Sun Pacific Farming Cooperative, Inc. v. Sun World International, Inc.

MEMORANDUM **

Sun Pacific Farming Cooperative, Inc. (“Sun Pacific”) appeals the district court’s judgment, which found Sun Pacific liable for conversion and fraud, and awarded Sun World International, Inc. (“Sun World”) $8,064.00 in compensatory damages, $250,000.00 in punitive damages, and $27,684.30 in costs. We affirm the district court’s judgment in part, but vacate its award of punitive damages and remand for reconsideration and recalculation of the amount of the punitive damages award. The parties are familiar with the facts of this case, so we recount them here only as necessary.

This court reviews “the district court’s findings of fact after a bench trial for clear error and its conclusions of law de novo.” Friends of Yosemite Valley v. Norton, 348 F.3d 789, 793 (9th Cir.2003). It reviews de novo a district court’s decision based on its analysis of contractual language and application of contract interpretation principles. Miller v. Safeco Title Ins. Co., 758 F.2d 364, 367 (9th Cir.1985). “When the inquiry focuses on extrinsic evidence of related facts, however, the trial court’s conclusions will not be reversed unless they are clearly erroneous.” Id. (citations…