Jack Rowe Assoc., Inc. Rowe Marketing International, Inc., Plaintiffs v. Fisher Corporation

Plaintiffs-appellants Jack Rowe Associates (“Associates”) and Jack Rowe Marketing International (“International”) appeal the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of defendant-appellee Fisher Corporation, 639 F.Supp. 564 .

Jack Rowe began selling Sanyo Corporation consumer electronics products as a sales representative in 1971. In 1974, he created the wholly owned Associates to carry out this activity. Rowe contends that it was “understood” between Rowe and Howard Ladd of Sanyo that Sanyo would not terminate Associates except for poor performance uncorrected after notice, and that their relationship would be a long-term “family” relationship similar to comparable arrangements in Japan.

In 1976, Ladd became president of Fisher, owned by the same Japanese interests that owned Sanyo. Ladd retained Associates as a sales representative for Fisher products. Rowe contends that he and Ladd again understood that the same relationship would continue and specifically agreed that termination could only be for poor performance. Ladd emphasized development of the long-term market and encouraged Rowe to spend seed money for that purpose. Rowe claims that Associates spent $100,000…