Advanced Flexible Circuits, Inc. v. GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies GMBH

881 F. Supp. 2d 245, 2012 WL 2552998, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92186
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedJuly 3, 2012
DocketCivil No. 10-1069 (GAG)
StatusPublished

This text of 881 F. Supp. 2d 245 (Advanced Flexible Circuits, Inc. v. GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies GMBH) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Advanced Flexible Circuits, Inc. v. GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies GMBH, 881 F. Supp. 2d 245, 2012 WL 2552998, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92186 (prd 2012).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

GUSTAVO A. GELPÍ, District Judge.

Advanced Flexible Circuits, Inc. (“AFC”) brings this action against GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies GMBH (“GE Sensing”) and GE Sensing, Division of Caribe GE International of Puerto Rico, Inc. (“GE PR”) (collectively “Defendants”) seeking pre-contractual damages under Puerto Rico law. (See Docket No. 1.)

Presently before the court are four motions for summary judgment (Docket Nos. 68, 69, 70 & 97). After reviewing these submissions and the pertinent law, the court GRANTS the motions at Docket Nos. 68 and 70, DENIES the motion at Docket No. 97, and finds the motion at Docket No. 69 to be MOOT.

I. Standard of Review

Summary judgment is appropriate when “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). When considering a motion for summary judgment, the court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and give that party the benefit of any and all reasonable inferences. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Moreover, at the summary judgment stage, the court does not make credibility determinations or weigh the evidence. Id.

The moving party bears the initial burden of demonstrating the lack of evidence to support the non-moving party’s case. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 325, 106 S.Ct. 2548. “The movant must aver an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party’s case.” Maldonado-Denis v. Castillo-Rodriguez, 23 F.3d 576, 581 (1st Cir.1994). The burden then shifts to the non-movant to establish the existence of at least one genuine and material fact in dispute. Rogan v. City of Boston, 267 F.3d 24, 27 (1st Cir.2001) (citing Maldonado-Denis, 23 F.3d at 581). “An issue is genuine if ‘it may reasonably be resolved in favor of either party’ at trial, and material if it ‘possessfes] the capacity to sway the outcome of the litigation under the applicable law.’ ” Iverson v. City of Boston, 452 F.3d 94, 98 (1st Cir.2006) (alteration in original) (citations omitted).

The non-moving party must “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e). The non-movant “cannot rest upon mere [247]*247allegation or denial of the pleadings.” Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp. v. Municipality of Ponce, 904 F.2d 740, 742-43 (1st Cir.1990) (citing Fed.R.Civ.P. 56). That is, “[t]o defeat a motion for summary judgment, evidence offered by the non-movant must be significantly probative of specific facts.” Prescott v. Higgins, 538 F.3d 32, 40 (1st Cir.2008) (citations omitted) (internal quotation marks omitted). “The mere existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion.” Velazquez-Garcia v. Horizon Lines of Puerto Rico, Inc., 473 F.3d 11, 15 (1st Cir.2007) (citations omitted). Rather, “the nonmovant must present definite, competent evidence to rebut the motion.” Pagano v. Frank, 983 F.2d 343, 347 (1st Cir.1993) (citations omitted) (internal quotation marks omitted).

If the court finds that some genuine factual issue remains, the resolution of which could affect the outcome of the case, then the court must deny summary judgment. Martinez-Rodriguez v. Guevara, 597 F.3d 414, 419 (1st Cir.2010) (citing Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505). Summary judgment may be appropriate, however, if the non-moving party’s case rests merely upon “conelusory allegations, improbable inferences, and unsupported speculation.” Forestier Fradera v. Municipality of Mayaguez, 440 F.3d 17, 21 (1st Cir.2006) (quoting Benoit v. Technical Mfg. Corp., 331 F.3d 166, 173 (1st Cir .2003)).

II. Procedural Background

AFC initiated the instant action for damages on January 29, 2010. (See Docket No. 1.) On May 14, 2010, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint for insufficiency of process and failure to state a claim for which relief may be granted. (See Docket No. 10.) On June 8, 2010, the court dismissed all claims against GE Sensing for insufficiency of service because AFC had “failed to comply with the rules concerning service of process on foreign corporations.” (See Docket No. 14.) Finding the complaint was based solely on unsupported legal conclusions, the court also dismissed all claims against GE PR. (See id.) A motion to set aside judgment (Docket No. 16) was later granted (Docket No. 17). In denying a second motion to dismiss, the court held the only cause of action properly pleaded against both defendants was one for pre-contractual damages under Puerto Rico law. (See Docket No. 27.)

GE Sensing moved for summary judgment on September 6, 2011 (Docket No. 68), arguing AFC cannot provide sufficient evidence to establish a culpa in contrahendo claim. GE Sensing simultaneously filed an alternative motion for partial summary judgment (Docket No. 69) in the event that the court denied its original motion for summary judgment at Docket No. 68. Also on September 6, 2011, GE PR filed a motion for summary judgment (Docket No. 70) joining GE Sensing’s arguments in the motions at Docket Nos. 68 and 69.

AFC originally filed a motion for partial summary judgment (Docket No. 66) on August 19, 2011. The court denied said motion for failure to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a), and allowed AFC the opportunity to re-file it in compliance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (See Docket No. 96.) AFC filed a renewed motion for partial summary judgment (Docket No.

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Related

Martínez-Rodríguez v. Guevara
597 F.3d 414 (First Circuit, 2010)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
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603 F.3d 125 (First Circuit, 2010)
Maldonado-Denis v. Castillo-Rodriguez
23 F.3d 576 (First Circuit, 1994)
Ruiz Rivera v. Dept. of Education
209 F.3d 24 (First Circuit, 2000)
Rogan v. City of Boston
267 F.3d 24 (First Circuit, 2001)
Benoit v. Technical Manufacturing Corp.
331 F.3d 166 (First Circuit, 2003)
Forestier Fradera v. Municipality of Mayagüez
440 F.3d 17 (First Circuit, 2006)
Iverson v. City of Boston
452 F.3d 94 (First Circuit, 2006)
Calvi v. Knox County
470 F.3d 422 (First Circuit, 2006)
Cabán Hernández v. Philip Morris USA, Inc.
486 F.3d 1 (First Circuit, 2007)
Prescott v. Higgins
538 F.3d 32 (First Circuit, 2008)
WHTV Broadcasting Corp. v. Centennial Communications Corp.
460 F. Supp. 2d 297 (D. Puerto Rico, 2006)

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Bluebook (online)
881 F. Supp. 2d 245, 2012 WL 2552998, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/advanced-flexible-circuits-inc-v-ge-sensing-inspection-technologies-prd-2012.