BOSTON HERALD: Jury: Shell abused owners: Gas stations `vindicated' in ploy by big oil company: ``We've been vindicated,'' said Mike Corbett, owner of City Square Shell in Charlestown, a member of a group of area dealers who've been battling Shell for more than four years over control of their stations.  ``This is big for us. They beat us up for so many years. It was terrible what they did,'' he said. (ShellNews.net) 9 Dec 04

By Jay Fitzgerald

Thursday, December 9, 2004

Score one for the little guys over big oil.

     A federal jury in Boston ruled yesterday in favor of eight area independent Shell Oil dealers who claimed the giant conglomerate was trying to put the small-time operators out of business so it could take over their franchises.

     ``We've been vindicated,'' said Mike Corbett, owner of City Square Shell in Charlestown, a member of a group of area dealers who've been battling Shell for more than four years over control of their stations.

     ``This is big for us. They beat us up for so many years. It was terrible what they did,'' he said.

     The jury, which found in favor of the plaintiffs on all four counts in the civil trial that started last month, awarded the eight plaintiffs a combined $3.3 million - a minimum figure that doesn't include possible interest payments, punitive damages and legal fees.

     U.S. Judge Rya Zobel, who presided over the trial, will make a decision later on those possible extra awards, which some plaintiffs hope will at least double the dollar amount stipulated by jurors yesterday.

     Jurors found Shell breached its lease agreements, violated petroleum marketing practices, effectively refused to renew leases and broke a Massachusetts code by charging dealers noncompetitive wholesale prices for gas, according to a written verdict issued late yesterday afternoon.

     Shell spokeswoman Karyn Leonardi-Cattolica to the Associated Press: ``We remain convinced that our facility leases and wholesale gasoline pricing practices comply with our contractual obligations, are entirely lawful and are consistent with industry practices.''

     ``This was an absolute, total victory,'' said plaintiffs' attorney Gary R. Greenberg, of Greenberg Traurig. About 52 other local dealers originally filed to be included as plaintiffs; they will decide later what action to take, Greenberg said.

http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=57915