Author: insideout

Today Jaye Quadrozzi Chairs the Metroparks board of Commissioners as the second female in Metroparks history to hold that seat. As a prominent trial lawyer and partner at Young, Garcia & Quadrozzi, she is not one to shy away from challenge and confrontation and she reminds us “It’s important for women to have a seat at the table because the table should represent all of us”. Commissioner Quadrozzi continues by saying “I think it’s really important that women have leadership roles, and women can not get to lead an organization if you’re not at the table to begin with.”

The Metroparks are celebrating Women’s History Month by highlighting strong female leaders we’re partnered with. We are sharing videos of their stories all month long, and we encourage you to follow along and hear from them.

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI—Young, Garcia & Quadrozzi, PC, a Farmington Hills, Mich.-based boutique law firm specializing in complex commercial litigation, announced today plaintiff Versata Software, Inc. (Versata) was victorious over defendant Ford Motor Company in the case: Versata Software, Inc., et al. v. Ford Motor Company (Case. No.15-10628-MFL-EAS, Eastern District of Michigan). On Wednesday, October 26, Versata was awarded more than $100 million in damages following a unanimous jury decision. Young, Garcia & Quadrozzi shareholder Jaye Quadrozzi made the announcement.

In an important victory on plaintiff Versata’s behalf, a trial team led by Winston & Strawn trial lawyer Dan Webb (first chair), along with Matthew Carter (Winston & Strawn), Steven Mitby (Mitby Pacholder Johnson PLLC), and Jaye Quadrozzi (Young, Garcia, & Quadrozzi, PC), secured a plaintiff verdict for client Versata Software, Inc., et al. following a jury trial presided over by Judge Matthew Leitman in the Eastern District of Michigan.

“The significance of this massive victory over Ford Motor Company is two-fold,” said Quadrozzi. “First, a win of this scale over a local OEM — and the fifth-largest automaker in the world — in The Motor City is incredibly rare. Second, and of utmost importance, is the protection of intellectual property at the highest level.”

Plaintiffs Versata Software, Inc. f/k/a Trilogy Software, Inc.; Versata Development Group, Inc.; and Trilogy, Inc. (collectively, “Versata”) sued Ford Motor Company in 2015, alleging the car manufacturer misappropriated Versata’s intellectual property to create a “like-for-like” replacement of Versata’s proprietary configuration software, breaching the parties’ licensing agreement.

Ford and Versata entered into a subscription agreement in 2004 that, through multiple renewals, granted Ford the automotive configuration software (ACM) license for 10 years. Versata accused Ford of misappropriating its trade secrets and breaching the licensing agreement in 2014, when Versata learned that Ford had developed its own software to replace ACM.

Versata brought both trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract claims against Ford, seeking damages for each. Ford in turn brought a breach of contract claim against Versata. The contentious litigation lasted over seven years, culminating in a three-week October 2022 jury trial, which concluded with a unanimous ruling in favor of Versata from the eight-person jury. Versata won six of the eight claims and defeated Ford’s single counterclaim. The jury determined that over $80 million in damages fairly compensated Versata for its breach of contract claims and that over $20 million in damages fairly compensated Versata for Ford’s misappropriation of three of Versata’s trade secrets.

Opposing counsel on the case included James Feeney of Dykema Gossett; John LeRoy, Thomas Lewry, Christopher Smith and Chanille Carswell of Brooks Kushman; and Jessica Lynn Ellsworth of Hogan Lovells US LLP.

The full trial team representing Versata was led by Winston & Strawn and included Partners Dan Webb, Matthew Carter, and Brian Nisbet; Associates Sarah Krajewski, John Drosick, Sam Zuidema, Monica Kociolek, Kelly Mannion Ellis, Pat Simonaitis, and Tyree-Petty Williams; Paralegals Martha Calvo and Schantel Deal-Ross; and Practice Coordinator Sandra Bell. Winston Associate Jack Leon and Paralegal Pat Pratt also provided invaluable assistance. The Young, Garcia & Quadrozzi team included Shareholder Jaye Quadrozzi and Paralegal Shelley Kulick. The Mitby Pacholder Johnson team included Partners Steven Mitby and Timothy Johnson, Attorney Drew Kim, and Paralegal Geoff Litke. The Jones & Spross team included Lance Jones, Jennifer Trillsch, and Sharoon Saleem.

Farmington Hills’ Young and Associates, a firm specializing in complex business litigation, has announced its Jaye Quadrozzi was appointed representative of Oakland County to the Great Lakes Water Authority Board of Directors. Quadrozzi will serve on a six-person board.

Previously, Quadrozzi represented Oakland County and the Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner during a long-standing federal lawsuit under the Clean Water case involving the Detroit Water and Sewer Department. In addition, she represented Oakland County in the Detroit bankruptcy case, which resulted in the creation of the Great Lakes Water Authority in 2014.

Among her other responsibilities, Quadrozzi serves as a global ambassador for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation and as an appointed member of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority Board. At Huron-Clinton, she and other members oversee 13 parks in Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, Livingston, and Washtenaw counties.

“Jaye will be a tremendous asset to the board of directors and the residents of the state of Michigan,” says Rodger D. Young, president and founder of Young and Associates. “Her experience with the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority Board, legal experience, and expertise, and her deep understanding of and passion for the issues, challenges, and opportunities, will serve the mission well.”

Quadrozzi has worked for Young and Associates since 2007. She is also a member of Michigan, Illinois, and California state bars, and has been admitted to federal courts including Eastern District of Michigan, the Norther District of Illinois, the Northern and Southern Districts of California, and the Southern District of New York.

“I am honored and privileged to serve the residents of Oakland County in this very important role,” says Quadrozzi. “Our residents deserve the highest quality water and services, and it is our obligation and responsibility to ensure the efficient delivery of the nation’s best water and wastewater services.”

Quadrozzi received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and attended the University of Michigan Law School.

The authority provides nearly 40 percent of Michigan’s population – 4 million people – with quality water as well as wastewater services to nearly 30 percent of the state.

Young and Associates has offices in Farmington Hills and New York City.