A jury ordered a law firm to pay at least $10.8 million for dropping three small bottlers from a dispute with giant Poland Spring Water Co. in order to bring a more lucrative class action suit.
The jury unanimously found Wednesday that lawyers from Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, a Seattle law firm, violated their duty of loyalty to three small businesses that in 2003 were close to settling a claim with Nestle Waters North America, Poland Spring’s owner.