DLA Piper secures significant defense win for Husqvarna Outdoor Products Inc.

DLA Piper successfully represented Husqvarna Outdoor Products Inc., a world-leading manufacturer of innovative products and solutions for forest, park and garden management, in a complex commercial contract matter venued in the US District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

Husqvarna and one of its suppliers had entered into a federal consent order and two contracts concerning the supply of components used in manufacturing consumer products. While Husqvarna purchased hundreds of millions of dollars of parts from the supplier, the supplier contended that Husqvarna breached certain contract obligations by not also purchasing a series of complex specialty parts, allegedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars more.

In response, Husqvarna argued that the supplier breached its contractual obligations, including requirements concerning quality, capability and capacity. Husqvarna also contended that the supplier’s bad faith falsification of inventory data harmed the company.

On February 3, 2023, the trial team, led by DLA Piper partners Jim Brogan and Brian Boyle and co-counsel Kilpatrick Townsend’s Perry Sentell, obtained a defense verdict. The jury also awarded Husqvarna its counterclaims. The Philadelphia-based DLA Piper team led by Brogan and Boyle also included partner Matthew Goldberg and associate Aaron Shaddy. The Kilpatrick team also included Joseph Huff and Laurel Landon.