Cornerstone Staffing Solutions, Inc. v. Valtech Solutions, Inc. and Valtech Services, Inc. ( 2020 )


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  • AFFIRMED and Opinion Filed October 28, 2020
    S   In The
    Court of Appeals
    Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
    No. 05-19-00093-CV
    CORNERSTONE STAFFING SOLUTIONS, INC., Appellant
    V.
    VALTECH SOLUTIONS, INC. AND
    VALTECH SERVICES, INC., Appellees
    On Appeal from the 116th Judicial District Court
    Dallas County, Texas
    Trial Court Cause No. DC-16-10346
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    Before Justices Partida-Kipness, Nowell, and Evans
    Opinion by Justice Evans
    After a jury trial, Cornerstone Staffing Solutions, Inc., appeals from the trial
    court’s adverse judgment on Valtech Services, Inc.’s breach of contract claim
    against it.1 Appellee Valtech Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of appellee Valtech
    Solutions, Inc. which, in turn, is a U.S. subsidiary of Valtech, S.E., a European
    1
    The final judgment followed bifurcated trials on June 11, 2018 and August 27, 2018 in consolidated
    cases Valtech Services, Inc. v. Cornerstone Staffing Solutions, No. DC-16-10346 and Cornerstone Staffing
    Solutions, Inc., v. Valtech Solutions, Inc., No. DC-17-02424.
    company.2 In two issues, Cornerstone generally challenges the legal sufficiency of
    the evidence to support the jury’s verdict. Cornerstone also brings a conditional
    issue, in the event we reverse the trial court’s judgment based on either of its first
    two issues. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.
    BACKGROUND
    Valtech      provides      information       technology        services/digital       marketing
    throughout the United States.3 Cornerstone provides staffing services nationwide.
    In December 2015, the parties signed an asset purchase agreement (APA) setting
    forth the details of Cornerstone’s purchase of assets related to Valtech’s information
    technology temporary staffing, recruiting, and related staffing business.4
    Cornerstone paid $1.9 million at the closing of the sale (Initial Payment), which
    occurred in December before Valtech had completed year-end accounting of its
    books to submit to its parent company’s auditors. The APA, however, provided that
    Cornerstone would make an additional payment after the closing should certain
    metrics set forth in the agreement be met (Initial Payment Adjustment or IPA)
    generally comprised of a multiple of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
    2
    Although Cornerstone identifies Valtech Solutions as an appellee, it appeals only the judgment
    rendered in favor of Valtech Services. Cornerstone’s conditional third issue, however, seeks remand of
    claims on which Valtech Solutions was awarded attorney’s fees. Unless otherwise indicated, “Valtech”
    refers to Valtech Services.
    3
    In 2014, Valtech Solutions spun off its information technology (IT) recruiting and temporary staffing
    business to Valtech Services which began operating on January 1, 2015.
    4
    The purchased assets included staffing service contracts, licenses, list of personnel, non-competition
    agreements, telephone numbers, registrations, certifications, and assumption of company office leases.
    –2–
    amortization (EBITDA).5 Specifically, the primary provision addressing the IPA
    stated:
    2.3.2. If pursuant to the consolidated audited financial statements of
    Valtech S.E., as at December 31, 2015, the amount equal to four point
    two (4.2) times the EBITDA realized by the Business during said fiscal
    year is greater than the Initial Payment, as notified by the Seller to the
    Buyer no later than on April l5, 2016, then the Buyer shall pay, subject
    to the Buyer’s consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld) to
    the Seller the amount of such difference (the “Initial Payment
    Adjustment”). The Initial Payment Adjustment is non-refundable, as
    contemplated in Section 2.3.3 below (without limiting the
    indemnification obligations under Section 8.7 of this Agreement). Such
    Initial Payment Adjustment will be subject to the Buyer’s complete and
    prompt access to the books, records, and calculations of the Seller and
    its agents serving as the basis for the Initial Payment Adjustment;
    The term “EBITDA,” in turn, is defined in section 1.17 of the APA as “the
    operating income and depreciation, as illustrated on the profit and loss statement of
    the Business in the form and format used on Exhibit B.” 6 According to section 1.8
    of the APA, “Business” had the meaning set forth in the recitals of the parties’
    agreement: “WHEREAS, the Seller is the owner of all of the assets described on
    Exhibit A and as further defined below (the “Assets”) relating to Seller’s information
    technology temporary staffing, recruiting, and related staffing business (the
    Business”)” (emphasis in original).
    5
    Cornerstone’s CEO testified that the $1.9 million was a reduced purchase price and the parties agreed
    to an initial payment adjustment provision.
    6
    At trial there was testimony that EBITDA is an acronym “earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation
    and amortization” representing “a measurement of the recurring, ongoing performance of the company.”
    But the non-standard term does not have a defined method of calculation or meaning under generally
    accepted accounting principles or international; financial reporting standards in ordinary usage.
    –3–
    On February 22, 2016 Valtech notified Cornerstone of its EBITDA
    calculation and that an IPA was due.      In response, Cornerstone requested an
    “accounts receivable rollforward schedule” which Valtech provided. Having heard
    nothing further from Cornerstone, on April 11, 2016, Valtech made an official
    written demand to Cornerstone for an IPA of $1,791,524. In support of its IPA
    calculation, Valtech attached its EBITDA calculation from its February 22 email and
    a calculation showing the amount of IPA due. It is undisputed that the financial
    statement that Valtech used for purposes of doing its IPA demand was not audited.
    However, Valtech’s parent company’s auditors accessed Valtech’s year-end
    financial data through Valtech’s accounting system and subjected the data to their
    audit criteria before compiling Valtech, S.E.’s consolidated audited financial
    statements.   Cornerstone failed and refused to pay any IPA, asserting “all
    calculations of the purchase price are to be made based on the audited financial
    statements of Valtech, S.E.” and Valtech’s calculations were based on “[t]he latest
    version of the Valtech Services P&L.” Cornerstone made other complaints about
    Valtech’s calculations and indicated that it was “engaging an independent auditing
    firm to review the financials, books, and records of Valtech—as expressly permitted
    by the Agreement.” Cornerstone, however, never requested the consolidated audited
    financials of Valtech, S.E. The parties were unable to resolve their dispute and
    –4–
    Valtech ultimately filed this breach of contract lawsuit.7 The matter proceeded to
    trial and the jury was asked the following question to which neither party objected:
    QUESTION 1(a)
    Did Cornerstone Staffing fail to comply with Section 2.3.2 of the APA?
    You are instructed that in order to answer “Yes” you must find that
    Valtech Services complied with the condition imposed upon it under
    the APA.
    Answer “Yes” or “No.”
    Answer: YES
    The jury went on to award Valtech damages for Cornerstone’s failure to
    comply with Section 2.3.2. The jury also returned a verdict in favor of Cornerstone
    on its claim for money had and received. The trial court rendered judgment on the
    verdict awarding Valtech $717,437.12 in actual damages and $1,612,546 for
    attorney’s fees in the trial court, among other relief.8 Cornerstone filed this appeal
    from the trial court’s final judgment.
    7
    Valtech also sought a declaratory judgment involving an offset claim. Cornerstone filed an answer
    and counterclaim against Valtech. Additionally, Cornerstone filed a separate action seeking to enforce
    certain non-compete clauses in the APA. Although the two suits were consolidated, the claims involving
    the IPA payment were tried separately from other issues.
    8
    The final judgment incorporated the jury’s verdict, offsets per the parties’ trial stipulation, and the
    trial court’s directed verdict in favor of Valtech on its breach of contract claim for Cornerstone’s failure to
    comply with the “Master Services Agreement.” The judgment also awarded costs through trial and
    conditional appellate attorney’s fees.
    –5–
    ANALYSIS
    The resolution of this case turns on the meaning of section 2.3.2 of the APA.9
    The parties do not dispute that section 2.3.2 contains a condition precedent to
    Valtech’s entitlement to an IPA. Instead, the parties argue about what that condition
    precedent required. The question submitted necessarily required the jury to find
    Valtech complied with the APA’s condition before determining Cornerstone failed
    to comply with section 2.3.2. But the jury charge did not define the condition. At
    trial, both parties argued and provided evidence to support its version of what the
    condition required.
    In its first issue on appeal, Cornerstone asserts the APA unambiguously set
    forth the following three requirements before Cornerstone was obligated to pay any
    IPA:
    (1) Valtech must notify Cornerstone of its IPA calculation “no later than April
    15, 2016”;
    (2) The IPA calculation must be “pursuant to the consolidated audited
    financial statements of Valtech, S.E., as at December 31, 2015”; and
    (3) Valtech, S.E.’s audited financial statements show the amount equal to 4.2
    times the EBITDA realized by the Business during the 2015 fiscal year was greater
    than the initial payment of $1.9 million.
    9
    Both parties moved for summary judgment arguing their interpretation controlled as a matter of law.
    The trial court denied both motions. At trial, Cornerstone moved for an instructed verdict on its
    interpretation which the trial court also denied.
    –6–
    Central to the parties’ dispute about the meaning of the contract is the phrase
    in section 2.3.2, “If pursuant to the consolidated audited financial statements of
    Valtech S.E., as at December 31, 2015, the amount equal to four point two (4.2)
    times the EBITDA realized by the Business . . . ,” and the contractual definition of
    “EBITDA” that included “in the form and format used on Exhibit B.” Among other
    things, Cornerstone argues that Valtech could not satisfy section 2.3.2’s condition
    by using unaudited financial data to calculate EBITDA.          Instead, according to
    Cornerstone, Valtech had to provide Cornerstone with its calculation demonstrating
    the amount of IPA owed using the financial data actually contained in Valtech S.E.’s
    consolidated audited financial statements as at December 31, 2015. In other words,
    Cornerstone argues Valtech S.E.’s 2015 audited financial statements had to show
    the amount equal to 4.2 times the EBITDA realized by Valtech during 2015 was
    greater than $1.9 million (the initial payment).
    In support of its section 2.3.2 interpretation, Cornerstone contends the phrase
    “pursuant to the consolidated, audited financial statement of Valtech, S.E.” can only
    mean that Valtech was required to determine EBITDA “for the specifically-defined
    ‘Business,’ as specifically measured by the ‘consolidated audited financial
    statements of Valtech S.E., as at December 31, 2015’” and that the “EBITDA
    calculation should be supported by the consolidated audited financial statements in
    the general ‘form and format’ – as ‘illustrated’ by Exhibit B, with the same line items
    and basic calculation of earnings as measured before interest, taxes, and
    –7–
    depreciation.”    Because Valtech’s operating income reported in its parent’s
    consolidated audited financials was negative, Cornerstone argues it cannot owe any
    IPA. Cornerstone further asserts any other interpretation of section 2.3.2, including
    the one proffered by Valtech, is unreasonable.
    Valtech, on the other hand, contends that Cornerstone’s construction
    disregards the context in which the words “consolidated audited financial
    statements” appear. Valtech argues the reference to audited financial statements
    merely reflected the parties’ intention that the EBITDA calculation for IPA purposes
    would not be done until after Valtech closed its books and submitted the year–end
    results to be audited as part of its parent company’s consolidated audit. Valtech
    further asserts the APA required EBITDA to be calculated using the form and format
    used on Exhibit B to the APA, which illustrated the profit and loss statement of the
    Business, rather than from figures taken directly from its parent company’s
    consolidated audited financial statements. Further, Valtech contends that because
    there was no EBITDA calculation for the “Business” in Valtech S.E.’s audited
    financials, it was impossible to calculate the IPA directly from the audited financials.
    Instead, the parties intended to measure the earnings from the specific assets
    Cornerstone purchased and required an IPA if those earnings exceeded the defined
    threshold.
    We review questions of contract construction regarding an unambiguous
    contract de novo. See Kachina Pipeline Co. v. Lillis, 
    471 S.W.3d 445
    , 449 (Tex.
    –8–
    2015). When parties dispute their contract’s meaning, our primary concern is to
    ascertain the true intentions of the parties as expressed in the agreement. See
    Piranha Partners v. Neuhoff, 
    596 S.W.3d 740
    , 743 (Tex. 2020). “In the usual case,
    the instrument alone will be deemed to express the intention of the parties for it is
    objective, not subjective, intent that controls.” Matagorda Cty. Hosp. Dist. v.
    Burwell, 
    189 S.W.3d 738
    , 740 (Tex. 2006) (per curiam) (quoting City of Pinehurst
    v. Spooner Addition Water Co., 
    432 S.W.2d 515
    , 518 (Tex. 1968)); see also URI,
    Inc. v. Kleberg Cty., 
    543 S.W.3d 755
    , 757 (Tex. 2018) (“[O]bjective, not subjective,
    intent controls, so the focus is on the words the parties chose to memorialize their
    agreement.”) (Internal quotation marks and footnote omitted). For these reasons, we
    “presume parties intend what the words of their contract say,” Gilbert Tex. Constr.,
    L.P. v. Underwriters at Lloyd’s London, 
    327 S.W.3d 118
    , 126 (Tex. 2010), and
    interpret contract language according to its “plain, ordinary, and generally accepted
    meaning” unless the instrument directs otherwise.           Heritage Res., Inc. v.
    NationsBank, 
    939 S.W.2d 118
    , 121 (Tex. 1996).            In other words, we must
    “determine and enforce the parties’ intent as expressed within the written
    agreement.” Piranha 
    Partners, 596 S.W.3d at 743
    .
    The determination of whether a contract is ambiguous is also a question of
    law that we review de novo. See URI, 
    Inc., 534 S.W.3d at 763
    . Ambiguity does not
    exist simply because both parties present different interpretations of the agreement.
    See 
    Piranha, 596 S.W.3d at 743
    –44. A determination of ambiguity requires that
    –9–
    both parties’ interpretations be reasonable, and ambiguity will not exist if the
    language of the agreement creates a definite or certain legal meaning.
    Id. Our analysis considers
    the entire agreement, and to the extent possible, will resolve any
    conflict by harmonizing the agreement’s provisions instead of applying arbitrary or
    mechanical default rules. See
    id. After reviewing the
    language in question, we do not agree with Cornerstone
    that section 2.3.2 unambiguously requires that Valtech S.E.’s audited consolidated
    financial statements directly show the amount equal to 4.2 times the EBITDA
    realized by the Business during fiscal year 2015 was greater than Cornerstone’s
    initial payment of $1.9 million. Contrary to Cornerstone’s contention, the language
    “[i]f pursuant to the consolidated audited financial statements of Valtech S.E.,” does
    not compel such a result. As recognized by Valtech, “pursuant to” merely means
    “in compliance with,” “in accordance with,” “as authorized by,” or “in carrying out.”
    Pursuant to, BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY (8th ed. 2004); see also Baty v. Bowen
    Miclette & Britt, Inc., 
    423 S.W.3d 427
    , 440 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2013,
    no pet.) (according to supreme court, “pursuant to” means “in carrying out”) (citing
    Syntax, Inc. v. Hall, 
    899 S.W.2d 189
    , 191–92 (Tex. 1995)). Moreover, the APA
    defined EBITDA to mean “the operating income and depreciation, as illustrated on
    the profit and loss statement of the [seller’s information technology, temporary
    staffing, recruiting and related staffing business] in the form and format used on
    Exhibit B.” As noted by Valtech, the APA was for the purchase of certain assets,
    –10–
    not the business of Valtech Services as a whole.            Accordingly, Valtech’s
    construction that all section 2.3.2 required was for the raw data used in its EBITDA
    calculation be the raw data that Valtech provided to the auditors preparing its parent
    company’s consolidated audited financials is in harmony with the rest of the parties’
    agreement.
    Likewise, this construction allowed Valtech to update Exhibit “B” of the
    agreement to reflect the actual year-end total for office expenses rather than
    projections. Cornerstone’s contention that the parent company’s audited financial
    statements had to show that a specific EBITDA result had been achieved ignores the
    APA’s definition of EBITDA, requiring operation income and depreciation, “as
    illustrated on the profit and loss statement of the Business in the form and format
    used on Exhibit B.” Simply stated, the plain language of section 2.3.2 did not require
    that the specific EBITDA result be “specifically measured” by Valtech S.E.’s
    consolidated audited financial statements as at December 31, 2015 as Cornerstone
    contends.
    In reaching our conclusion, we need not address whether audited financial
    statements are materially better than unaudited ones as Cornerstone asserts. Texas
    contract law enforces the plain terms of the parties’ bargain, and section 2.3.2 did
    not require EBITDA to be calculated using the consolidated audited financial
    statements of Valtech, S.E. See Bombardier Aerospace Corp. v. SPEP Aircraft
    Holdings, LLC, 
    572 S.W.3d 213
    , 230 (Tex. 2019) (courts must respect and enforce
    –11–
    terms of contract parties have freely and voluntarily made). As noted by Valtech,
    the APA specifically defines EBITDA as illustrated in the form and format used by
    Exhibit B, a profit and loss statement of the Business. We also reject Cornerstone’s
    contention that the meaning of the phrase “in the form and format used on Exhibit
    B” as urged by Valtech is tantamount to “identical to” and forecloses the use of
    updated, year-end financial data (and thus section 2.3.2’s requirement of audited
    financials).
    Valtech’s interpretation does not render the phrase “pursuant to the
    consolidated audited financial statement of Valtech, S.E.” meaningless.          As
    previously noted, when the parties closed their deal, Valtech had not yet closed its
    books or provided any data to its parent company’s auditors. Accordingly, the
    phrase “pursuant to the consolidated audited financial statement of Valtech, S.E.”
    required EBIDTA to be calculated on data provided to Valtech, S.E.’s auditors for
    its consolidated 2015 financials.
    Cornerstone also argues Valtech’s interpretation is unreasonable because
    Cornerstone already had access to Valtech’s unaudited financial data at the time it
    signed the APA. But, as previously explained, year-end data was not yet complete
    and had not yet been submitted to Valtech S.E.’s auditors. Consequently, section
    –12–
    2.3.2 did provide Cornerstone with additional information that it did not have at the
    time of closing.
    If the parties had intended Valtech, S.E.’s consolidated audited financial
    statements to show the EBITDA of the Business, or had the parties intended for the
    profit and loss statement in the form and format of Exhibit B to have been submitted
    to the Valtech, S.E.’s auditors, expressing that in words in the contract could have
    been easily done. However, according to the plain language of the agreement, the
    Business’s operating income and depreciation (EBITDA) was calculated “as
    illustrated on [its] profit and loss statement . . . in the form and format used on
    Exhibit B.” Section 2.3.2 did not alter this requirement. This construction is further
    reinforced by the last sentence of section 2.3.2 requiring the IPA be subject to
    Cornerstone’s access to the books, records, and calculations of Valtech Services and
    its agents serving as the basis for the IPA. Because we conclude section 2.3.2 did
    not unambiguously require Valtech to calculate EBITDA from data contained within
    Valtech S.E.’s consolidated audited financial statements, we resolve Cornerstone’s
    first issue against it.
    In its second issue, Cornerstone contends that the evidence is legally
    insufficient to support the jury’s finding that Valtech complied with the condition
    precedent. It specifically argues that: (1) Valtech’s notice of the IPA due was
    untimely and (2) Valtech could not satisfy section 2.3.2’s condition precedent
    –13–
    merely by using data Valtech supplied to Valtech’s S.E.’s auditors to calculate the
    IPA.
    Because Cornerstone challenges the legal sufficiency of an adverse finding on
    an issue on which it did not have the burden of proof, it must demonstrate that there
    is no evidence to support the finding. See Graham Cent. Station, Inc. v. Pena, 
    442 S.W.3d 261
    , 263 (Tex. 2014). Evidence is legally sufficient to support a jury’s
    verdict when it would allow reasonable and fair-minded jurors to reach the
    challenged finding. See City of Keller v. Wilson, 
    168 S.W.3d 802
    , 827 (Tex. 2005).
    When reviewing a finding for legal sufficiency, we consider the evidence in the light
    most favorable to the finding, crediting favorable evidence if a reasonable factfinder
    could and disregarding contrary evidence unless a reasonable factfinder could not.
    See
    id. Moreover, the unobjected-to
    jury charge sets the standard for our review of
    the evidence. See Burbage v. Burbage, 
    447 S.W.3d 249
    , 260 (Tex. 2014) (court’s
    charge measures sufficiency of the evidence when opposing party fails to object to
    charge) (quoting Osterberg v. Peca, 
    12 S.W.3d 31
    , 
    55 Tex. 2000
    )). Here, the trial
    court instructed the jury that in order to find that Cornerstone failed to comply with
    section 2.3.2 of the APA, it must find that “Valtech Services complied with the
    condition imposed upon it under the APA.” The jury was not instructed, however,
    on either party’s interpretation of the condition set forth in section 2.3.2.
    We first address Cornerstone’s argument regarding Valtech’s notice,
    assuming, without deciding, this issue was adequately preserved and briefed to this
    –14–
    Court.10 Cornerstone argues that because the only notice Valtech provided by April
    15, 2016 demanded $1,791,524 but later sought a corrected, lesser amount, Valtech
    did not provide “proper notice” as required by section 2.3.2. The undisputed
    evidence at trial revealed that Valtech provided a written demand for an IPA on April
    11, 2016, which included a spreadsheet showing its EBITDA calculation in the
    manner set forth in Exhibit B as well as the math demonstrating an IPA was due.
    Section 2.3.2 did not require Valtech’s notice to provide an EBITDA calculation free
    from any error to be effective. Instead, all the section required was for Valtech to
    provide notice that the amount equal to 4.2 times the EBITDA realized in the 2015
    fiscal year be greater than the Initial Payment of $1.9 million. The last sentence of
    section 2.3.2 contemplated Cornerstone checking and reviewing Valtech’s data and
    calculations for errors after notification. Nothing in the section indicates that
    Valtech had to provide a correct calculation before April 15, 2016 before it would
    be entitled to any IPA. Accordingly, the fact that Valtech subsequently reduced the
    amount it sought for IPA does not establish as a matter of law that Valtech’s notice
    was untimely.
    Having already rejected Cornerstone’s argument that section 2.3.2
    unambiguously required Valtech to calculate EBITDA directly from items in
    10
    Valtech asserts that Cornerstone raises this notice issue for the first time on appeal and it was not
    preserved by Cornerstone’s motion to disregard jury answers and for new trial. It its motion, Cornerstone
    argued that “the only IPA demand Valtech made [prior to April 15, 2016] in the amount of $1,791,154 –
    was incorrect” and, “Valtech offered no excuse for its failure to timely demand an IPA of $1,203,309,”
    which was the damages amount awarded by the jury.
    –15–
    Valtech, S.E.’s audited consolidated financials, we turn to the evidence to determine
    whether there was more than a scintilla of evidence to support Valtech’s
    interpretation of section 2.3.2 that its EBITDA calculation was “pursuant to the
    consolidated audited financial statements of Valtech S.E., as at December 31, 2015.”
    There was testimony from Valtech’s treasurer (CFO) Laurent Pretet that
    Valtech’s EBITDA calculation for the IPA was constructed with the financial data
    from the accounting system. That same data was then reported in the consolidated
    financial statements. When asked whether it is that financial data that is audited in
    the audit, Pretet said “yes” and agreed that using that financial data is the same thing
    as using the audited financial statements ‘because it’s the same data.”11 He further
    stated that the auditors obtain the financial data from the consolidation software,
    Hyperion, and that the auditors did not find anything that needed a correction or an
    adjustment. Valtech’s accountant, Scott Shaprio, also testified that he calculated
    EBITDA for purposes of calculating IPA by plugging Valtech’s audited financial
    data into Exhibit B. He further indicated that he calculated the demand payment in
    accordance with the APA’s definition of EBITDA. Valtech’s chief operating
    11
    Pretet testified, “So what Deloitte our auditor, or any auditing firm would do, they would do basically
    two things. They would ask a lot of questions and request a lot of documents. For example, if we report that
    we have made 1 million of sales, $1 million of sales, they would ask us for the list of all invoices for those
    sales. They would ask us to show the actual paper of the invoice to make sure that it exists, that we just
    didn’t invent it. And they will check that the customers have paid us by checking the bank account and
    making sure that everything is paid.” Pretet went on to state, “The second thing they will do, which is
    extremely important in an audit, is they will ask -- Deloitte will ask for what we call a third-party
    confirmation. To take an example, they will ask – they will send a letter to our customers asking them to
    confirm that they have purchased from us for a certain amount of services, and that amount that -- that the
    customer would report has to match with what we have reported.”
    –16–
    officer, Tomas Nores, and Valtech’s expert witness, Joe Galanti, both corroborated
    the accountant’s testimony that Valtech calculated EBITDA in the manner provided
    by Exhibit B. Galanti further confirmed that Valtech’s EBITDA calculation was in
    accordance with Valtech S.E.’s consolidated audited financial statements. We,
    therefore, conclude that there is legally sufficient evidence that Valtech complied
    with the APA’s condition and that Valtech’s EBITDA calculation was “pursuant to
    the consolidated audited financial statements” of Valtech, S.E.                                We resolve
    Cornerstone’s second issue against it.12
    In light of our disposition of Cornerstone’s first two issues, we need not
    address Cornerstone’s third issue, which is conditioned upon our reversal of the trial
    court’s judgment with respect to Valtech’s breach of contract claim.
    CONCLUSION
    Based on the record before us, we conclude the evidence was legally sufficient
    to support the jury’s breach of contract finding.
    12
    Valtech also addresses whether the evidence was factually sufficient to support the jury’s finding. In
    it reply brief, however, Cornerstone clarifies that its appeal only presents a legal sufficiency issue about the
    effect of what it views as an unambiguous contract. Moreover, based on our resolution of Cornerstone’s
    first and second issues, we need not address Valtech’s alternative argument that the agreement is
    ambiguous.
    –17–
    Accordingly, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.
    /David Evans/
    DAVID EVANS
    JUSTICE
    190093F.P05
    –18–
    S
    Court of Appeals
    Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
    JUDGMENT
    CORNERSTONE STAFFING                           On Appeal from the 116th Judicial
    SOLUTIONS, INC., Appellant                     District Court, Dallas County, Texas
    Trial Court Cause No. DC-16-10346.
    No. 05-19-00093-CV           V.                Opinion delivered by Justice Evans,
    Justices Partida-Kipness and Nowell
    VALTECH SOLUTIONS, INC.                        participating.
    AND VALTECH SERVICES, INC.,
    Appellees
    In accordance with this Court’s opinion of this date, the judgment of the trial
    court is AFFIRMED.
    It is ORDERED that appellee Valtech Services, Inc. recover its costs of this
    appeal and the full amount of the trial court’s judgment from appellant Cornerstone
    Staffing Solutions, Inc. and from XL Specialty Insurance Company as surety on
    appellant’s supersedeas bond.
    Judgment entered this 28th day of October 2020.
    –19–