AHW Investment Partnership v. Citigroup Inc.

806 F.3d 695, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 20714
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit·Decided November 25, 2015·No. Nos. 13-4488-cv(L), 13-4504-cv(XAP)·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

SUSAN L. CARNEY, Circuit Judge:

Plaintiffs — a corporation, partnership, and seven grantor-retained annuity trusts (“GRATs”) controlled by Florida residents Angela and Arthur Williams — appeal from an October 30, 2013 judgment of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Sidney H. Stein, Judge), dismissing their amended complaint for failure to state a claim. Plaintiffs allege that they suffered losses in [697] excess of $800 million when, from May 2007 through March 2009, they refrained from selling their shares of Citigroup stock based on the fraudulent and negligent misrepresentations of defendants Citigroup and Citigroup executives. Defendants cross-appeal, arguing that the District Court erred by addressing the adequacy of plaintiffs’ substantive claims as “holders” of the shares during a period of decline in share value: According to defendants, Delaware law mandates that such claims be brought in a shareholder derivative action, not as direct claims (as plaintiffs have done).

If defendants are correct, plaintiffs— who are no longer Citigroup shareholders — lack standing to maintain this suit. The proper characterization of plaintiffs’ claims as direct or derivative calls for an interpretation of an unsettled area of Delaware law in which there appear to be conflicting decisions, and we anticipate that the resolution of this issue will have significance well beyond the instant suit. See Del. Sup.Ct. R. 41. Accordingly, we respectfully certify to the Delaware Supreme Court the question whether, under Delaware law, “holder” claims such as those plaintiffs attempt to assert are properly brought in a direct or derivative action.

BACKGROUND

I. Factual Background1

In 1977, Arthur L. Williams founded an insurance company that by 1989 had become very successful and merged with Travelers Group. In 1998, Travelers Group merged with Citibank to become Citigroup. In the 1998 merger, Williams acquired 17.6 million shares of Citigroup common stock, then valued at approximately $616 million, or $35 per share. By early 2007, “for tax, estate and investment-planning purposes,” the shares had been transferred to a partnership, a corporation, and various GRATs controlled by Arthur and his wife, Angela. Am. Compl. ¶ 3.

In May 2007, Williams made a plan to sell his entire Citigroup position, based on the shared recommendation of his financial advisors at that time. In- the advisors’ view, the Citigroup stock price was then “close to the ‘top’ for the near-term and [it was] a good time for Williams to sell.” Id. ¶ 202. He began implementing this plan on May 17, 2007, when he sold one million of his 17.6 million shares at $55 per share.

Against the counsel of his advisors and despite his plans to sell, Williams “delayed executing his sales” of the remainder of his shares when, later in 2007, “Citigroup’s stock price declined as the markets began to experience volatility from the subprime mortgage crisis.” Id. ¶ 174. Williams believed that Citigroup had “little downside risk and its shares were likely being dragged down by the fortunes of other players” and that “once the market understood ... the different — and far superi- or — risk posture of Citigroup, its shares would recover and he could complete his planned sale as intended.” Id. ¶ 175. Plaintiffs allege that Williams formulated this belief in reliance on Citigroup’s “public statements and financial reports” that “concealed the full extent and impairment of billions in ‘toxic’ assets, including [collat-eralized debt obligations] backed by sub-prime assets.” Id. ¶ 51; see also ¶¶ 175, 176. Plaintiffs further allege that Citigroup “gave investors the impression that it was reducing and prudently managing [698] its risks, which was simply not true.” Id. ¶ 51.

In the sixteen months that followed his initial sale of one million shares, Williams “continually tried to choose the appropriate time to complete the liquidation of his position in order to minimize his damages.” Id. ¶ 177. But, allegedly misled by Citigroup’s misrepresentations in “conference calls, investor slideshows, earnings releases, public filings and statements from senior officers,” Williams held on to his remaining 16.6 million shares as the stock price plummeted to $3.09 per share. Id. ¶¶ 169,172. He “considered” selling in December 2007, on August 20, 2008, and on December 2, 2008. Id. ¶¶ 178-80. It was not until March 2009, however, “by which time William’s [sic] faith in the truthfulness of the Company had finally been erased, [that] he sold his remaining 16.6 million shares at a price of $3.09 per share.” Id. ¶ 172. Plaintiffs maintain that, had Williams received truthful and accurate information from Citigroup, he would have sold his entire position on May 17, 2007, when the “true value” of the stock was $51.59.2 Id. ¶ 171.

Williams thus calculates that his rebanee on Citigroup’s misrepresentations resulted in losses to him, his wife, and their controlled entities of over $800 million.

II. Procedural Background

Having filed their original complaint in December 2010, in July 2011 plaintiffs filed the amended complaint at issue here. In it, they seek damages for negligent misrepresentation and for common law fraud. Defendants moved to dismiss, arguing first that plaintiffs lack standing because under Delaware law their claims are derivative, and second, that under New York law the alleged misrepresentations are not actionable.

In a 2013 opinion and order, the District Court granted defendants’ motion and dismissed the amended complaint with prejudice. AHW Inv. P’ship v. Citigroup Inc., 980 F.Supp.2d 510, 527 (S.D.N.Y.2013). Applying Delaware law, the District Court first “rejected] defendants’ contention that [the] claims are in reality derivative claims brought on behalf of Citigroup.” Id. at 516. It “recognize[d] a tension” in the Delaware precedent, but nevertheless concluded that “plaintiffs, not Citigroup, are the victims of Citigroup and the officer defendants’ alleged deception, and therefore plaintiffs are the ones with standing to sue.” Id. at 517. The District Court then conducted a conflict of laws analysis and concluded that New York law — as opposed to Florida law, as urged by plaintiffs3 — governed the substance of plaintiffs’ claims. Applying New York law, the court determined that both the negligent misrepresentation and the fraud allegations failed to state a claim; accordingly, it dismissed the complaint.

This appeal and cross-appeal followed.

DISCUSSION

We review de novo a district court’s dismissal of a complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), drawing all reasonable inferences in the plaintiffs favor. Roth v. CitiMortgage Inc., 756 F.3d 178, 181 (2d Cir.2014) (per curiam).

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AHW Investment Partnership v. Citigroup Inc., 806 F.3d 695, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 20714 (2d Cir. 2015).

806 F.3d 695 (AHW Investment Partnership v. Citigroup Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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