Ashish Mahendru, founder of Mahendru P.C. in Houston, was quoted in Law360 about the lawsuit he filed on behalf of his Houston-based client Third Coast Beverage Consortium LLC, which is seeking up to $1 million in damages from Phoenix Beverages Ltd.
In the article, Houston Co. Says African Brewer Wrongly Cut Off Deal (subscription required), Mr. Mahendru explained that Third Coast was wrongfully denied the opportunity to assist African-based Phoenix in selling its beer in Texas. He argued that his client had established a market for Phoenix’s “no-name beer that had never been sold here.”
According to the lawsuit, Phoenix terminated its importation and distribution agreement to avoid paying Third Coast, claiming the distributor had failed to “hire a properly licensed importer.” Mr. Mahendru says that assertion is false because it was Phoenix, not Third Coast, that was responsible for the hiring of importer Mint Venture.
“This case will expose the underbelly of the international beer trade,” Mr. Mahendru told Law360. Phoenix Beverages is based on the east African island of Mauritius. He is handling the case with lawyer Darren Braun.
Soon after Phoenix beer began to arrive in Texas, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission ordered the destruction of some of the brew after it was discovered that Mint Ventures didn’t have the necessary permits and had imported the beer illegally.
The TABC cleared Third Coast of any wrongdoing, according to the lawsuit, and the company began the search for a new importer just as Phoenix terminated the agreement.
The case is Third Coast Beverage Consortium LLC v. Phoenix Beverages Ltd., case number 2018-12656, in the 295th District Court in Harris County, Texas.
Mahendru P.C. is a boutique commercial litigation firm whose attorneys are known for their tenacity, intelligence and experience. Founded in 2001, the firm has a simple philosophy: Your problem is our problem. We adopt it, understand it and solve it. Our objective is to resolve every case in the best, fastest and most cost-efficient manner possible. We never wait for our opponent’s next move, which means we spend a lot of time at the courthouse and are well-known there.
