Hellmuth & Johnson attorneys J. Robert Keena and Nicklaus Johnson secured a significant trial victory for Lagoon Partners, LLC in a commercial lease dispute against Landmark Theaters. Lagoon Partners is a local commercial landlord that owned the Uptown Theatre, an iconic Minneapolis property. Landmark Theatres, a major national movie company, was Lagoon’s tenant at the Uptown Theatre. Lagoon sued to recover its seven-figure losses after Landmark stopped paying rent and vacated the premises. This case involved complex legal issues, such as how damages should be calculated where the landlord (Lagoon) redeveloped the Uptown Theatre from a single-screen movie theatre into a multi-use entertainment venue. The advisory jury found that Lagoon’s actions were reasonable and recommended that Lagoon be awarded the full amount it asked for at trial. The judge adopted the advisory jury’s recommended verdict and awarded Lagoon just over $1.4 million in total damages, marking a strong outcome for Hellmuth & Johnson’s client.
