BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P. v. Ibis Tek, LLC

192 F. Supp. 3d 978, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77701, 2016 WL 3281844
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedJune 14, 2016
DocketCase No. 14-cv-3111 (SRN/TNL)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 192 F. Supp. 3d 978 (BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P. v. Ibis Tek, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P. v. Ibis Tek, LLC, 192 F. Supp. 3d 978, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77701, 2016 WL 3281844 (mnd 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

SUSAN RICHARD NELSON, United States District Judge

This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff BAE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P.’s Motion for Summary Judgment for Declaratory Relief (“BAE’s Motion”) [Doc. No. 69]. A hearing on BAE’s Motion was held on March 25, 2016. For the reasons set forth below, BAE’s Motion is granted in part and denied in part.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Facts

The material facts of this matter are not in dispute. Plaintiff BAJE Systems Land & Armaments, L.P. (“BAE”) is a contractor that provides equipment to various branches of the United States military. (Aff. of Sarah J. Massuch (“Massuch Aff.”) at ¶ 3 [Doc. No. 71].) In 2007, BAE contracted with the United States Department of Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (“Army”), as the prime contractor, to provide emergency escape window kits for certain Army vehicles. (Id. at ¶ 4 and Ex. B (“Prime Contract”) [Doc. No. 71-1].) Days later, BAE entered into a subcontract with Defendant Ibis Tek, LLC (“Ibis”) whereby Ibis would manufacture and supply the windows required by the Prime Contract. (Id. at ¶5 and Ex. C (“Subcontract”) [Doc. No. 71-2].)

Ibis was contractually obligated to provide BAE with certified (i.e., accurate) cost and pricing data. (See Subcontract at 2.030-2.031.1) As explained below, in addi[981]*981tion to this contractual obligation, federal statutes and regulations required that Ibis provide accurate cost and pricing data. Ibis gave BAE cost and pricing information regarding the windows, which BAE in turn submitted to the Army. (Massuch Aff. at ¶8 and Ex. D (“Cert, of Costs and Pricing Data”) [Doc. No. 71-3].) Ibis’ work under the Subcontract was completed a few months later, at which time BAE paid Ibis in full. (Id. at ¶ 9.)

In 2009, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (“DCAA”) began a post-award audit of the Subcontract to determine if Ibis’, cost and pricing data was defective. (Id. at ¶ 10.) After an extensive back-and-forth between DCAA and Ibis, lasting nearly a year, the DCAA concluded that Ibis’ pricing and cost data was defective because it was not accurate, complete, and current at the time it was submitted. (Id. at ¶¶ 12-13; Second Am. Compl. at ¶ 12 [Doc. No. 65]; Ans. to Second Am. Compl. (“Ans.”) at ¶ 12 [Doc. No. 66].) Later, the Army’s Contracting Officer (the “Contracting Officer”) issued demand letters to BAE stating that BAE was indebted to the Army because of Ibis’ failure to provide accurate cost and pricing data.2 (Massuch Aff., Ex. E (“Initial Demand Ltr.”) [Doc. No. 71-4] and Ex. F (“Revised Demand Ltr.”) [Doc, No. 71-5].)

At Ibis’ request3, BAE agreed to sponsor a claim to the Contracting Officer challenging the defective pricing data determination. (Massuch Aff. at ¶¶ 16-17.) The parties entered into an agreement regarding this sponsorship. (See Exhibits and Exhibit List in Supp. of Mem. in Opp. (“Ibis’ Ex.- List”) [Doe. No. 83], Ex. A (“Sponsorship Agreement”).) In relevant part, the Sponsorship Agreement held:

1. “[Ibis] is responsible for investigating and prosecuting any and all .of. its claims against the Army.related to [the Army’s defective pricing determination] .... ” (Id. at 3.003.4) ■
2. “Any agreement by [BAE] to allow [Ibis] to proceed’ [with its challenge] shall not be considered as any agreement on the part of [BAE] to waive its right of repayment from [Ibis] for any amounts that the Army recoups against [BAE] as a result of [Ibis’] alleged defective pricing.” (Id. at 3.004.)
3. “[Ibis] agrees to pay [BAE] for any costs or expenses (other than the costs of employee time during ordinary business hours) required to • sponsor and support the claim or otherwise respond to [Ibis’] requests.” (Id. at 3.008.)
4. Ibis would have sole discretion whether to appeal the Contracting Officer’s decision and the terms of the Sponsorship Agreement would apply to that appeal. (Id. at 3.009.)

BAE ultimately sponsored Ibis’ claim to the Contracting Officer, challenging the defective pricing determination. (Ibis’ Ex. [982]*982List, Ex. B (“Claim to Contracting Officer”).)

■ On March Í4, 2014, the Contracting Officer issued a Final Decision that denied Ibis’ claim and upheld the DCAA’s determination that Ibis’ cost and pricing data was defective. (Massuch Aff., Ex. G (“Final Decision”) [Doc. No. 71-6].) The Final De-cisionstated that the government would recoup from BAE an amount representing the damages from the defective pricing (i.e., the amount the Army overpaid because. of the defective pricing), prejudgment interest, a penalty, and an administrative fee. (See Final Decision at 2-3.) Pursuant to the Final Decision and its statutory authority to do so, the government recouped a total of $2,740,910.27 from BAE over the next few months. (Massuch Aff. at ¶ 21.)

After the Final Decision was. issued and throughout the government’s recoupment, BAE repeatedly demanded that Ibis indemnify it against this loss pursuant to the terms of the Subcontract. (See id, at ¶¶ 19-20 and Ex. H (“BAE Indemnity Demand Ltr.”) [Doc. No. 71-7].) The Subcontract contains two indemnity provisions. The first reads in relevant part:

[Ibis] agrees to assume entire responsibility and liability for injuries (including death) to any person, whether an employee of [Ibis] or otherwise, for loss of or damage to any property regardless of ownership and for any other loss or legal damages, arising out of, resulting from, or in any manner connected with the ... goods supplied by [Ibis] .... in connection with this order. [Ibis] further agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless [BAE] ,.. from and against any and all such loss, damages and injuries (including death) and any and all claims related thereto including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, claims for which [BAE] may or may not be claimed to be liable (including, without limitation, liability based' on negligence or other tort), together with all costs, expenses and legal fees and disbursements paid or incurred in connection with such claims and all legal fees and disbursements paid or incurred to enforce the provisions of this paragraph.

(Subcontract at 2.024 (hereinafter,- the “Broad Indemnity Clause”).) “Goods” include “any and all ... documentary information furnished or required to be furnished by [Ibis] under this order.” (Id. at 2.027.) The second indemnity provision provides that:

[Ibis] further agrees to indemnify and hold [BAE] harmless to the full extent of any loss, damage, or expense, including, but not limited to, any price reduction in [BAE’s] prime contract with the U.S. Government .., resulting from submission, by [Ibis] ... of cost or pricing data that were not complete, accurate, and current as certified. .

(Id. at 2.031) (hereinafter, the “Specific Indemnity Clause”).

Despite BAE’s demands for indemnification, Ibis refused to reimburse BAE any of the amounts recouped by the government.5 (Massuch Aff. at ¶ 22.) Instead, Ibis elected to appeal the Final : Decision—with BAE sponsoring the appeal pursuant to the Sponsorship Agreement—to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (“ASBCA”). (See Ibis’ Ex. List, Ex.

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192 F. Supp. 3d 978, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77701, 2016 WL 3281844, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bae-systems-land-armaments-lp-v-ibis-tek-llc-mnd-2016.