Judge upholds $281 million award against Turner

A Fulton County Superior Court judge has denied Turner Broadcasting System’s request to overturn a jury’s verdict that awarded $281 million to Texas businessman David McDavid who accused the company of cheating him out of buying Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena operating rights years ago.

A Turner spokeswoman said the Atlanta-based media company would appeal the ruling.

“The Court of Appeals needs to review this case — and the resulting harm to conducting business in this state — with great care,” she said.

The company has 30 days to appeal to the Georgia Court of Appeals.

Lamar Mixson, an attorney who represents McDavid, said they think the judge and the jury “got it exactly right.”

McDavid signed a letter of intent to buy the professional teams and arena operating rights from Atlanta-based Turner in 2003. The letter, granting exclusive negotiating rights, expired, but the parties continued to talk.

Turner announced in the fall of that year it would sell the teams to an eight-man investor group known as the Atlanta Spirit. McDavid then filed a $450 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against the company.

A jury awarded McDavid $281 million last December. Judge Tom Campbell took up the company’s request to overturn that decision or to have a new trial on Monday.