In a complex arbitration case, Houston business litigation boutique Burford Perry announces a significant victory for its client, Katy, Texas-based GETZ Transport Solutions, LLC.
In his October 15 Final Award, arbitrator Hon Glen Ashworth ruled in favor of GETZ, finding that Irving, Texas-based Wynne Transportation, LLC and its parent, Wynne Transportation Holdings, LLC were jointly and severally liable for $32.1 million in damages and over $700,000 in attorneys' fees and costs.
The dispute arose from a 2020 agreement between GETZ and Wynne to jointly bid on a favored vendor contract with the State of Texas to provide emergency transportation management services. If successful, they agreed to split contract profits 55% Wynne and 45% GETZ. They won the bid, but Wynne reneged on its agreement with GETZ and kept the millions earned on the contract for itself and its owners.
In May 2021, Governor Abbott launched Operation Lone Star by declaring a “disaster” for numerous Texas counties due to the surge of border crossings that created an “ongoing and imminent threat of widespread damage, injury, and loss of life and property resulting from natural or man-made cause.” His disaster proclamation empowered the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate emergency bus transportation services available through the contract procured by Wynne and GETZ.
In 2023—two years before their contract was set to expire—Wynne abruptly terminated the agreement with GETZ without cause and kept for itself and its owners the millions in profits generated from busing more than 100,000 volunteer migrants released from federal custody to so-called sanctuary cities. To get its share of profits from the Texas contract (which Wynne admitted it could not have procured without GETZ), GETZ was forced to file the arbitration.
“This is a significant win for our client, and it further demonstrates our ongoing success in achieving exceptional results through hard-fought trials of complex cases,” said Robert Burford, lead attorney for GETZ Transport Solutions. “Burford Perry is proud to have secured justice for GETZ Transport Solutions.”
In addition to Mr. Burford, GETZ was represented by Burford Perry partner, Matt Parks, and associate Erica Fauser, along with Gary E. Parks, Attorney at Law.
