Seven years after taking on the Pentagon for canceling a weapons contract, Colorado attorney Herb Fenster, C’58, won on his client’s behalf the largest judgment ever entered against the U.S. government.
As reported in theThe Denver Post, a federal judge on Feb. 20 awarded $1.74 billion in damages and interest to Fenster’s client, General Dynamics Corp., and its partner, McDonnell Douglas Corp. (since acquired by Boeing). The firms charged that their contract to produce A-12 Avenger II attack planes was canceled in 1991 for political reasons — a move that cost them $1 billion and resulted in the layoff of 20,000 workers and subcontractors. The Justice Department, which was planning an appeal, argued that the companies violated the contract by failing to build any planes on schedule.