Breathe LLC v. White Fox Ventures, Inc.

268 F. Supp. 3d 510
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJune 28, 2017
Docket17-CV-367 (VM)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 268 F. Supp. 3d 510 (Breathe LLC v. White Fox Ventures, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Breathe LLC v. White Fox Ventures, Inc., 268 F. Supp. 3d 510 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

VICTOR MARRERO, United States District Judge:

Plaintiffs Breathe LLC (“Breathe”) and Tyler Glover (“Glover,” together with Breathe, “Plaintiffs”) brought this action against White Fox Ventures, Inc. (“White Fox”) and Seth Shaw (“Shaw,” together with White Fox, “Defendants”). Plaintiffs moved for Summary Judgment. (“Motion,” Dkt. No. 24.) For the reasons discussed below, Plaintiffs’ Motion is denied.

L BACKGROUND

In August 2015, Plaintiffs sued ECigs Corporation (“ECigs”) in a separate action that was resolved by a settlement agreement reached in March 2016. (The “Settlement Agreement,” see Dkt. No. 8, Ex. 2.) The Settlement Agreement provided that (1) ECigs would immediately assign its domain name and fifty million shares of its vested Class A stock (“Stock”) to Plaintiffs; (2) ECigs would have a twelve-month period to sell off its existing inventory and split the proceeds equally with Plaintiffs; (3) during the sell-off period, ECigs would provide an accounting of the remaining inventory to Plaintiff every two weeks; and (4) at the end of the sell-off- period, ECigs would destroy any remaining product. (See Settlement Agreement ¶¶ 2, 3, 6, 7.) The Settlement Agreement also provided that the remaining inventory would be [512]*512sold jointly, and specifically states in relevant part:

[EOigs] agree [sic]. to jointly sell [ECigs]’s remaining inventory held at Ritway over the next 12 months as stipulated in the settlement agreement. At the end of the 12 months, also known at [sic] “the joint inventory sales effort,” .,, [EOigs] acknowledges that it will be completely removed from the ECIG marketplace,-But for the next 12-months [ECigs] will maintain an operating business in the space through its above mentioned [sic] joint effort. (Id. ¶ 4.)

The Settlement Agreement further stipulated that, . if. either ECigs or Shaw breached the Settlement Agreement, they would pay $150,000 to cover legal fees.

Around April 2016, ECigs changed its name to White Pox and was acquired by investors who believed that White. Fox was a shell corporation they could use to conduct business in Japan. (“Shaw Affidavit,” see Dkt. No. 27, ¶ 9; Form 10 — Q, see also Dkt. No. 34, Ex. 2, at 2.) Following Shaw’s departure from White Fox on August 22, 2016, Plaintiffs notified Shaw that he and White Fox were in violation of the Settlement Agreement (Shaw Affidavit ¶¶.1, 9, 11.)

Plaintiffs commenced this action on January 18, 2017, alleging that Defendants breached the Settlement Agreement by (1) failing to assign the domain name; (2) failing to provide the required bi-weekly accounting to Plaintiffs; and (3) belatedly assigning fifty million shares of Stock to Plaintiffs. (“Complaint,” see Dkt. No. 8 at 2.) Plaintiffs demanded damages in the amount of $150,000 in attorneys’ fees and equitable relief. (Id. at 3.)

Plaintiffs filed this Motion on May 10, 2017, reasserting their argument that White Fox breached the Settlement Agreement. Plaintiffs further argue that because there are no open questions of material fact, they are accordingly entitled to summary judgment. (“Memorandum in Support,” see Dkt. No. 25 ¶¶ 4-6.)

White Fox argues in its opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion that (1) there are genuine issues of material fact with respect to the alleged breach of the Settlement Agreement; (2) Glover does not. state a claim upon which relief can be. granted because the only benefit he obtained from the Settlement Agreement is a release from ECigs of all future claims; (3) the “liquidated damages” provision of the Settlement Agreement is invalid because it is an unenforceable penalty; (4) White Fox is entitled to take discovery; and (5) waiver and other similar doctrines preclude this action. (“Opposition,” see Dkt. No. 35.)

Replying to White .Fox’s Opposition, Plaintiffs argue that (1) the liquidated damages provision is enforceable; (2) no issue of material fact exists relating to Breathe’s performance of the contract;' (3) White Fox was given proper notice regarding its breach of the Settlement Agreement; -and (4) there is no need for discovery because White Fox admits that it did not provide accounting or transfer the website domain. (“Reply,” Dkt. No. 36.)

n. DISCUSSION

Under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Rule 56”), a party is entitled to summary judgment if the evidence shows there is “rió genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). “Only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. [513]*5132505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A dispute about a material fact is genuine “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Id The burden is on the moving party to show that there are no open questions of material fact. See Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. The nonmoving party must then offer evidence of open questions of material fact and may “not rely on mere conclusory allegations nor speculation, but instead must offer some hard evidence .... ” D’Amico v. City of New York, 132 F.3d 145, 149 (2d Cir. 1998). All “the inferences to be drawn from the underlying facts ... must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).

A court will grant summary judgment on a breach of contract claim “in instances in which the contract’s words, in and of themselves, convey a definite and precise meaning absent any ambiguity.” Maxim Group LLC v. Life Partners Holdings, Inc., 690 F.Supp.2d 293, 303 (S.D.N.Y. 2010) (internal quotation marks omitted). Ambiguity exists when a “reasonably intelligent person viewing the contract objectively could interpret the language in more than one way.” Topps Co. v. Cadbury Stani S.A.I.C., 526 F.3d 63, 68 (2d Cir. 2008). If a contract is ambiguous, “summary judgment may be granted only if the ambiguities may be resolved through extrinsic evidence that is itself capable of only one interpretation, or where there is no extrinsic evidence that would support a resolution of these ambiguitiés in favor of the nonmoving party’s case.” Id.

“Under New York law, the elements of a breach of contract claim are (1) the existence of an agreement; (2) adequate performance of the contract by the plaintiff; (3) breach of contract by the defendant; and (4) damages.” Swan Media Group, Inc. v. Staub, 841 F.Supp.2d 804, 807 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).

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268 F. Supp. 3d 510, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/breathe-llc-v-white-fox-ventures-inc-nysd-2017.