Anahuac Management v. Mazer et al
Filing
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ORDER denying Anahuac and Hands 61 Motion for Summary Judgment. Signed by Judge Roger L. Hunt on 4/3/12. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - ECS)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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AO 72
(Rev. 8/82)
ANAHUAC MANAGEMENT, a Nevada
corporation,
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Plaintiff,
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vs.
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KEITH A. MAZER, an individual; WORLD
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CAPITAL FUNDING, LLC, an entity of
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unknown provenance; and DOES 1 through 50, )
inclusive,
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Defendants.
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_______________________________________)
KEITH A. MAZER,
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Counterclaim Plaintiff, )
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vs.
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ANAHUAC MANAGEMENT,
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Counterclaim Defendant. )
_______________________________________)
KEITH A. MAZER,
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Third-party Plaintiff,
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vs.
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JEHU HAND,
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Third-party Defendant. )
_______________________________________)
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Case No.: 2:09-cv-01590-RLH-PAL
ORDER
(Motion for Summary Judgment–#61)
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Before the Court is Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant Anahuac Management
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and Jehu Hand’s Motion for Summary Judgment (#61, filed Dec. 29, 2011). The Court has also
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considered Keith A. Mazer’s Opposition (#62, filed Jan. 23, 2012), and Anahuac and Hand’s
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Reply (#63, filed Feb. 9).
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BACKGROUND
This is a contract and securities dispute between Anahuac and Hand and Mazer.
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Anahuac initially brought suit and alleges that in 2007, Mazer, acting on behalf of World Capital,
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contacted Yuri Semenov, the president of Anahuac, to discuss purchasing a convertible debenture
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(the “Debenture”) issued by a company that would later merge with Cleantech Biofuels, Inc
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(“Cleantech”). Semenov allegedly agreed to Defendants’ proposal and subsequently purchased the
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Debenture. Semenov then converted the Debenture into common stock and requested the stock
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from Defendants. However, according to Anahuac, Defendants never intended to give possession
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of the stock to Anahuac and now seek “stock power” allowing Defendants to transfer the shares to
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a third person without ever giving them to Anahuac or compensating Anahuac.
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As to the counterclaims and third-party claims, Mazer alleges that Jehu Hand
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operates Anahuac as his alter ego and, therefore, Mazer and Hand’s relationship is tied into
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Anahuac’s claims. Mazer alleges that he and Hand participated in at least two joint ventures and
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other money matters and that Hand currently owes Mazer a substantial amount of money. Because
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Hand could not pay this debt, Hand retained Mazer to consult on the purchase of the Cleantech
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stock and Mazer actually paid for the purchase of the stock. Hand and Anahuac, however, never
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compensated Mazer for his service.
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On December 29, 2008, Anahuac filed suit in Nevada state court against
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Defendants. Defendants subsequently removed the case to this Court on the basis of federal
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subject matter jurisdiction. On November 11, 2009, Anahuac filed an Amended Complaint (#11),
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alleging claims for: (1) fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 78(j) (“SEC Rule 10b-5” or “Rule 10b-
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5d”); (2) violation of the Nevada Uniform Securities Act (NRS §§ 90.310, 90.570, 90.610); (3)
AO 72
(Rev. 8/82)
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fraud; (4) negligent misrepresentation; (5) breach of fiduciary duty; (6) conversion; and (7) breach
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of contract. On September 16, 2010, Defendants filed their Answer (#25), which included
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Mazer’s counterclaims against Anahuac and third-party complaint against Jehu Hand. Mazer
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alleges claims for: (1) breach of contract; (2) setoff; and (3) unjust enrichment.
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On May 6, 2009, Mazer filed suit in Antigua and Barbuda (the “Antigua Suit,”
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“Antigua”) against Hand related to the debts Mazer alleges Hand owes him. As it relates to this
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case, Mazer sought setoff in his third-party complaint of the debt being adjudicated in Antigua
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against any recovery by Anahuac in this case claiming that Hand operates Anahuac as his alter ego
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and, therefore, the Court may reverse-pierce the corporate veil to attribute Hand’s alleged acts and
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debts to Anahuac the corporate entity. The Court, however, dismissed Mazer’s setoff claim
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because Mazer failed to adequately allege the alter ego claim.
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Anahuac and Hand now move for summary judgment on Mazer’s remaining claims
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arguing that Mazer has not provided sufficient evidence to support the claims. For the reasons
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discussed below, the Court denies the motion.
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DISCUSSION
I.
Standard
The purpose of summary judgment is to avoid unnecessary trials when there is no
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dispute as to the facts before the court. Nw. Motorcycle Ass'n v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., 18 F.3d
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1468, 1471 (9th Cir.1994). Summary judgment is appropriate when the pleadings, the discovery
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and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits “show there is no genuine issue as to any
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material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Celotex Corp. v.
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Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 330 (1986). An issue is “genuine” if there is a sufficient evidentiary basis
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on which a reasonable fact-finder could find for the nonmoving party and a dispute is “material” if
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it could affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.,
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477 U.S. 242, 248–49 (1986). Where reasonable minds could differ on the material facts at issue,
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however, summary judgment is not appropriate. Warren v. City of Carlsbad, 58 F.3d 439, 441
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(9th Cir. 1995), cert. denied, 516 U.S. 1171 (1996). “The amount of evidence necessary to raise a
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genuine issue of material fact is enough ‘to require a jury or judge to resolve the parties' differing
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versions of the truth at trial.’” Aydin Corp. v. Loral Corp., 718 F.2d 897, 902 (9th Cir. 1983)
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(quoting First Nat'l Bank v. Cities Service Co., 391 U.S. 253, 288–89 (1968)). In evaluating a
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summary judgment motion, a court views all facts and draws all inferences in the light most
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favorable to the nonmoving party. Kaiser Cement Corp. v. Fishbach & Moore, Inc., 793 F.2d
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1100, 1103 (9th Cir. 1986).
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The moving party bears the burden of showing that there are no genuine issues of
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material fact. Zoslaw v. MCA Distrib. Corp., 693 F.2d 870, 883 (9th Cir. 1982). “In order to carry
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its burden of production, the moving party must either produce evidence negating an essential
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element of the nonmoving party’s claim or defense or show that the nonmoving party does not
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have enough evidence of an essential element to carry its ultimate burden of persuasion at trial.”
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Nissan Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Fritz Cos., 210 F.3d 1099, 1102 (9th Cir. 2000). Once the
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moving party satisfies Rule 56’s requirements, the burden shifts to the party resisting the motion to
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“set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 256.
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The nonmoving party “may not rely on denials in the pleadings but must produce specific
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evidence, through affidavits or admissible discovery material, to show that the dispute exists,”
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Bhan v. NME Hosps., Inc., 929 F.2d 1404, 1409 (9th Cir. 1991), and “must do more than simply
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show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Orr v. Bank of America, 285
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F.3d 764, 783 (9th Cir. 2002) (internal citations omitted). “The mere existence of a scintilla of
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evidence in support of the plaintiff's position will be insufficient.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252.
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II.
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Analysis
Anahuac and Hand seek summary judgment on Mazer’s two remaining claims: (1)
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breach of contract, and (3) unjust enrichment. Despite not following the Local Rules of Practice
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by failing to provide a concise statement (or any statement) of undisputed facts in their motion,
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(LR 56-1), Anahuac and Hand argue that Mazer has failed to discover or present any admissible
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facts supporting his claims. The Court disagrees.
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A.
Breach of Contract
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Anahuac and Hand argue that Mazer has not presented any evidence supporting his
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breach of contract claim against either Anahuac or Hand. A breach of contract claim requires: (1)
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a valid and existing contract, (2) performance by the Plaintiff, (3) Defendant’s failure to perform,
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and (4) damages. See Calloway v. City of Reno, 993 P.2d 1259, 1263 (Nev. 2001). A valid
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contract requires an offer, acceptance, and consideration. D’Angelo v. Gardner, 819 P.2d 206, 233
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(Nev. 1991). Mazer has provided sufficient evidence, through documents and his own affidavit, to
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support the existence of a contract and his breach of contract claims against Anahuac and Hand.
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(See generally, Dkt. 61, Exs. A and B.) Anahuac and Hand complain that Mazer has not given
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details of the contract, when the parties agreed to the contract, etc. Yet, Anahuac and Hand failed
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to actually depose Mazer and Mazer provides sufficient (even if not expansive) details regarding
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the oral contract in his affidavit. (See generally, id., Ex. A, Aff. of Keith Mazer.) The evidence
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would require the jurors to take inferential steps, but these are inferential steps a reasonable juror
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could make. Both sides of this dispute tell conflicting stories and it is for a jury to decide the facts,
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not the Court. Thus, the Court denies summary judgment on the breach of contract claim.
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B.
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Unjust Enrichment
Anahuac and Hand make largely the same arguments regarding Mazer’s unjust
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enrichment claim as they do against Mazer’s breach of contract claim. These arguments similarly
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fail here. “Unjust enrichment is the unjust retention of a benefit to the loss of another, or the
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retention of money or property of another against the fundamental principles of justice or equity
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and good conscience.” Nevada Indus. Dev. v. Bendetti, 741 P.2d 802, 804 n.2 (Nev. 1987). Here,
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Mazer’s evidence regarding the transfer of money supports a claim for unjust enrichment if no
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contract in fact exists or the contract does not cover these transactions.
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CONCLUSION
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Accordingly, and for good cause appearing,
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IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Anahuac and Hand’s Motion for Summary
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Judgment (#61) is DENIED.
Dated: April 3, 2012.
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____________________________________
ROGER L. HUNT
United States District Judge
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AO 72
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