ADO FINANCE, AG v. McDonnell Douglas Corp.

938 F. Supp. 590, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17505, 1996 WL 467206
District Court, C.D. California·Decided August 7, 1996·No. CV-93-2795-KMW (CTx)·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

ORDER IMPOSING MONETARY SANCTIONS AGAINST ADO FINANCE, AG AND ITS COUNSEL OF RECORD, MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS

WARDLAW, District Judge.

Defendant and Counterclaimant McDonnell Douglas Corporation (“McDonnell”) filed a motion for sanctions against Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant ADO Finance, AG (“ADO”) and its attorneys of record, James Wawro, Anthony Russo, James Stewart, and the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Boekius LLP (“Morgan, Lewis”). It argued that ADO made misrepresentations to the Court. On April 25, 1996, the Court granted the sanctions motion, ordering remedial sanctions against ADO and setting a briefing schedule on the issue of monetary sanctions. It now orders ADO and Morgan, Lewis to pay McDonnell $138,970.55 for attorney's fees that it incurred as a result of the misrepresentations. It also orders ADO and Morgan, Lewis to pay into the Court $10,000 in sanctions.

I. BACKGROUND

A The Lawsuit

McDonnell contracted with ADO for the sale of MD-11 aircraft. According to ADO, the MD-lls that McDonnell provided could not meet the performance guarantees included in the contract. It filed the instant lawsuit on May 13, 1993, alleging breach of contract, deceit, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, conversion, mistake, failure of consideration, and unjust enrichment. McDonnell filed a counterclaim on July 27, 1993, asserting that ADO breached the contract by failing to make progress payments as they came due.

McDonnell also filed a lawsuit against ADO regarding the sale of ten MD-83 aircraft. Judge A. Wallace Tashima consolidated the two actions on August 1,1994.

B. Swiss Attachment Proceedings

While these lawsuits were pending before Judge Tashima, ADO submitted an ex parte application for attachment to the presiding judge of the court in Berne, Switzerland. 1 Scoular Deel. ¶4 & Ex. B. It sought to attach approximately SFr. 84,491,782 that the Swiss government owed McDonnell for F/A-18 fighter/attack aircraft. Id. ¶ 2. ADO included in its application a copy of Judge Tashima’s April 10, 1995 order to support its argument that Judge Tashima had held that McDonnell defrauded ADO. Id. ¶ 10 & Ex. E. Contrary to this representation, Judge Tashima’s April 10 order merely allowed the discovery of “the White Paper,” an internal McDonnell document stating that it might not be able to meet the guarantees in its contract with ADO. Indeed, Judge *593 Tashima clearly explained that the April 10 order “makes no judgments or draws no conclusion on the merits of plaintiffs fraud claims.” Order of Judge Tashima (April 28, 1995).

The Swiss court issued an attachment order on May 19,1995. Id. ¶ 2.

C. Swiss Payment Order Proceedings

On May 24, 1995, ADO filed an ex parte Request for Payment Order with the Debt Collection Agency, the Swiss government office that effectuates attachments. Id. ¶20. It requested an order requiring the Swiss government to pay the attached monies directly to it, not the Debt Collection Agency. Id. ¶ 25. Furthermore, it requested an immediate payment instead of a post-judgment payment. On June 21, 1995, the Debt Collection Agency issued a payment order for SFr. 84,491,782. Id.

D. Preliminary Injunction Motions

1. First Preliminary Injunction Motion

McDonnell learned about the attachment order in late May 1995. Id. ¶ 18. On June 5, 1995, it filed an application requesting that Judge Tashima issue a temporary restraining order, prohibiting ADO from proceeding with the Swiss attachment. Id. ¶ 21. Judge Tashima denied the application but issued an order to show cause why he should not grant a preliminary injunction. Id.

Judge Tashima denied the motion for a preliminary injunction on June 26,1995. He found that ADO’s representations about his April 10 order to the Swiss court were “gross mischaracterization[s].” Tr. of June 26,1995 Proceedings at 25:5-8. He nevertheless held that McDonnell failed to demonstrate that the attachment proceedings would cause it irreparable harm, noting that “we’re talking about money. Money is hardly ever irreparable harm and certainly that kind of money in this context is not going to lead to irreparable harm.” Id. at 26:2-6. He also stated that “the money doesn’t go to the attaching party but it goes to some government register.” Id. at 26:16-19.

ADO failed to inform Judge Tashima that, under the payment order, the money would, in fact, go to the attaching party, not a government register. Furthermore, it stated half-truths and affirmatively misrepresented the status and nature of the Swiss proceedings. For example, ADO’s Swiss counsel submitted a declaration, stating that “[p]ursuant to the Swiss judicial system, the creditor has no right to dispose of or otherwise avail himself of attached funds and assets other than by collecting a final judgment against the debtor.” Stadelhofer Decl. ¶ 11, contained in Scoular Decl. Ex. H. He also represented that “[t]he Swiss attachment proceedings have been concluded and the court’s attachment order has been sent out for attachment to the Swiss government agency---- No further action is required or contemplated by ADO.” Id. ¶ 18.

In its written opposition to the motion for a preliminary injunction, ADO stated that “[njothing has taken place other than the temporary detention under Swiss law of a minor portion of [McDonnell’s] total assets.” Opposition to Preliminary Injunction at 6, contained in Scoular Decl.Ex. I. It also represented in those papers that “the ultimate disposition of any attached property is dependent on the final judgment of this Court.” Id. at 12.

At oral argument on the preliminary injunction motion, Anthony Russo, ADO’s American counsel, stated that “[o]ur attachment is resulting in Douglas’ assets being attached but that’s all that’s happening in Switzerland.” Tr. of June 26, 1995 Proceedings at 17:15-16.

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ADO FINANCE, AG v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., 938 F. Supp. 590, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17505, 1996 WL 467206 (C.D. Cal. 1996).

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