Bordelon v. Cochrane

533 So. 2d 82, 1988 WL 103207
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 5, 1988
Docket87-670
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 533 So. 2d 82 (Bordelon v. Cochrane) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bordelon v. Cochrane, 533 So. 2d 82, 1988 WL 103207 (La. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

533 So.2d 82 (1988)

John S. BORDELON, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Douglas A. COCHRANE, Jr., et al., Defendants-Appellees.

No. 87-670.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

October 5, 1988.
Rehearing Denied November 21, 1988.
Writ Denied January 27, 1989.

*83 Durio, McGoffin & Stagg, Steven G. Durio, Kermit Doucet, Lafayette, for plaintiffappellant.

Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, Roy C. Cheatwood, Nancy S. Degan, New Orleans, Chris A. Verret, Lafayette, for defendants-appellees.

Before DOMENGEAUX, KNOLL and KING, JJ.

KNOLL, Judge.

John S. Bordelon sued Cochrane Subsea Acoustics, Inc. (Subsea) and its directors, Douglas A. Cochrane, Jr. (Cochrane), Fred Styer (Styer), Jan Madden Cochrane and Jean Nolan Cochrane (Jan and Jean Cochrane), contending Subsea, Cochrane and Styer breached certain stockholder agreements between them and Bordelon, and that Cochrane, Styer, and Jan and Jean Cochrane breached their fiduciary duties to the corporation and to Bordelon, as a shareholder. The trial court ruled that Bordelon was a minority stockholder and as such he was not able to personally obtain damages either for the defendants' alleged mismanagement of the corporation or for an alleged breach of the shareholders' agreement. Accordingly, it sustained defendants' exceptions of no right of action and no cause of action.

Bordelon appeals, contending the trial court erred in sustaining defendants' exceptions of no right of action and no cause of action, and raises the following issues: (1) as a shareholder of Subsea he has a direct right of action against defendants as officers and directors of the corporation for breach of a fiduciary duty which caused him to personally suffer loss; (2) as a shareholder of Subsea he has the right to bring a derivative action against defendants as officers and directors for breach of a fiduciary duty which caused loss to the corporation; (3) he has a right of action against defendants for breach of the shareholder agreements to which he and defendants were parties; (4) he has stated a cause of action for breach of a fiduciary duty, derivatively on behalf of the corporation and individually for breach of contract. We affirm in part, reverse in part and remand.

FACTS

Bordelon purchased 10% of the authorized but unissued Subsea capital stock on October 28, 1981, for $20,000, and entered into two shareholder agreements with Subsea and Cochrane, the only other shareholder at the time. In the agreements, Cochrane agreed to vote his stock so that Bordelon would have preemptive rights and a seat on the board of directors. Cochrane also agreed to vote his stock against any modification in the classification, voting power or other shareholder rights contained in the articles of incorporation. Furthermore, the agreements granted Bordelon *84 an option to purchase an additional 10% of the outstanding Subsea stock, provided him with a right, i.e., the "put right", to require either Cochrane or Subsea to purchase his Subsea stock at a price tied to the corporate net worth on a book value basis, and limited the amount of monthly remuneration Cochrane, his family, and affiliated businesses could receive. In consideration, Bordelon agreed to join Cochrane on a continuing basis as a co-guarantor or co-endorser for up to $100,000 in Subsea's obligations incurred subsequent to the date of the agreements.

On May 19, 1982, in consideration of Bordelon increasing the amount of his personal guaranty from $100,000 to $300,000, these agreements were later amended to reduce the stock option price, to lengthen the term of the stock option, and to increase the remuneration limitations placed on Cochrane.

In connection with Bordelon's purchase of an additional 10% of Subsea stock from Cochrane, on April 7, 1983, Bordelon, Cochrane, Subsea, and Styer, a new shareholder, again amended the shareholder agreements relative to the "put right" previously granted to Bordelon, and Styer formally ratified all prior shareholder agreements entered between Bordelon, Subsea, and Cochrane.

On March 29, 1985, Bordelon sued Cochrane and Subsea, contending: (1) that Cochrane breached the shareholder agreements by refusing to convey a sufficient number of shares to constitute Bordelon as the owner of 20% of the outstanding Subsea stock; and (2) Cochrane breached his fiduciary duty to Subsea and Bordelon by: (a) refusing additional capital contributions and a loan from third-party investors; (b) arbitrarily frustrating third-party offers to Bordelon, a minority shareholder, to purchase his Subsea stock; and (c) amending the articles of incorporation to shorten the notice requirements for special meetings to one day, removing the annual election of directors, and lengthening the term of directors to 5 years. Accordingly, Bordelon sought damages on behalf of Subsea because Cochrane's actions retarded the corporate growth and increased its liabilities, and further damaged Bordelon personally by making him unable to participate effectively in the corporation and to market his minority interest. Bordelon further sought the appointment of a receiver pursuant to LSA-R.S. 12:151 because his rights as a minority shareholder were violated and his interest endangered.

Defendants filed peremptory exceptions of no cause and no right of action to Bordelon's original petition which were sustained by the trial court on May 5, 1986.

On May 20, 1986, Bordelon filed an amending and supplemental petition realleging the claims raised in his original petition, and added Styer, and Jan and Jean Cochrane as defendants. Bordelon further asserted claims against the defendants based on the breach of the shareholder's agreements, contending: (a) Cochrane received remuneration higher than that provided in the shareholder agreements; and (b) he attempted to issue stock to nonshareholders with the intent to reduce Bordelon's ownership of 20% of the corporate stock. He also urged that these actions also constituted breach of the fiduciary duty owed to him as a shareholder and to Subsea, and further asserted a claim against Jan and Jean Cochrane stating that they failed to attend directors' meetings and abused the use of proxies. Bordelon, as a representative of Subsea, further sought damages for the loss the corporation suffered because of defendants' breach of their fiduciary duties. Defendants filed new exceptions of no right and no cause of action which were granted by the trial court. This appeal then ensued.

PEREMPTORY EXCEPTIONS

The function of the peremptory exception is to have plaintiff's action declared legally nonexistent, or barred by effect of law. Eastlake Trading Co. v. Iberia Trading Co., 398 So.2d 1146 (La.App. 4th Cir.1980), writ denied, 401 So.2d 977 (La.1981). An exception of no cause of action tests the legal sufficiency of a petition by determining whether the law affords a remedy to the plaintiff for the particular grievance *85 alleged. Darville v. Texaco, Inc., 447 So. 2d 473 (La.1984). In deciding an exception of no cause of action, the court accepts the facts alleged in the petition, without reference to any extraneous supporting or controverting evidence, and determines whether the law affords any relief to plaintiff if those facts are proved at trial. Robinson v. North American Royalties, Inc., 470 So.2d 112 (La.1985).

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

Related

Languirand v. Lopez
261 So. 3d 1054 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
Paul Piazza & Son, Inc. v. Piazza
83 So. 3d 1066 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2011)
Boyer v. STRIC-LAN COMPANIES CORP.
888 So. 2d 1037 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2004)
Glod v. Baker
851 So. 2d 1255 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
Foltmer v. James
799 So. 2d 545 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
Roger Boc, LLC v. Weigel
744 So. 2d 731 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
Atkins v. Hibernia Corp.
182 F.3d 320 (Fifth Circuit, 1999)
White v. Fetzer
707 So. 2d 1377 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)
Dickerson v. Blair
705 So. 2d 1165 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1997)
Dennis v. Copelin
669 So. 2d 556 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1996)
Seagers v. Pailet
656 So. 2d 700 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
Maestri v. DESTREHAN VET. HOSP., INC.
653 So. 2d 1241 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
Bell v. Crump
651 So. 2d 975 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
Bergen Brunswig Drug Co. v. Poulin
639 So. 2d 453 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1994)
Everything on Wheels Subaru, Inc. v. Subaru South, Inc.
616 So. 2d 1234 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1993)
Stafford Const. Co., Inc. v. Terrebonne Parish School Bd.
612 So. 2d 847 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)
Wallace v. Helmer Directional Drilling, Inc.
600 So. 2d 142 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)
Palowsky v. Premier Bancorp, Inc.
597 So. 2d 543 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
533 So. 2d 82, 1988 WL 103207, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bordelon-v-cochrane-lactapp-1988.