CKSJB Holdings, LLC v. Epam Sys., Inc.

379 F. Supp. 3d 388
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 29, 2019
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 18-2173
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 379 F. Supp. 3d 388 (CKSJB Holdings, LLC v. Epam Sys., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
CKSJB Holdings, LLC v. Epam Sys., Inc., 379 F. Supp. 3d 388 (E.D. Pa. 2019).

Opinion

PAPPERT, District Judge

CKSJB Holdings, LLC sued EPAM Systems, Inc. for breach of the duty to negotiate in good faith, promissory estoppel and breach of contract. The claims arise from acquisition negotiations and a confidentiality agreement between EPAM and PointSource, LLC, to which CKSJB alleges it is successor in interest. EPAM moves to dismiss all claims for lack of standing and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The Court grants the Motion, though CKSJB may amend its breach of contract claim.

I

In 2016, PointSource, a tech firm, was looking for a buyer that could "infuse cash and help the company grow its business." (Am. Compl. ¶ 17.) Several companies showed "substantial interest" in purchasing PointSource, including software development company EPAM. (Id. at ¶¶ 18-19.) On September 7, 2016, EPAM and PointSource signed a Confidentiality Agreement in which they, among other things, agreed not to disclose to any third party that EPAM was evaluating the possibility of a transaction. (Id. at ¶¶ 20-23; Am. Compl. Ex. B ("Agreement") 1.) The Agreement also made clear that neither party was committing to a transaction, or even to continued negotiations, and that neither any written document that is not intended to be legally binding nor any oral agreement or course of conduct would constitute a "definitive agreement":

The recipient shall have no obligation to enter into any further agreement with the other party, conduct or continue discussions or negotiations, or enter into or negotiate a definitive agreement. Each party agrees that no contract or agreement providing for a transaction shall exist until definitive agreements have been executed and delivered by duly authorized representatives of each party. Each party reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any and all proposals with regard to any proposed transaction or relationship or any definitive agreement and to suspend or terminate discussions and negotiations at any time. For purposes of this paragraph, definitive agreements do not include an executed letter of intent or any other preliminary written document that the parties state is not intended to be legally binding, or any oral agreement or course of conduct.

(Agreement ¶ 9.) After executing the Confidentiality Agreement, EPAM began assessing PointSource's value. (Am. Compl. ¶ 24.) PointSource provided financial information and other documents to EPAM, and senior management for both parties *392arranged phone discussions and in-person meetings. (Id. at ¶¶ 26-29.)

On December 29, 2016, EPAM emailed PointSource its proposed price terms, which it specified were "not binding at this point." (Id. at ¶ 33.) On January 10, EPAM sent PointSource a draft Indication of Interest ("IOI"). (Id. at ¶ 34.) The IOI states that EPAM's proposal "assumes the purchase by EPAM (or an acquisition vehicle formed by EPAM), of substantially all of the assets of the business of [PointSource]." (Am. Compl. Ex. C ("IOI") 2.) It includes EPAM's proposed valuation of PointSource, "between $ 24 million and $ 34 million," and outlines a proposed transaction structure: "EPAM would pay the purchase price in two tranches, with $ 24 million paid at closing ... and up to $ 10 million of additional purchase price ... payable contingent on the acquired company achieving certain performance metrics in 2017." (IOI 1.) The IOI also contained the following provision, which appeared twice, on two separate pages:

NON-BINDING AGREEMENT
This proposal does not constitute and will not give rise to any legally binding obligation whatsoever on the part of EPAM. Moreover, except as expressly provided in any binding written agreement that EPAM and [PointSource] may enter into in the future, no past, present or future action, course of conduct, or failure to act relating to the transaction described herein and/or this proposal or relating to the negotiation of the terms of the transaction contemplated herein and/or this proposal will give rise to or serve as the basis for any obligation or other liability on the part of such entities or any of their respective affiliates.

(IOI 5, 6.)

After receiving the draft IOI, PointSource called EPAM President and CEO Arkadiy Dobkin "to inquire about EPAM's intention to negotiate in good faith and to acquire PointSource pursuant to the terms in its letter of intent."1 (Am. Compl. ¶ 35.) CKSJB alleges that Dobkin "assured PointSource that EPAM was fully committed to the transaction and, to induce PointSource to choose to move forward with EPAM, expressly agreed with PointSource to work diligently and to negotiate in good faith to complete the deal described in EPAM's proposal." (Id. at ¶ 36.) PointSource also asked EPAM to "adjust the carve-outs and allocations to PointSource's key personnel." (Id. at ¶ 37.) On January 15, PointSource sent EPAM a redlined version of the draft IOI. (Id. at ¶ 38.) EPAM agreed to PointSource's proposed changes. (Id. at ¶ 37.) EPAM executed the final IOI on January 19, 2017. (Id. at ¶¶ 37-39; IOI 1.)

CKSJB alleges that PointSource "agree[d] to" and "accept[ed]" the IOI's terms. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 126-27.) The Amended Complaint states that "the executed [IOI] established a framework for the parties' continued negotiations and reflected the material terms of the proposed acquisition, as agreed to by EPAM and PointSource." (Id. at ¶ 47.) "The parties intended the [IOI] both to continue and to re-establish their mutually binding agreement to negotiate diligently and in good faith." (Id. at ¶ 48.)

On January 19, the day PointSource received the final IOI, PointSource emailed EPAM:

Thank you for the executed LOI, we are excited to move forward. Although the agreement doesn't call for immediate exclusivity, we intend to move forward solely with EPAM. We are stopping discussions with all other companies, and are excited to enter due diligence. Please let us know next steps.

*393(Id. at ¶ 41.) CKSJB alleges that PointSource declined purchase offers from other companies. (Id. at ¶ 45.)

Between January and April of 2017, PointSource worked with EPAM as EPAM conducted due diligence. (Id. at ¶¶ 62-63.) On March 23, 2017, EPAM sent PointSource a draft Asset Purchase Agreement, which "mirrored the material terms of the deal set forth in the [IOI]." (Id. at ¶¶ 80, 82.) PointSource and EPAM's leadership teams then met twice in person to discuss the closing timeline and employee transitions. (Id. at ¶¶ 84-86.) During these meetings, "EPAM explicitly directed PointSource to treat the transaction as a done deal" and asked PointSource to "prepare to tell clients and employees" about the purchase. (Id. at ¶ 88.) In early April, "at EPAM's instruction," PointSource told key employees about the purchase and started to prepare them for the transition. (Id. at ¶ 92.)

On April 4, 2017, EPAM gave PointSource a timeline for closing, and PointSource sent EPAM its proposed edits to the Purchase Agreement. (Id. at ¶¶ 93, 100.) EPAM's timeline proposed an April 28 signing and mid-May closing. (Id. at ¶ 94.) PointSource's proposed edits to the Purchase Agreement did not alter material or financial terms. (Id.

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Bluebook (online)
379 F. Supp. 3d 388, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cksjb-holdings-llc-v-epam-sys-inc-paed-2019.