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Business Wire
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
SBSB Eastham Secures Take-Nothing Judgment on Behalf of FedEx Freight in $7.5 Million Service Center Dispute
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a complete defense victory, Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham PLLC (SBSB Eastham) has secured a take-nothing judgment for its client FedEx Freight, Inc. in a lawsuit filed by the Florida-based company Zamindari Real Estate Investment One, LLC. The plaintiffs were seeking more than $7.5 million in damages claiming FedEx had failed to maintain a leased service center facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, claims the defendants vigorously denied. When Zamindari purchased the property in question in 2013, FedEx Freight was the sole tenant, occupying a large warehouse and office building. The service center was built the year prior by the previous owner as part of a lease agreement and construction rider with FedEx. Once Zamindari took ownership, the company complained to its tenant that parts of the service center needed repair, including a sticking door, parts of the asphalt, roof, and other minor interior cosmetic problems along the front of the building. The two sides disagreed about which party was responsible for those repairs. Upon closer inspection by an engineering consultant, these issues were determined to have been caused by shifts in the facility's foundation due to soil moisture. The plaintiffs contended in the subsequent lawsuit that FedEx's refusal to cover the repairs led to the extent of the damage and sought monetary damages for repairs as well as attorneys' fees. FedEx contended that there was no contract regarding structural damage or upkeep between the two parties, that it did nothing to cause the damage, that it complied fully with the lease agreement, and that the plaintiff was solely responsible for addressing the issues with the property. After a full trial, the jury unanimously found in favor of FedEx Freight, resulting in a take-nothing judgment — meaning Zamindari recovered zero damages. This outcome highlights the outstanding advocacy of SBSB Eastham partner Don Jones and FedEx in-house counsel Rob Ratton and Shelby Walton. 'The facts of the case were on our side from the start, and we are pleased that the jury saw that,' said Mr. Jones. 'We maintained throughout the case that our clients had honored the terms of the lease but were not going to be forced to cover costs that were not their legal responsibility.' The case is Zamindari Real Estate Investment One, LLC v. FedEx Freight, Inc., Cause No. 2019-DCV-6141-D, in the 105 th Judicial District Court of Nueces County, Texas. About Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham PLLC SBSB Eastham is a group of experienced attorneys who have come together to form a law firm focused on client needs. The firm's goal is to be the go-to resource at every stage of the legal process, bringing deeper experience, deeper commitment and deeper insights to help solve the most complex issues. In consultation or in the courtroom, the firm will aggressively pursue a client's best interests. For more information about the firm and its team of attorneys, visit
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New bills would add computer science to Ohio high school graduation requirements
. Ohio lawmakers are introducing bills that would require high school students to take a computer science course before graduating. State Reps. Don Jones, R-Freeport, and Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, are introducing legislation in the Ohio House and state Sens. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, and Catherine D. Ingram, D-Cincinnati, are introducing a bill in the Ohio Senate. Both are set to be introduced next week. The bills would require Ohio public high schools to offer at least one computer science course starting with the 2027-28 school year and would require public school students to take a unit of a computer science class in order to graduate starting with the high school class of 2032. 'The goal of this bill is to set students up for success by allowing them to develop valuable skills such as problem solving and computational thinking and make Ohio a leader in tech education,' Manning said Thursday during a press conference. Jones, who was unable to attend the press conference, introduced a similar bill during the last General Assembly, but it only had sponsor testimony. Slightly more than a third (38%) of Ohio's high schools don't offer any computer science classes, said Rick Carfagna, Ohio Chamber of Commerce's senior vice president of government affairs. 'Ohio's economic competitiveness depends on having a technologically proficient workforce that is prepared with the skill sets for jobs that have yet to even be invented,' he said. In Ohio, 61% of public high schools offer computer science classes, said Julia Wynn, director of state government affairs for 'Rural and urban schools are slightly less likely in Ohio to offer (computer science) than suburban schools,' she said. Ohio's statewide percentage is less than most of most of its neighboring states, she said. For instance, 91% of Indiana public high schools offer computer science classes, 78% of West Virginia schools offer them, 76% of Kentucky schools offer the courses, and 75% of Pennsylvania schools offer the classes. 'This is where education and economic development converge,' Cirino said. 'Economic development is critical in Ohio.' It's crucial to the state's workforce that high schools are graduating students with a baseline computer science knowledge, he said. 'It's almost like we're talking reading, writing, arithmetic, and computers anymore as the new mantra,' Cirino said. 'They're not going to be equipped. They aren't going to be able to study psychology or architecture if they're not computer literate, you just have to have that tool in your toolbox.' Ohio will fall behind if the tech workforce lags behind, said Chris Berry, president and CEO of OhioX, a statewide technology nonprofit association. 'As AI becomes more prevalent and becomes ingrained into every type of business, again, big or small, we need a workforce,' he said. 'We need technology workers that are going to be able to take the lead on that and really push and innovate and build the industries of tomorrow for the state of Ohio.' Arkansas, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee all have laws requiring public school students to pass a computer science course, according to a 2023 report. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
