ROCKPORT, Maine — A lawsuit that pitted two longtime architectural business partners against each other has been settled.
A joint news release issued Thursday on behalf of Richard Bernhard and John Priestley III does not reveal details of any settlement but simply states that the two have resolved the lawsuit Bernhard filed against Priestley in May.
The release states that the sides agreed that no wrongdoing was committed by any party.
The men had operated Bernhard & Priestley Architecture Inc. in downtown Rockport since 2004, and they worked as architects for its predecessor company for 19 years.
Bernhard had asked the court to dissolve the corporation, order a fair distribution of the assets and impose punitive financial damages against Priestley. As a result of disputes, Bernhard had informed his partner that he wanted to retire, and Priestley would start his own firm. But the pair could not reach an agreement on the division of corporate assets.
Bernhard claimed in the lawsuit that Priestley began using employees of the firm to start his new business and hired a Web designer for the new business using Bernard & Priestley money.