Alkanani v. Aegis Defense Services, LLC

976 F. Supp. 2d 1, 2013 WL 5203613, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131818
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedSeptember 16, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 09-CV-1607 (KBJ)(AK)
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 976 F. Supp. 2d 1 (Alkanani v. Aegis Defense Services, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Alkanani v. Aegis Defense Services, LLC, 976 F. Supp. 2d 1, 2013 WL 5203613, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131818 (D.D.C. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Magistrate Judge Kay’s August 7, 2013, Report and Recommendation addressing the motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 47) filed by Defendant Aegis Defense Sendees, LLC (“Aegis LLC”). (Report and Recommendation, ECF No. 61.)1 Plaintiff Khadim Alkanani brought this action seeking to hold Aegis LLC and Aegis Defence Services Limited (“Aegis UK”) and several unidentified Aegis employees and/or agents liable for injuries Plaintiff suffered when an unidentified Aegis UK security guard at a checkpoint in Iraq fired his weapon at Plaintiffs vehicle and struck Plaintiffs foot. (See Compl., ECF No. 1; Report and Recommendation at 5.) Aegis LLC contended that there were no grounds to hold it liable for the actions of an employee of Aegis UK. (Report and Recommendation at 5.) In response, Plaintiff advanced three theories for establishing Aegis LLC’s liability: (1) the alter ego theory; (2) the successor liability theory; and (3) the agency theory. (Id.) Plaintiff also sought additional discovery. (Id.)

After considering the parties’ motions in the course of a detailed Report and Recommendation, Magistrate Judge Kay concluded that none of Plaintiffs theoretical bases for jurisdiction won the day, and recommended that this Court grant Aegis LLC’s motion for summary judgment and deny Plaintiffs request for additional discovery. (Id. at 13.)

The Report and Recommendation also advised the parties that under the provisions of Local Rule 72.3(b) of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, any party who objects to the Report and Recommendation must file a written objection with the Clerk of the Court within 14 days of the party’s receipt of the Report and Recommendation. (Report and Recommendation at 13.) As of this date — over one month after the Report and Recommendation was issued — no objections have been filed.

After consideration of the Magistrate Judge Kay’s Report and Recommendation, the absence of any party’s objections thereto, the entire record before the Court, and the applicable law, the Court will adopt Magistrate Judge Kay’s Report and Recommendation in its entirety. Accordingly, it is hereby

[5]*5ORDERED that the Report and Recommendation (ECF No. 61) is ADOPTED in its entirety; and it is

FURTHER ORDERED that in accordance with the Report and Recommendation, Defendant Aegis LLC’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 47) is GRANTED; and it is

FURTHER ORDERED that all claims against Aegis LLC are DISMISSED with prejudice.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

ALAN KAY, United States Magistrate Judge.

Khadim Alkanani (“Plaintiff’) brought suit against Aegis Defense Services, LLC (“Aegis LLC”), Aegis Defence Services Limited (“Aegis UK”), and several unidentified Aegis employees and/or agents. Compl. [1] at 1. Two motions were referred to the undersigned for a Report and Recommendation: 1) Defendant Aegis LLC’s Motion for Summary Judgment [47] and 2) Defendant Aegis UK’s Motion to Dismiss for lack of jurisdiction [48]. Judge Richard W. Roberts Order [46]. Aegis UK’s Motion to Dismiss [48] will be addressed in a separate Report and Recommendation.

This Report and Recommendation addresses Aegis LLC’s Motion for Summary Judgment [47] (“Def.’s Mot.”), Plaintiffs Reply in Opposition to Aegis LLC’s Motion for Summary Judgment [50] (“Pl.’s Opp’n”) (sealed materials at [51]), and Aegis LLC’s Reply in Support of its Motion for Summary Judgment [58] (“Def.’s Reply”). The undersigned held a hearing regarding the parties’ briefings on January 25, 2013. For the reasons set forth below, the undersigned recommends that the Defendant Aegis LLC’s Motion be granted.

BACKGROUND

On May 25, 2004, the U.S. Department of the Army awarded a Contract No. W911 S004-C-003 (“Contract”) to Aegis UK for the period from June 1, 2004, through May 31, 2007. Ex. 1 of Aegis UK’s Mot. to Dismiss (“Aegis UK’s Mot.”), Deck of Jeffrey Day [48-1] (“Day Deck Oct. 2012”) at ¶ 6. Aegis UK negotiated and signed the Contract in the United Kingdom while representatives from the Department of Defense were based in Virginia. Id. at ¶ 8. Pursuant to the terms of the Contract, Aegis UK was to provide security-management services, protective services, and anti-terrorism support to various entities involved in reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Id. at ¶ 7.

On June 3, 2005, Plaintiff, a United States Soldier, was returning from an intelligence mission in Baghdad to the United States Military Facility (“Facility”) at the Baghdad International Airport. Compl. [1] at ¶ 3. Plaintiffs vehicle approached a military checkpoint approximately one and a half miles from the Main Gate of the Facility. Id. at ¶ 6. Shortly after Plaintiffs vehicle traveled through the checkpoint, an unidentified Aegis UK security guard fired his weapon at Plaintiffs vehicle. Aegis UK’s Mot. to Dismiss [48] at 1. One of the bullets struck and injured Plaintiffs foot. Id.

On August 24, 2009,1 Plaintiff filed a five-count complaint2 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against [6]*6Aegis UK, Aegis LLC, and unidentified Aegis employees and/or agents.3 Compl. [1] at ¶ 1. Aegis UK is a private defense contractor based in London, England, and incorporated under the laws of England and Wales. Day Decl. Oct. 2012 [48-1] at ¶ 1. It had two wholly owned subsidiaries in the U.S., Aegis Defense Services, Inc. (“Aegis Inc.”), which is a dormant entity, and Aegis LLC. Id. at ¶ 24; Ex. A of Aegis UK’s Reply to Pl.’s Supp. Brief, Second Supp. Decl. of Jeffrey Day (“Day Second Supp. Decl.”) ¶ 5 [60-1]. Aegis LLC is currently a 99% owned subsidiary of Aegis UK. Day Decl. Oct. 2012 [48-1] at ¶ 24. Aegis LLC was incorporated in Delaware on May 30, 2006, approximately a year after the date of Plaintiffs injury, and was registered to do business in the District of Columbia on August 22, 2006. Id. at ¶ 3. Aegis LLC’s principal place of business is in Virginia. Id. Plaintiff currently resides in Texas. Compl. [1] at l,4 Hearing on 1/25/2013.

On May 21, 2008, Aegis LLC entered into a contract, Special Security Agreement (“SSA”), with the Defense Security Service, a sub agency of United States Department of Defense (“DOD”), which stipulated inter alia that Aegis LLC is “required to manage its own affairs to mitigate the risk of foreign ownership, control, and influence.” Def.’s Reply [58] at 6; Ex. A of Def.’s Reply, Supp. Decl. of Jeffrey Day [58-1] (“Day Supp. Decl.”) at ¶ 3. Aegis LLC is required to obtain Aegis UK’s consent only to take actions outside of the normal course of business. Id.

Aegis UK’s and Aegis LLC’s assets and funds are not commingled. Day Decl. Oct. 2012 [48-1] at ¶ 30. They do not share offices or business locations, and they maintain separate payrolls. Day Deck Oct. 2012 [48-1] at ¶¶23, 31, 32. Two members of the Aegis UK board of directors are members of Aegis LLC’s board of directors. Ex. A of Aegis UK’s Mot. to Dismiss, Decl. of Jeffery Day (“Day Decl. Dec. 2009”) [17-1] at ¶ 28. Between 2006 and 2008, when Aegis LLC was 100% owned by Aegis UK, Aegis LLC was treated for tax purposes as a disregarded entity.5 Day Decl. Oct. 2012 [48-1] at ¶ 37.

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

Related

Munoz v. Patel
California Court of Appeal, 2022
Schwartz v. Urban Compass, Inc
District of Columbia, 2021
Beins, Axelrod, P.C. v. Analytics, LLC
District of Columbia, 2020
Phillips v. Mabus
District of Columbia, 2019
Phillips v. Spencer
390 F. Supp. 3d 136 (D.C. Circuit, 2019)
Sodexo Operations, LLC v. Not-For-Profit Hospital Corporation
264 F. Supp. 3d 262 (District of Columbia, 2017)
Edwards v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC
District of Columbia, 2015
Alkanani v. Aegis Defense Services, LLC
976 F. Supp. 2d 13 (District of Columbia, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
976 F. Supp. 2d 1, 2013 WL 5203613, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131818, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/alkanani-v-aegis-defense-services-llc-dcd-2013.