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Miller, Miller & Canby Litigators Prevail in Two Recent Montgomery County Circuit Court Cases

Posted March 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM

Business & Tax, Litigation, MM&C Happenings, News & Events

Litigation attorneys Joe Suntum and Lisa Blitstein recently prevailed on behalf of their clients in a contentious case stemming from the sale between family members of a Maryland convenience store. Miller, Miller & Canby attorneys represented the plaintiffs in the case, Narith Chiev, et al, v. Mouy Chiev, et al. CASE No. C-15-CV-23-003345. The parties executed an agreement outlining terms for the defendant to sell the store and its assets to the plaintiffs for an agreed-upon sum. The contract provided several stipulations, including specific payment terms, and the immediate take-over of full responsibility and liability for the operation of the store. The plaintiffs, for their part, worked tirelessly to revitalize the store, improved its profitability, and performed all of their obligations under the agreement.

The defendant, however, breached the contract in numerous and egregious ways, including refusing to facilitate transfer of the commercial lease to the plaintiffs, removing all business records from the store, and removing the plaintiffs from the company bank accounts. These and other actions resulted in interference in the ability of the plaintiffs to optimally operate the business. The plaintiffs made many attempts to work through the issues and diplomatically manage the hostile actions of the defendant. Ultimately, the plaintiffs were forced to rescind the agreement once the defendant expressly stated that she would not transfer the business. Despite the many hardships placed on them, the plaintiffs returned the store to the defendant in a substantially better and more valuable condition than when they took possession of the business in 2022.

During the course of the dispute, the plaintiffs suffered economic and emotional harm. Miller, Miller & Canby sought a judgment of $135,500 plus prejudgment interest of $12,000; the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on every disputed legal and factual issue, rendering a 100% judgment in their favor.

“We are very pleased with the court’s decision in favor of our clients in their quest for equitable relief and a complete rescission of the contract only partially performed by the defendant. We were honored by the trust our clients placed in us to see this through on their behalf, and grateful to have helped render an outcome in their favor,” said Suntum.

The plaintiffs are now able to finally move forward after a very difficult few years. “Our family is forever grateful for the support of Joe Suntum and his team. The positive outcome for a very difficult matter was a direct result of exceptional preparation and skill. Their personal dedication to our case, showing us great compassion, has simply left us humbled. I didn’t think we could find that combination in legal representation, but we found it at Miller, Miller & Canby,” said Narith Chiev.

In Marvin General Contracting v. Montano, Case No. C-15-CV-22-003558, Michael Campbell successfully defended Miller, Miller & Canby clients in a three-day jury trial. The clients’ property sustained fire and water damage in January 2022.  They hired a contractor to repair the premises; however, the work was slow and deficient. After several exchanges, they ultimately terminated the contractor and asked the workers to leave.

The contractor subsequently sued for over $100,000 in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Campbell presented expert testimony concerning the value of the work in place and demonstrated that the contractor had been fully paid for services rendered. The jury agreed and returned a complete defense verdict.

 “Mr. Campbell was very skilled in the courtroom, presenting strong arguments that won the day. The jury rendered a verdict in our favor on all counts,” said Carlos and Claudia Montano.

“I was impressed by how the jury paid close attention to each witness and took careful notes. They became invested in the case and wanted to render the right decision,” said Campbell.

In 2026, Miller, Miller & Canby will mark 80 years of serving the legal needs of metropolitan Washington, DC. As one of the oldest law firms in Montgomery County, MD, the firm recognizes that this milestone reflects the relationships built and maintained with our clients, friends and the business community, many spanning multiple generations. The firm maintains its focus on its core areas of practice: Land Use & Zoning, Real Estate, Litigation, Eminent Domain, Business and Tax, Employment, and Estates & Trusts Law. In all of our practice areas, an overarching concern for quality of product and efficiency of accomplishment assures clients that we strive for true value in legal representation. Miller, Miller & Canby is proud to have maintained this standard of service since the firm’s founding in 1946.

Miller, Miller & Canby’s litigation practice has been consistently recognized as a “Tier 1” Best Law Firm® in the metropolitan region in the following areas of litigation: trusts and estates, commercial, construction, real estate, and insurance. To learn more about Miller, Miller & Canby’s litigation practice, click here.

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