Adams v. Klein

CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedSeptember 28, 2021
Docket1:18-cv-01330
StatusUnknown

This text of Adams v. Klein (Adams v. Klein) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adams v. Klein, (D. Del. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE

MARK ADAMS, AV SELECT INVESTMENTS, LLC, DR. GREGORY SIMONIAN, WADE HARTMAN, and FRANK EDWARD SMITH, Plaintiffs; Civil Action No. 18-1330-RGA Vv. JOHN KLEIN, Defendant.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Gregory Fischer, COZEN O’CONNOR, Wilmington, DE; Martin S. Bloor, Michael B. de Leeuw, Matthew L. Elkin, COZEN O’CONNOR, New York, NY, Attorneys for Plaintiff.

John Klein, Alpine, New Jersey. Pro se

September 2021

Plaintiffs Mark Adams, AV Select Investments, LLC (“AV Select”), Dr. Gregory Simonian, Wade Hartman, and Frank Edward Smith brought six counts against Defendant John Klein. Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint (D.I. 74) asserts claims against Klein for securities fraud under Section 10(b) of the Securities and Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder (Count I) and the New Jersey Uniform Securities Act (N.J.S.A. § 49:3-52) (Count II), common law fraud/intentional misrepresentation (Count III), negligent misrepresentation (Count IV), and unjust enrichment (Count V). Dr. Simonian also asserts a claim for breach of contract (Count VI). I conducted a bench trial from April 5 to 8, 2021. (D.I. 191, 192, 193, 194). I. BACKGROUND This matter concerns Plaintiffs’ interactions with John Klein, who was the founder and CEO of non-party Cambridge Therapeutic Technologies (“CTT”). (D.I. 170 1). CTT was a pharmaceutical packaging company. 1-004). Prior to June 2016, CTT’s operating entity was a New Jersey LLC (“CTT-NJ”) and in June 2016, CTT’s operating entity became a Delaware LLC (“CTT-DE”). (JX9-049). Klein was CTT’s CEO from 2011 until his termination in December 2017. (D.I. 192 at 358:8-12; JX1-031). Klein represented that CTT’s business was distributing two or more generic prescription drugs combined in a single package. (JX1-011). Klein represented that these pre- packaged drug combinations (“Compliance PACs”) would primarily be distributed from doctors’ offices, which was a “novel” feature of the business. 1-004, 010, 017). Klein represented that CTT had “fully developed its first Compliance PAC” (JX1-008), and that CTT owned one NDA, NDA 50-824, which is the Omeclamox-Pak (JX9-032; PX27-012). This gastroenterology product treated peptic ulcers. (IX9-032). Klein further represented that in addition to this NDA, CTT owned four INDs that were “approved and ready for commercialization.” (JX1-010). Klein

indicated that he invested millions of dollars into these INDs. (D.I. 193 at 565:17-21, 588:10- 589:9). Plaintiffs are investors in CTT; the Court will address each Plaintiff individually. A. Adams Between June 24, 2014 and October 16, 2014, Klein made numerous representations to Adams about CTT, the CTT investment opportunity, and his professional and personal background in emails, text messages, phone calls, and at two in-person meetings. (D.I. 191 at 224:15-225:23, 234:7-239:13). Klein offered Adams the opportunity to be CTT’s first outside investor and to help build CTT’s Compliance PAC business line as a partner. (D.I. 170 § 24; D.I. 191 at 254:5-10; PX100-001). Klein represented that he was instrumental in facilitating DAVA’s $600 million acquisition by Endo. (D.I. 191 at 223:6-224:14). Klein represented that he “was offered $26.4 million for the company [CTT] over a year ago,” which he turned down because the offer was insufficient. (D.I. 170 4 20). Klein emailed Adams a CTT investor presentation titled “Cambridge Technologies, Second Quarter 2013” (“2Q 2013 Deck”) on June 25, 2014. (PX27). In this presentation, and in related conversations, Klein represented that the Compliance PAC business was a current part of CTT’s business. (D.I. 191 at 227:14-228:23, 234:2-6; PX-27-012). Klein represented that CTT owned NDA 50-824, the Omeclamox-Pak. (D.I. 191 at 230:16-231:11). Klein further represented that CTT had generated $1.1 million of revenue as a royalty from this product in 2013, it was currently receiving this royalty in 2014, and it would continue to do so into the future. (/d. at 231:13-232:10; PX27-032). Klein represented that CTT owned various INDs, including four noted as “IND Approved” in the 2Q 2013 Deck. (PX27-013; see also PX34-010).

Klein sent Adams a second presentation titled “Cambridge Therapeutic Technologies Corporate Overview, September 2014” (“September 2014 Deck”) on October 7, 2014. (PX34). This presentation also represented the state of CTT’s Compliance PAC business. (PX34-004 (“Cambridge has developed and is poised to begin commercializing a proprietary” Compliance Pack); PX34-008 (“Cambridge has fully developed its first Compliance PAC and is poised to begin commercializing a pipeline of 60+ similar Compliance PACs over the next six to eighteen months”); PX34-016 (CTT’s “[i]nfrastructure,” including its drug suppliers and software (DispensePoint), were “In-Place & Ready for Launch.”). Klein told Adams he was planning to bring Compliance PACs to market in the third or fourth quarter of 2014. (D.I. 191 at 239:14-24). Klein represented that CTT had “[e]xclusive bulk purchasing for generic drugs directly from manufacturers for distribution by physicians” (PX34-017), which was due to his stature and significant contacts in the industry (D.I. 191 at 242:23-243:17). Klein represented that CTT “had exclusive access to custom claims adjudication software through a company called DispensePoint. The DispensePoint software was ‘private label,’ designed and customized for CTT, and CTT had exclusive rights to it.” (D.I. 170 4 22-23; see also PX34-017). Klein projected gross revenues for CTT of over $134 million and $347 million and net profits of over $34 million and $136 million in 2015 and 2016, respectively. (PX34-035-036). He further represented that “these forecasts are inherently conservative and defensible.” (/d. at 036). Adams believed that these projections were achievable because of Klein’s representations about the current state of the Compliance PAC business and Klein’s past success obtaining market share in the generic pharmaceutical industry. (D.I. 191 at 247:4-18). Adams purchased 6% of CTT-NJ (6 of Klein’s 100 shares) for $581,250. Ud. at 250:8-13, 256:23-257:2).

Adams understood that he was investing in the CTT business, and that his funds would be used for CTT business purposes. In particular, Klein told Adams in October 2014 that Adams’ funds would be used to buy inventory, roll the product out, and launch the product. (/d. at 254:24-255:3). Klein also told Adams that Adams would have a capital account in CTT and that money was being raised to fund the company. (/d. at 260:23-261:9). In addition, the September 2014 Deck shown to Adams included a Use of Proceeds slide. (PX34-009). And, in two October 16, 2014 text messages, Klein told Adams that he was already showing Adams’ funds on a CTT balance sheet for a potential outside funder. (PX100). Lastly, Adams wired his funds to a Cambridge Therapeutic Technologies, LLC bank account, account XX-KXX-5904 at PNC Bank (“PNC A/C 5904”). (D.I. 170 § 25; PX103-009-010). Adams understood that he was wiring the funds to a company account. (D.I. 191 at 257:10-15). In addition to offering an investment opportunity, Klein offered Adams a job as CTT’s head of sales for the northeast and southeast regions at a salary of $450,000 to $600,000 per year plus a bonus. (PX31; PX34-001). Adams never received that salary and did not expect one because the company was not making money yet. (D.I. 191 at 258:20-259:9). Klein never provided Adams with a CTT operating agreement, a subscription agreement, tax returns, or K-1s despite repeated requests. (/d. at 257:16-258:9). B. AV Select AV Select is a limited liability company consisting of Dr. Robert Ashton (later, the Estate of Dr. Ashton), Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Gregory Vorbach, Nancy Vorbach, and the Vorbach children. (D.I. 170 P 10). Mr. Vorbach organized AV Select on January 26, 2015 for the purpose of investing in CTT. (D.I.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Affiliated Ute Citizens of Utah v. United States
406 U.S. 128 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Herman & MacLean v. Huddleston
459 U.S. 375 (Supreme Court, 1983)
Dura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Broudo
544 U.S. 336 (Supreme Court, 2005)
Jephunneh Lawrence v. Elmer B. Staats
640 F.2d 427 (D.C. Circuit, 1981)
Institutional Investors Group v. Avaya, Inc.
564 F.3d 242 (Third Circuit, 2009)
McCabe v. Ernst & Young, LLP
494 F.3d 418 (Third Circuit, 2007)
Frederico v. Home Depot
507 F.3d 188 (Third Circuit, 2007)
Coyle v. Englander's
488 A.2d 1083 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1985)
Nappe v. Anschelewitz, Barr, Ansell & Bonello
477 A.2d 1224 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1984)
Gennari v. Weichert Co. Realtors
691 A.2d 350 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1997)
Fletcher-Harlee Corp. v. Pote Concrete Contractors, Inc.
421 F. Supp. 2d 831 (D. New Jersey, 2006)
In Re Daimlerchrysler Ag Securities Litigation
294 F. Supp. 2d 616 (D. Delaware, 2003)
OFI Asset Management v. Cooper Tire & Rubber
834 F.3d 481 (Third Circuit, 2016)
First National Bank v. Moon
170 P. 33 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1918)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Adams v. Klein, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adams-v-klein-ded-2021.