Bethlehem Steel Corp. v. Litton Industries, Inc.

The grossly-oversimplified issue in this matter is “Did the parties intend to make a contract?” Better stated, Did Bethlehem and Litton1 intend to enter into an option agreement, whereby Bethlehem would have the right to exercise its option to order as many as five one thousand foot self-unloading ore vessels at any time during a five yeár period? Following a non-jury trial which lasted approximately nine months and which involved in excess of twelve thousand pages of testimony and five hundred exhibits, the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Senior Judge Maurice Louik specially…