier-One automotive suppliers, American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (plaintiff) and Visteon Corporation (defendant), awarded American Axle over $14 million.
Counsel for American Axle recognized a new trend may be developing in disputes between large businesses: “These are two large Tier One corporations and, typically, you don’t have much in the way of litigation between them. It’s rare to see that… [Suppliers generally] try to resolve these issues in a business format. I don’t if this [case] is the wave of the future or if it was a real aberration.”
Aside from the favorable monetary award, American Axle’s counsel pointed out an important, but often forgotten benefit of seeing a case through the adjudicative process: “the finding of the arbitrator and the judgment that was entered vindicated [the client’s] position… [and was] gratifying” to the company.
With American Axle’s experience in mind, consider whether you might be selling yourself short monetarily and emotionally by not going to trial, or arbitration, as the case may be. With one of our trial lawyers on your side, going all the way may look a whole lot more attractive. Give us a call to discuss your case.