Yankwitt LLP’s Relentless Approach to Negotiations Yields Favorable Settlement for Restaurant Client

Led by Managing Partner Russell Yankwitt and Partner Michael Reed, Yankwitt LLP successfully resolved a multi-million-dollar federal litigation on behalf of The Crab House, a former Landry’s restaurant, with a settlement for less than five percent of the plaintiff’s initial demand. The case involved allegations that The Crab House breached a restrictive covenant in its lease by operating within five miles of another Landry’s-owned property that constituted a “competitor” as defined by the lease.

During discovery, Yankwitt LLP focused on developing a factual record to establish that the two Landry’s restaurants offered different levels of service, and so were not competitors under the lease. After identifying numerous deficiencies in the analysis of the plaintiff’s expert, we secured powerful concessions at his deposition that significantly weakened the plaintiff’s case.

With a trial date approaching, the plaintiff tried to obtain leverage by moving to amend the complaint to add new defendants and legal theories. Yankwitt LLP presented a strong opposition, which the court accepted in full. Seizing on that momentum shift, we resolved the dispute with a highly favorable settlement terms for our client.