Angiodynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec AG

910 F. Supp. 2d 346, 2012 WL 6569272, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177427
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedDecember 14, 2012
DocketC.A. No. 09-cv-30181-MAP
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 910 F. Supp. 2d 346 (Angiodynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec AG) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Angiodynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec AG, 910 F. Supp. 2d 346, 2012 WL 6569272, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177427 (D. Mass. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER REGARDING EMERGENCY MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION OF PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION ORDER (Dkt. No: 144)

PONSOR, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This case arises out of a Supply and Distribution Agreement in which Defendant Biolitec, Inc. (“BI”), a subsidiary of Defendant Biolitec AG (“BAG”), agreed to defend and indemnify Plaintiff AngioDynamics, Inc. against any third-party patent infringement claims arising out of the marketing and distribution of Defendants’ products. In separate (now successful) litigation before a federal judge in the Northern District of New York, Plaintiff charged that, when Defendants learned of the steep cost of defending Plaintiff against such claims, they failed to honor their promise and abandoned Plaintiff.

In this litigation, Plaintiff charges that Defendant BAG looted Defendant BI, draining more than $18 million out of the company. This fraudulent transfer of funds had the effect of undermining BI’s ability to defend and indemnify Plaintiff and rendered BI judgment-proof against any judgment Plaintiff might obtain against BI for breaking its promise. Plaintiffs claims before this court include, inter alia, tortious interference with contract, piercing the corporate veil, fraudulent transfer in violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 109A, and unfair and deceptive acts or practices in violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A, § 11.

Defendants initially moved to dismiss Plaintiffs claims under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(2) for lack of personal jurisdiction and Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim. (Dkt. No. 13.) On July 25, 2011, this court denied Defendants’ motion. (Dkt. No. 53.)

In August 2012, Plaintiff became aware that Defendant BAG was planning a merger with its Austrian subsidiary. Plaintiff filed for a preliminary injunction to prevent Defendant BAG from completing the merger. Plaintiff alleged that the merger would place the company’s assets out of its reach, as American judgments are unen[349]*349forceable in Austria. On August 29, Judge Rya W. Zobel ordered entry of the preliminary injunction in the form requested by Plaintiff, pending a further hearing by the undersigned.

On September 13, 2012, following a hearing, this court itself reaffirmed the preliminary injunction as previously entered by Judge Zobel. The injunction had the effect of forestalling BAG’S planned merger until the court entered a final judgment in this case. At the September 13 hearing, this court noted that Defendants could file a motion for reconsideration or for an evidentiary hearing. The current Motion for Reconsideration (Dkt. No. 144) was promptly filed by Defendants. For the reasons stated below, Defendants’ motion will be denied.

II. BACKGROUND

In its memorandum and order on Defendants’ motion to dismiss, this court laid out the detailed relationship among the parties. AngioDynamies, Inc. v. Biolitec, Inc., 2011 WL 3157312, *1-2 (D.Mass. July 25, 2011). Since this ruling, several events have enriched the factual environment.

First, in the last sixteen months, the federal district court for the Northern District of New York granted summary judgment, on the question of liability, in favor of AngioDynamies and against Defendant BI, the American subsidiary of BAG. BI was obligated to provide reimbursement of settlement and defense costs that AngioDynamics incurred defending itself in patent infringement litigation. Some months later, the New York court entered judgment against BI, on the question of damages, in favor of AngioDynamies in the amount of $16,463,846.94 plus pre-judgment interest. (Dkt. No. 157, Reynolds Decl. 1-2.)

After the grant of summary judgment in the New York action, Plaintiff became aware that Defendant BAG, Bl’s parent company, planned to complete a merger with its Austrian subsidiary entity, Biolitec Unternehmensbeteiligungs IAG (“BUIAG”). Defendant BAG set a shareholders’ meeting for August 30, 2012, to vote on the proposed merger of BAG into BUIAG. Following the proposed merger, BUIAG would hold all assets and liabilities previously held by BAG, and shareholders in BAG would have their shares converted into shares of BUIAG. BAG publicly announced that the -75% ownership share of CEO Wolfgang Neuberger (also a defendant in this action) in BAG guaranteed that his plan would be approved by a majority of the' shareholders.

On August 29, 2012, as noted above, Judge Zobel granted Plaintiffs Motion for a TRO and Preliminary Injunction to bar this merger. The injunction restrained Defendants from:

• “carry[ing] out the proposed ‘downstream merger’ of Biolitec AG with its Austrian subsidiary;
• “alienat[ing], disposing] of, selling] dissipating], encumbering], or otherwise transfer[ing] any ownership interest it holds in any other defendant during the duration of this Order; and
• “alienating], disposing] pf, selling] dissipating], encumbering], or otherwise transfer[ing] any interest it may have in any property during the duration of this Order, except that this Order shall not preclude the defendants from taking such actions as are reasonable and necessary to the ongoing and continued operation of the business of Biolitec, Inc., Biolitec AG, and Biomed Technology Holdings, Ltd. in the ordinary course of business, including the payment of reasonable attorneys’ fees for the provision of legal services; and except that this Order shall not apply to the reasonable and necessary per[350]*350sonal and living expenses of defendant Wolfgang Neuberger.

(Dkt. No. 126.) The injunction further restrained, with exceptions, Defendants’ use of their property pending a further order of the court.

On September 6, 2012, defense counsel informed the court that, despite Judge Zobel’s order, Defendant BAG had proceeded with the shareholders’ meeting and vote. (Dkt. No. 133 ¶ 5.) Defendants did not inform the minority shareholders of the TRO. (Dkt. No. 136-1, Sept. 10, 2010 Reynolds Decl. ¶ 11.) The vote in favor of the merger passed by a wide margin.

The convening of the shareholders’ meeting, despite the preliminary injunction, raised troubling questions about Defendants’ good faith. Before Judge Zobel, Defendants had argued passionately that the injunction requested by Plaintiff would bar the shareholders’ meeting, with catastrophic results for BAG. Indeed, this was Defendants’ primary line of argument in opposing Plaintiffs motion and demonstrating irreparable harm to them. Despite this, as soon as Judge Zobel’s order entered, Defendant BAG proceeded with the supposedly forbidden shareholders’ meeting in any event.

When counsel appeared before this court on September 13, 2012, for argument on whether Judge Zobel’s order should be extended, Defendants entirely reversed their position regarding the shareholders’ meeting.

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Related

AngioDynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec AG
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236 F. Supp. 3d 482 (D. Massachusetts, 2017)
AngioDynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec, Inc.
775 F.3d 550 (Second Circuit, 2015)
In re Biolitec, Inc.
528 B.R. 261 (D. New Jersey, 2014)
AngioDynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec AG
991 F. Supp. 2d 299 (D. Massachusetts, 2014)
AngioDynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec, Inc.
974 F. Supp. 2d 1 (D. Massachusetts, 2013)
AngioDynamics, Inc. v. Biolitec AG
711 F.3d 248 (First Circuit, 2013)

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Bluebook (online)
910 F. Supp. 2d 346, 2012 WL 6569272, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177427, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/angiodynamics-inc-v-biolitec-ag-mad-2012.