Stockmen's Livestock Exchange v. Thompson

Tommy Thompson and Ted Thompson own Thompson Livestock Company and St. Onge Livestock Auction, Inc. (hereinafter, the collective defendants will be referred to as “Thompsons”). Tommy and Ted Thompson are residents of South Dakota. During the time in question, Thompson Livestock Company was a South Dakota partnership and St. Onge Livestock was a South Dakota corporation.

In July of 1987, shortly after establishing St. Onge Livestock Auction, Thompsons hired Darrell Niekelson to manage the feedlot associated with the auction. Niekelson’s job also involved traveling to solicit and purchase cattle…