The Supreme Court denied Avis Budget Group’s petition to hear its case against Robert Halcro, the owner/operator of Alaska Rent A Car. In October 2009, a U.S. District judge ordered Avis Budget Car Rental LLC to pay Alaska Rent A Car $19.2 million in damages and attorneys' fees.

Halcro alleged Cendant Corp.’s 2002 acquisition of Budget Rent A Car violated his franchise agreements, according to Blue Mau Mau. Halcro started his car rental business in 1955 in Valdez, Alaska.

Prior to the jury trial, the judge had issued a decision resolving most claims in Halcro’s favor. The judge stated that Cendant Rent A Car Group was unequivocally in breach of the agency settlement agreement.

John Dienelt of DLA Piper, an expert witness representing the Cendant and Avis defendants, asserted in trial that the franchisee’s expert witness testimony on damage calculations ignored any benefits to Alaska Rent-A-Car arising from the combined sales force of Avis and Budget.

But the judge disagreed with Dienelt’s position that Halcro’s expert witness testimony was insufficient. Regarding Avis’ motion for a new trial, the judge declared that the court had no basis to revisit its earlier ruling.