A Missouri appellate court reversed a $7.7 million jury verdict against a major tool industry leader, concluding that the trial court should have granted its motion for mistrial after opposing counsel repeatedly referred to Stanley Fastening Systems as a “billion-dollar company,” in violation of an order prohibiting any argument regarding the company’s financial status.

The three-judge panel of the Eastern District of Missouri Court of Appeals agreed with Stanley and remanded the case for a new trial, according to a July 16 opinion by Judge Kurt S. Odenwald.