2006

December 25, 2006

British Building Material Manuafacturer Wins $36M Verdict in Breach of Contract Case

A British building material manufacturer has won a $36 million verdict in its federal breach of contract case against Zoltek Corporation, a St. Louis-based carbon fiber manufacturer.

In its lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, Structural Polymer Systems, Ltd. claimed that Zoltek quit supplying its requirements for large filament count carbon fiber in breach of a 10-year supply contract signed in 2000. But Zoltek maintained that the contract covered only an earlier version of the product SP Systems had ordered through 2003, not an improved version launched in 2004.

November 30, 2006

Zoltek to Challenge $36M Jury Verdict

A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis awarded $36 million Wednesday to Structural Polymer Group Ltd. in a breach of contract suit against Zoltek Cos. Inc.

In addition, U.S. District Judge Carol Jackson is considering an order that would require Zoltek to provide carbon fiber to Structural Polymer from 2007 to 2010, said Ed Dowd Jr., an attorney with Dowd & Bennett in Clayton.

Dowd and his partner, Jim Bennett, worked with attorneys from Bryan Cave, led by Louis Bonacorsi, in representing Structural Polymer, a British company that is a subsidiary of Gurit Holding AG, which is listed on the Swiss Exchange.

November 29, 2006

$36 Million Verdict for SP Among Top Missouri Business Verdicts & Settlements

Structural Polymer Systems Ltd. (SP Systems) claimed in its lawsuit that Zoltek, a St. Louis-based carbon fiber manufacturer, quit supplying large filament count carbon fiber in breach of a 10-year supply contract signed in 2000. Zoltek maintained that the contract covered only an earlier version of the product SP Systems had ordered through 2003, not an improved version launched in 2004.

The jury found SP Systems had not abandoned or breached the contract, that the contract was still in effect and that it covered both earlier and improved versions of the product. The jury also sided with SP Systems on Zoltek’s counterclaim that SP Systems failed to discharge its obligations of good faith and fair dealing.

September 18, 2006

Two Partners from St. Louis Office of Bryan Cave to Start their Own Practice

Two partners in the St. Louis office of Bryan Cave are leaving the silk stocking firm to start their own practice. On Monday, Sept. 18, Dowd Bennett LLP makes it debut. The lawyers are Edward L. Dowd, Jr., former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri and James Bennett, a former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. The practice will focus on complex litigation, white collar criminal defense and appellate litigation. The office will be located in Clayton.