I just realized this needs a new thread.
This probably is not going to get a lot of entries
A Simple Plan: Lawyers Say a Spreadsheet Clinched a Verdict
The lawyers didn’t use artificial intelligence. Instead, plaintiff counsel said they relied on “good old human intelligence.”
February 12, 2025 at 12:49 PM
3 minute read
By Laura Lorek
Litigation Reporter
After a seven-day trial, a Texas jury in Harris County reached an 11-1 verdict in just 80 minutes, awarding furniture maker Edloe Finch $784,000 in overcharges for breach of contract.
And the winning lawyers say a simplified, color-coded spreadsheet—made especially as an explainer to the jury and to consolidate thousands of pages—helped seal the victory.
...the rest of the story - using the spreadsheet to calculate and organize
78,000 Errors
Plaintiff Edloe Finch alleged its warehouse provider, UNIS, overcharged the furniture maker in invoicing discrepancies, including inflated weights and charges for unused supplies, dating back to January 2021.
The core issue involved complex billing errors where UNIS allegedly systematically overcharged the furniture company through incorrect weight calculations in a computer system. While individual errors were often small, sometimes just 30 cents, they added up to hundreds of thousands in overcharges over two years, claimed plaintiff counsel Matthew Whitley, representing Edloe Finch.
The errors were discovered when the furniture company hired two new accounting staff members who spotted the irregularities in their first month and then conducted a detailed audit, Whitley said. The investigation allegedly revealed systemic errors, like charging double weights for shipping. For example, UNIS recorded two 36-pound ottomans as two 72-pound ottomans.
“We appreciate the jury’s focus and attention during this lengthy trial, and we are thrilled with the verdict,” said Whitley, partner with Beck Redden in Houston. “Now we will pursue our client’s claim for nearly two years of attorney’s fees resulting from UNIS’ breach of contract.”
The jury’s 11-to-1 decision upheld Edloe Finch’s claims, and cleared the way for the company to seek recovery of its attorney fees. Whitley declined to discuss the amount but said it should be settled within one to two months.
One of the biggest obstacles to overcome in presenting the evidence in the trial involved thousands of spreadsheet items involving 78,000 errors on the sale of 65,000 pieces of furniture, Whitley said.
“Our challenge was how do we present this to a jury in a meaningful way,” Whitley said.
The lawyers didn’t use artificial intelligence; instead, they used “good old human intelligence,” Whitley said.
They used Excel and PowerPoint and color-coded the four different types of errors in pink, green, yellow, and orange.
Beck Redden’s trial team included partner Whitley and associate Fariha Jawed, who led the case in court. Appellate partner Nick Bruno and trial counsel Allison Miller played key roles in developing the trial strategy.
Counter-Claims
Attorneys for UNIS countersued, seeking $2 million in damages from alleged unpaid charges, including Attorney fees.
Brett W. Schouest, with Dykema’s San Antonio office representing the defendant, UNIS, said a final judgment has not yet been entered into the court, and his client might appeal.
The defense had argued its client actually undercharged by $1.2 million because of the billing error.
However, Whitley said the counterclaims fell apart during cross-examination. He said that UNIS withdrew most of its claims, and Judge Latosha Lewis Payne of the 55th Civil District Court in Harris County dismissed UNIS’ final unjust-enrichment claim.