Cargo Business Newswire

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Jury finds Virginia International Terminals liable in lawsuit

Last week a jury found that Virginia International Terminals, which runs the port's container terminals, conspired with an employee of a family-owned company to divert business to him and another firm. The owners say that VIT's actions cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars and wiped out their savings.

The case awaits the judge's final order.

Last week, the Norfolk Circuit Court jury awarded Tidewater actual and punitive damages of at least $418,270. The jury ruled against VIT on statutory conspiracy, common law conspiracy, and aiding and abetting a breach of fiduciary duty.

"We never would have suffered these damages had VIT not encouraged and then concealed what our employee did to us," said Woody Ball, who co-owns Tidewater Overhead Door with his wife.

Ball alleged in the suit that VIT asked his company to design and install a prototype for a water-barrier device on one of 25 storage doors at the terminal. Ball's company assigned the project to an employee, who successfully completed the project, winning approval from VIT and CrossGlobe, the tenant at the Newport News facility.

The employee allegedly ended up giving confidential business information about the project to relatives who used it to "undercut and steal this business from Tidewater Overhead Door," the lawsuit alleged.

As of late Tuesday, Circuit Judge Karen J. Burrell, who heard the case, had not entered a final order.

For more of the Virginia-Pilot story: hamptonroads.com

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