SEATTLE — A federal judge in Seattle has overturned a jury’s verdict in a lawsuit that could have cost Boeing more than $200 million.
In a 53-page decision issued Wednesday, Judge James Robart cited a law that requires the court to dismiss a case when “…there is no legally sufficient evidentiary basis for a reasonable jury to find for that party on that issue.”
Robart determined the jury erred when it awarded $72 million to Zunum, a Redmond start-up in Kirkland that planned to build an electric airplane. Those damages could have been tripled under the law. Instead, Robart has dismissed them in their entirety.
The jury said in May that as an investor in Zunum, Boeing stole trade secrets and interfered with Zunum’s business partners and development plans.
“We are grateful for the Court’s careful consideration of all the evidence at trial to reach this decision,” Boeing spokesperson Connor Greenwood wrote in a statement. Boeing said at trial that Zunum’s business plan faulty, and that’s why the company ultimately went out of business.
The lawsuit was filed in 2020 by two MIT graduates who founded Zunum. They claimed Boeing sent engineers and other personnel to conduct due diligence on its investment, but then stole information. Zunum said “Boeing strung Zunum along with assurances that Boeing would invest in Zunum,” but instead it committed tortious interference with Zunum suppliers and “sabotaged Zunum’s efforts to attract additional investors.”