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Gunn v. Stevens Security & Training Services, Inc.

N.D. Ill.February 13, 2020No. 1:17-cv-06314
Plaintiff WinStevens Security & Training Services, Inc.$167,896.87 awarded
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Case Details

Nature of Suit — the legal category of the dispute
710 Labor: Fair Standards
Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
Unknown
Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
appeal

Related Laws

No specific laws identified for this ruling.

Claim Types

Breach of ContractWrongful Termination

Outcome

Plaintiff prevailed on claims of breach of fiduciary duty and fraudulent conduct by defendant shareholders. Trial court awarded plaintiff damages totaling $167,896.87, including back wages, attorney's fees, his shareholder equity, liability imposed on defendants for diverted profits, and exemplary damages. Corporate dissolution was decreed.

What This Ruling Means

**What Happened** Gunn worked for Stevens Security & Training Services and was also a shareholder in the company. He sued the company and its other shareholders, claiming they breached their duty to act honestly toward him and engaged in fraudulent behavior. Gunn alleged he was wrongfully terminated and that the other shareholders diverted company profits away from him. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled in Gunn's favor on his claims of breach of fiduciary duty and fraud. The judge awarded him $167,896.87 in total damages, which included his unpaid wages, his share of company ownership, profits that were improperly diverted from him, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. The court also ordered the company to be dissolved. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that employees who are also company shareholders have strong legal protections when other owners act dishonestly. If you're both an employee and part-owner of a business, your fellow shareholders must treat you fairly and honestly. When they don't, courts can award significant financial compensation and even dissolve the entire company as punishment for fraud.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

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