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Court Slashes $6.85bn Judgment in California Apartment Partnership War

The California Court of Appeal trimmed a $6.85 billion judgment stemming from a family‑run apartment partnership dispute. The Jogani brothers’ oral agreement created a de‑facto partnership that the jury found liable for breach of contract, fiduciary duty and fraud, awarding Shashi Jogani nearly $2 billion in economic damages and $1.5 billion in punitive damages. On appeal, the court upheld the partnership findings but vacated the $1.98 billion “lost‑profits” component because the expert’s projection was not disclosed, reducing the economic awards dramatically. The decision underscores how courts dissect informal arrangements and enforce discovery rules.