Janet Sparks reports at BlueMauMau that after a supreme court judge made his decision last May that Patrick LaFontaine could move forward with fraud claims against Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. and other defendants, the professional hockey player scored another victory last September.

Judge Stephen A Bucaria denied all motions to dismiss his court ruling filed by Dunkin’ and the two principals of Kainos Partners LLC, and the chief operating officer of Palisade Capital Management, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. The judge also denied Dunkin’ Brands’ request to reargue its motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action.

The lawsuit was filed November 23, 2009 by Zarco Einhorn Salkowski & Brito. Robert Zarco said the judge’s decision has been appealed by Dunkin’ and other defendants. In setting the stage for the case, Zarco stated, “We’re very disappointed that Dunkin’s former CEO Jon Luther would so take advantage of his extremely close and personal relationship with Patrick LaFontaine, as to cause him to invest substantially in a franchise that he knew, or should have known, was not financially viable. Many of the financial indicators made it obvious that the business in which Mr. LaFontaine invested was doomed for failure.”

The 2003 Hall of Fame hockey player has all the battle scars to show his incredible 28-year career battling adversaries on the ice while with the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. But little did he know that his toughest opponent would be in a legal arena with his good friend, golfing buddy and board member of his charitable foundation Jon L. Luther, former CEO and now executive chairman of Dunkin’ Brands, Inc.

Read more at: BlueMauMau