Maslon Attorneys Win Defense Verdict for Polaroid in $300 Million Contract Dispute

Maslon is pleased to announce that a Hennepin County jury found on Friday, Feb. 23, that Polaroid did not breach a license agreement, dismissing claims worth more than $300 million brought by a former licensee.

Attorneys Steve Schleicher, Stephanie Laws, Katie Maechler, James Killian, Abbie Maier, and Clayton Carlson represented Polaroid in the two-week trial. Also assisting the team were Valerie Wolfe, Carmen Carballo, Emily Liebman, Jim Long, Renee Rice, Paula Rothstein, Tiffany Gau, and Mindy Sweeney.

“The jury’s verdict sends the message that businesses are expected to honor their contracts,” said Steve Schleicher, who served as lead trial counsel in this matter. “We are thrilled that the jury found our client acted in good faith with regards to its former licensee.”

In a suit filed March 9, 2021, in Hennepin County District Court, former licensee and distributor of Polaroid-branded products C&A Marketing and its affiliate C&A Licensing LLC (“C&A”) claimed to have suffered damages in excess of $300 million as a result of release of claims and allegedly unfavorable terms in a pair of 2017 agreements with Polaroid, which C&A alleged it had no choice but to accept under economic duress. C&A’s claims included breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraudulent inducement, and various equitable claims.

Polaroid vigorously denied the allegations and the jury agreed, awarding a complete defense verdict to Polaroid after deliberating for just two hours.

Maslon was hired by Polaroid to serve as trial counsel in August 2023—the same month trial was originally scheduled to begin. After a continuance, and just five months before the new trial date, Maslon attorneys and staff worked tirelessly to prepare the case for judge and jury.

The jury's decision came the same week that in 1947 Polaroid founder Edwin Land introduced the world’s first instant camera in a demonstration in New York City.