Deborah Eckland represented Wade and Sabrina Young in Matthew R. Ring and Mary J. Ring v. BXI Minnesota, Inc., a Minnesota Corporation, Wade B. Young and Sabrina M. Young (Washington County District Court, 2009). The case concerned the Youngs’ sale of a barter exchange company to the Rings.

The Youngs had successfully operated the barter exchange business for several years, and they sold the business to the Rings for over $500,000. The Rings made the initial payments but then stopped. Before the Youngs could sue for breach of contract, the Rings sued the Youngs for misrepresentation regarding the value of the business. Through discovery, it became obvious that the Rings’ business had failed for reasons unrelated to anything the Youngs had said or done.

Deborah tried the case to a jury. At the end of the third day, Deborah moved for directed verdict on the ground that the Rings had not proven a critical element of their claim—causation between the alleged misrepresentations and their alleged damages. After careful consideration, the district court granted the motion and dismissed the Rings' claims. The Youngs thereafter settled their counterclaim against the Rings on confidential terms.