Cantey Hanger attorneys win directed verdict for Bell Helicopter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) November 15, 2011 -- For information contact:
Bruce Raben
(817) 451-8057
bruceraben@hotmail.com
www.canteyhanger.com



Cantey Hanger Lawyers Win
Judgment For Bell Helicopter

Fort Worth, Texas – Three Cantey Hanger partners prevailed in a four-week jury trial on an alleged wrongful termination case brought against Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Textron, Inc. and Bell Aerospace Services, Inc. before the 236th Judicial District Court, Tarrant County, Texas, the Honorable Thomas Lowe, III, presiding.

The plaintiff, Michael Prieto, claimed he had been fired from his job as the President of Bell Aerospace Services, contending that he was terminated because he refused to commit an illegal act. Prieto sought nearly $4.5 million dollars in alleged economic losses, an additional undetermined amount for mental anguish plus an unspecified sum for punitive damages.

With the jury deadlocked 9-to-3 in the Bell defendants’ favor, the Court granted the defendants’ Motion for Directed Verdict made shortly after the jury retired to deliberate.

“Numerous witnesses brought forward many reasons for the termination of Mr. Prieto, none of which had to do with him being requested to commit illegal acts,” said Jeff Kinsel, a partner in the Trial section of Cantey Hanger.

“Even if you assume, for arguments’ sake, that everything occurred in the way Mr. Prieto says it did, the simple fact is that none of the things he was told to do were illegal,” according to Brad Dowell, chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment section.

“Rather than get to the root of the problems in his business entity, Mr. Prieto made baseless accusations against his superiors. Those accusations, in addition to being untrue, simply weren’t enough to support his claims,” said Caroline Harrison, partner in the Labor and Employment section at Cantey Hanger.

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Cantey Hanger, established in 1882, is a full-service law firm headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and represents clients in the following practice areas: Commercial Litigation; Corporate, Banking & Real Estate; Bankruptcy; Health & Insurance Law; Labor Relations; Tax & Estates; Public & Regulatory, and Oil & Gas. It also has offices in Dallas and Southlake. For more information, go to www.canteyhanger.com

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