Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. v.96-108 Pine Street LLC v. J.R. Vinagro Corporation J.R. Vinagro Corporation v. 96-108 Pine Street LLC

Syllabus

The plaintiff/third-party defendant, J.R. Vinagro Corporation (Vinagro), appeals from a final judgment of the Superior Court following a nonjury trial, denying Vinagro's motion for attorneys' fees and costs against the defendant/third-party plaintiff, 96-108 Pine Street LLC (Pine Street). On appeal, Vinagro argues that the trial justice abused his discretion by not awarding Vinagro attorneys' fees and costs under the parties' demolition contract based on the trial justice's determination that neither Vinagro nor Pine Street was the prevailing party.<br><br>The Supreme Court concluded that the Superior Court erred in declining to award Vinagro attorneys' fees and costs because the trial justice failed to ascertain the prevailing party to the litigation despite the existence of a mandatory fee-shifting provision without a more comprehensive, fact-intensive, and case-specific analysis. The Supreme Court also concluded that the Superior Court erred in finding that Vinagro's unjust-enrichment claim did not come within the scope of the fee-shifting provision contained in the parties' contract. Accordingly, the Supreme Court vacated the judgment of the Superior Court.<br>