Shah v. Lumiere et al
Filing
46
OPINION AND ORDER re: 27 MOTION to Dismiss the Complaint by Defendant Lester Levy, filed by Lester L. Levy. For the reasons stated above, Defendant's motion to dismiss Plaintiff's defamation claim based upon statements made prior t o May 1, 2012, is granted. Plaintiff's defamation claim for statements made after May 1, 2012, remain. Defendant's motion to dismiss Plaintiff's tortious interference with contract claim is denied. Defendant's motion to dismiss Plaintiff's claims for tortious interference with prospective business relations and for malicious prosecution is granted. (Signed by Judge Lorna G. Schofield on 12/3/2013) (ja) Modified on 12/4/2013 (ja).
81,7(' 67$7(6 ',675,&7 &2857
6287+(51 ',675,&7 2) 1(: <25.
;
6$&+,1 6+$+
3ODLQWLII
DJDLQVW
-867,1 /80,(5( HW DO
'HIHQGDQWV
;
12/3/13
&LY /*6
23,1,21 $1' 25'(5
/251$ * 6&+2),(/' 'LVWULFW -XGJH
3ODLQWLII 6DFKLQ 6KDK EULQJV WKLV DFWLRQ IRU GHIDPDWLRQ WRUWLRXV LQWHUIHUHQFH ZLWK
FRQWUDFW WRUWLRXV LQWHUIHUHQFH ZLWK SURVSHFWLYH HFRQRPLF DGYDQWDJH DQGRU EXVLQHVV UHODWLRQV
DQG PDOLFLRXV SURVHFXWLRQ 'HIHQGDQW /HVWHU /HY\ EULQJV WKLV PRWLRQ WR GLVPLVV DV WR SDUW RI WKH
GHIDPDWLRQ FODLP DQG DOO RWKHU FODLPV LQ WKHLU HQWLUHW\
, 3ODLQWLII¶V $OOHJDWLRQV
3ODLQWLII 6DFKLQ 6KDK LV D ³6SHFLDO 6LWXDWLRQV0HUJHU $UELWUDJH 6WUDWHJLVW´ ZKR KDV
ZRUNHG DW D QXPEHU RI ILQDQFLDO LQVWLWXWLRQV LQ WKDW UROH 0U 6KDK DSSHDUV RQ D QXPEHU RI
WHOHYLVLRQ QHWZRUNV WR FRPPHQW RQ PHUJHUV DQG DFTXLVLWLRQV DQG KDV GHYHORSHG UHODWLRQVKLSV
ZLWK FOLHQWV ZKRP KH DGYLVHV RQ WUDGLQJ VWUDWHJLHV UHODWHG WR PHUJHUV DQG RWKHU ³VSHFLDO
VLWXDWLRQV´ 0U 6KDK ZRUNHG DW ,&$3 3/& ³,&$3´ ZLWK 'HIHQGDQWV -XVWLQ /XPLHUH DQG
/HVWHU /HY\ IURP WKURXJK DV D 6U 6SHFLDO 6LWXDWLRQV DQG 0HUJHU $UELWUDJH $QDO\VW
,Q )HEUXDU\ 0U 6KDK DOHUWHG UHJXODWRUV DW WKH 6(& DQG ),15$ WKDW KH EHOLHYHG
0U /XPLHUH DQG 0U /HY\ DORQJ ZLWK 0U /XPLHUH¶V EURWKHU 6WHSKDQ /XPLHUH KDG DFWHG
LPSURSHUO\ $IWHU UHSRUWLQJ KLV DOOHJDWLRQV 0U 6KDK OHIW ,&$3 DQG IRXQG D QHZ MRE DW &DSVWRQH
*OREDO 0DUNHWV LQ 'HFHPEHU :KLOH DW &DSVWRQH 0U 6KDK¶V HPSOR\HUV UHFHLYHG DQ
DQRQ\PRXV HPDLO WKDW ZDUQHG WKHP 0U 6KDK ZDV EHLQJ LQYHVWLJDWHG E\ UHJXODWRUV ZKLFK 0U
6KDK EHOLHYHV ZDV VHQW E\ RQH RI WKH 'HIHQGDQWV
,Q -XO\ &DSVWRQH FORVHG LWV EURNHUDJH EXVLQHVV DQG 0U 6KDK ZDV IRUFHG WR ILQG
QHZ HPSOR\PHQW 0U 6KDK IRXQG QHZ HPSOR\PHQW DW 7XOOHWW 3UHERQ LQ -XO\ 6RRQ DIWHU
VWDUWLQJ DW 7XOOHWW 3UHERQ RQH RI WKH 'HIHQGDQWV VHQW DQ HPDLO WR 0U 6KDK¶V QHZ HPSOR\HUV
DOOHJLQJ WKDW KH KDG YLRODWHG VHFXULWLHV ODZV 2QH RI WKH 'HIHQGDQWV DOVR VHQW DQ HPDLO WR ),15$
DFFXVLQJ KLP RI LPSURSHU FRQGXFW HYHQ WKRXJK WKH 'HIHQGDQWV NQHZ WKRVH DOOHJDWLRQV WR EH
IDOVH 7XOOHWW 3UHERQ DQG ),15$ ERWK FRQGXFWHG LQYHVWLJDWLRQV LQWR 0U 6KDK¶V FRQGXFW DQG
QHLWKHU IRXQG DQ\ ZURQJGRLQJ ,Q 1RYHPEHU 'HIHQGDQWV VHQW HPDLOV WR WKH $WWRUQH\
*HQHUDO¶V RIILFH LQ 0DVVDFKXVHWWV 'HIHQGDQWV IRUZDUGHG WKLV HPDLO WR 7XOOHWW 3UHERQ FODLPLQJ
WKDW 0U 6KDK ZDV XQGHU LQYHVWLJDWLRQ E\ WKH VWDWH RI 0DVVDFKXVHWWV %HFDXVH RI WKHVH
DOOHJDWLRQV 0U 6KDK UHFHLYHG QR ERQXV LQ DQG ZDV XOWLPDWHO\ IRUFHG WR OHDYH 7XOOHWW
3UHERQ 2Q 0DUFK 0U 6KDK ZDV KLUHG DW D ILUP QDPHG &XWWRQH
&R $JDLQ KLV QHZ
HPSOR\HU UHFHLYHG D VHULHV RI HPDLOV IURP WKH 'HIHQGDQWV DERXW 0U 6KDK WKDW FRQWDLQHG XQWUXH
VWDWHPHQWV DERXW KLV FRPSOLDQFH ZLWK ),15$ UHJXODWLRQV 2Q $SULO &XWWRQH
&R
WHUPLQDWHG 0U 6KDK
,, /HJDO 6WDQGDUG
2Q D PRWLRQ WR GLVPLVV WKLV &RXUW DFFHSWV DV WUXH DOO ZHOOSOHDGHG IDFWXDO DOOHJDWLRQV DQG
GUDZV DOO UHDVRQDEOH LQIHUHQFHV LQ IDYRU RI WKH QRQPRYLQJ SDUW\ 6HH )DPRXV +RUVH ,QF Y WK
$YH 3KRWR ,QF )G G &LU 7R ZLWKVWDQG GLVPLVVDO D SOHDGLQJ ³PXVW
FRQWDLQ VXIILFLHQW IDFWXDO PDWWHU DFFHSWHG DV WUXH WR µVWDWH D FODLP WR UHOLHI WKDW LV SODXVLEOH RQ LWV
IDFH¶´ $VKFURIW Y ,TEDO 86 TXRWLQJ %HOO $WODQWLF &RUS Y 7ZRPEO\
86 ³7KUHDGEDUH UHFLWDOV RI WKH HOHPHQWV RI D FDXVH RI DFWLRQ VXSSRUWHG E\
PHUH FRQFOXVRU\ VWDWHPHQWV GR QRW VXIILFH´ ,G :KLOH ³µGHWDLOHG IDFWXDO DOOHJDWLRQV¶´ DUH QRW
QHFHVVDU\ WKH SOHDGLQJ PXVW EH VXSSRUWHG E\ PRUH WKDQ PHUH ³µODEHOV DQG FRQFOXVLRQV¶ RU µD
IRUPXODLF UHFLWDWLRQ RI WKH HOHPHQWV RI D FDXVH RI DFWLRQ¶´ ,G TXRWLQJ 7ZRPEO\ 86 DW
³1RU GRHV D FRPSODLQW VXIILFH LI LW WHQGHUV µQDNHG DVVHUWLRQ>V@¶ GHYRLG RI µIXUWKHU IDFWXDO
HQKDQFHPHQW¶´ ,G DOWHUDWLRQ LQ RULJLQDO TXRWLQJ 7ZRPEO\ 86 DW 5XOH RI WKH
)HGHUDO 5XOHV RI &LYLO 3URFHGXUH ³UHTXLUHV IDFWXDO DOOHJDWLRQV WKDW DUH VXIILFLHQW WR µJLYH WKH
GHIHQGDQW IDLU QRWLFH RI ZKDW WKH FODLP LV DQG WKH JURXQGV XSRQ ZKLFK LW UHVWV¶´ $QGHUVRQ
1HZV //& Y $P 0HGLD ,QF )G G &LU DOWHUDWLRQ LQ RULJLQDO
TXRWLQJ 7ZRPEO\ 86 DW FHUW GHQLHG 6 &W 0RUHRYHU ³ZKHUH WKH
ZHOOSOHDGHG IDFWV GR QRW SHUPLW WKH FRXUW WR LQIHU PRUH WKDQ WKH PHUH SRVVLELOLW\ RI PLVFRQGXFW
WKH FRPSODLQW KDV DOOHJHG²EXW LW KDV QRW VKRZQ²WKDW WKH SOHDGHU LV HQWLWOHG WR UHOLHI´ ,TEDO
86 DW LQWHUQDO TXRWDWLRQ PDUNV RPLWWHG VHH DOVR )HG 5 &LY 3 D
,,, 'LVFXVVLRQ
$ 'HIDPDWLRQ
'HIHQGDQW /HY\ VHHNV WR GLVPLVV 3ODLQWLII¶V GHIDPDWLRQ FODLP DV WR DOO VWDWHPHQWV PDGH
EHIRUH 0D\ RQH \HDU SULRU WR WKH GDWH RI WKH &RPSODLQW 3ODLQWLII GRHV QRW GLVSXWH WKDW
VWDWHPHQWV PDGH SULRU WR 0D\ ZRXOG EH EDUUHG E\ WKH VWDWXWH RI OLPLWDWLRQV DQG PHUHO\
SRLQWV RXW WKDW WKH DOOHJDWLRQV FRQWDLQHG LQ WKH &RPSODLQW VSHDN WR RWKHU FODLPV DQG PD\ EH
UHOHYDQW WR VWDWH RI PLQG DQG RWKHU HYLGHQWLDU\ EXUGHQV 3ODLQWLII LV FRUUHFW WKDW WKH SUH0D\
VWDWHPHQWV PD\ EH UHOHYDQW WR SURYLQJ RWKHU FODLPV RU LQ RUGHU WR KHOS SURYH HOHPHQWV RI
WKH GHIDPDWLRQ FODLP EXW WKH &RXUW GRHV QRW GHDO ZLWK HYLGHQWLDU\ LVVXHV DW WKLV VWDJH 7KH
VWDWXWH RI OLPLWDWLRQV IRU GHIDPDWLRQ FODLPV LQ 1HZ SODLQWLII@ KDG SURVSHFWLYH EXVLQHVV
UHODWLRQV WR EH LQWHUIHUHG ZLWK´ DQG DOOHJHG LQWHUIHUHQFH ZLWK WKH SODLQWLII¶V EXVLQHVV UHODWLRQVKLSV
LQ WKH QHZV DQG HQWHUWDLQPHQW LQGXVWU\
,Q RUGHU WR PDLQWDLQ WKLV FODLP 3ODLQWLII ZRXOG KDYH WR DOOHJH WKDW 0U /HY\ LQWHUIHUHG
ZLWK VSHFLILF UHODWLRQVKLSV EHWZHHQ 0U 6KDK DQG KLV FOLHQWV 3ODLQWLII GRHV QRW PDNH VXFK
DOOHJDWLRQV DQG LQVWHDG DOOHJHV WKDW 0U 6KDK¶V UHODWLRQVKLSV ZLWK KLV FOLHQWV ZHUH GDPDJHG DV D
UHVXOW RI 0U /HY\¶V GHIDPDWLRQ DQG LQWHUIHUHQFH ZLWK KLV HPSOR\PHQW FRQWUDFWV DW 7XOOHWW
3UHERQ DQG &XWWRQH
&R 3ODLQWLII¶V YDJXH DOOHJDWLRQ WKDW ³-XVWLQ /XPLHUH DQG WKH RWKHU
'HIHQGDQWV PD\ KDYH DOVR EHHQ LPSURSHUO\ FRQWDFWLQJ 0U 6KDK¶V FOLHQWV GLUHFWO\ DQG VHHNLQJ WR
VWHDO WKHP DZD\´ LV LQVXIILFLHQW WR VWDWH D FODLP IRU WRUWLRXV LQWHUIHUHQFH ZLWK EXVLQHVV
UHODWLRQVKLSV $FFRUGLQJO\ WKH FODLP LV GLVPLVVHG IRU IDLOXUH WR VWDWH D FODLP
' 0DOLFLRXV 3URVHFXWLRQ
³7R VWDWH D FODLP IRU PDOLFLRXV SURVHFXWLRQ D SODLQWLII PXVW SURYH WKH LQLWLDWLRQ RU
FRQWLQXDWLRQ RI OHJDO DFWLRQ DJDLQVW KLP WHUPLQDWLRQ RI WKH SURFHHGLQJ LQ KLV IDYRU
DEVHQFH RI SUREDEOH FDXVH WR FRPPHQFH WKH SURFHHGLQJ DQG DFWXDO PDOLFH´ 5LYHUD Y &LW\ RI
1HZ
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?