Correspondent Services Corp. v. J.V.W. Investments Ltd.

173 F. Supp. 2d 171, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19126, 2001 WL 1491397
District Court, S.D. New York·Decided November 26, 2001·No. No 99 CIV 8934 RWS·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

OPINION

SWEET, District Judge.'

Defendant J. Virgil Waggoner (“Wag-goner”) has moved, pursuant to Rule 56(b), Fed.R.Civ.P., for summary judgment on two cross-claims brought by defendant Donal Kelleher (“Kelleher”). Kelleher, in opposing this motion, has cross-moved to compel further discovery and allow letters rogatory. For the reasons set forth below, Waggoner’s motion is denied as to the first cross-claim and granted as to the second. Kelleher’s cross-motion is granted in part and denied in part.

The Parties

Interpleader-plaintiff Correspondent Services Corporation (“CSC”) is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in New York, New York.

Defendant J.V.W. Investment Ltd. (“JVW”) is a corporation formed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Dominica (“Dominica”) with its principal place of business in Dominica.

Defendant Kelleher is a foreign national and a resident of Surrey, England.

Defendant Waggoner is a United States citizen domiciled in Texas.

Third-Party defendant Suisse Security Bank and Trust, Ltd. (“SSBT”), is a Bahamian corporation with its principal place of business in the Bahamas.

Prior Proceedings

On August 18, 2000, this Court issued an opinion dismissing three of four counterclaims filed by Kelleher against Waggoner. Correspondent Services Corp. v. J.V.W. Investments, Ltd., 120 F.Supp.2d 401 (S.D.N.Y.2000). Kelleher’s Fourth Counterclaim for breach of fiduciary duty was not dismissed, nor were Waggoner’s cross-claims against Kelleher for breach of con *173 tract, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, and interference. Id.

In September 2000, Waggoner and JVW sought and obtained leave to amend their pleadings to add SSBT as a third-party defendant and to assert cross-claims against Kelleher and SSBT. Kelleher answered the amended pleadings on November 27, 2000, and alleged two cross-claims against Waggoner, one for breach of contract and the other for breach of fiduciary duty.

On March 30, 2001, Waggoner filed the instant motion for summary judgment to dismiss Kelleher’s two cross-claims. Kelleher cross-moved for discovery and the issuance of letters rogatory. The motions were argued on July 25, 2001, and deemed submitted at that time.

Facts

The factual background of this action has been set forth in the prior opinions of this Court, familiarity with which is assumed, and will only partly be repeated here. See Correspondent Services Corp. v. J.V.W. Investments Ltd., 47 F.R.D. 204 (S.D.N.Y.2001) (“JVW III”); Correspondent Services Corp. v. J.V.W. Investments, Ltd., 120 F.Supp.2d 401 (S.D.N.Y.2000) (“JVW II”); Correspondent Services Corp. v. J.V.W. Investment, Ltd., No. 99 Civ. 8934, 2000 WL 1174980 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 18, 2000) (“JVW I”). Unless it is explicitly noted, the following facts are not explicitly controverted by the parties.

The relationship between Kelleher and Waggoner dates back to at least November 1997, when the two entered into an arrangement in which Kelleher was to introduce Waggoner to certain contacts of his who were involved in international high-yield investment programs. Waggoner agreed to pay a percentage of the profits he earned by investing his funds in such programs in return for Kelleher’s help in locating, arranging, and helping to manage those investments.

In the months following November 1997, Kelleher introduced Waggoner to a variety of investment opportunities. One such deal involved Ufinco, Ltd. (“Ufinco”). On December 1, 1997, Waggoner signed a Joint Participation Agreement (“Ufinco JPA”) that appointed Ufinco as his investment manager to invest the sum of $10 million. By its specific terms, the contract could not be orally modified. Later, on December 5, 1997, Ufinco notified Wag-goner that Kelleher was appointed trustee for the funds under that agreement. Wag-goner agreed to this arrangement. However, an investment was never made through Ufinco, as Waggoner decided not pursue this arrangement.

In December 1997, Kelleher introduced Waggoner to Bower Cotton, a firm of London solicitors, who in turn introduced Waggoner to Nikea, N.V. (“Nikea”), an investment firm operating out of Bower Cotton’s offices. Waggoner thereafter wired $10 million to Bower Cotton to be held in escrow for use in investment programs to be arranged through Nikea. The correspondence between Waggoner and Kelleher indicated that their relationship with Bower Cotton and Nikea would be governed by the Ufinco JPA.

Kelleher claims that in or around January 1998 the parties formed a joint venture (the “Joint Venture”) in which Waggoner would invest substantial funds in programs that Kelleher located, and Kelleher would receive 20% to 30% of the profits. Wag-goner denies that the Joint Venture was ever formed. No document has been submitted to substantiate Kelleher’s claim. On January 23, 1998, Waggoner signed a document (the “January 23 Trustee Appointment”) that appointed Kelleher as Waggoner’s trustee for purposes of coordi *174 nating Waggoner’s funds held in escrow at Bower Cotton into a high yield private placement program, and to manage the funds in accordance with instructions in an accompanying letter to Bower Cotton. However, neither the January 23, 1998 Trustee Appointment nor the January 23, 1998 letter makes any mention of, or provides evidence of, the alleged Joint Venture.

In April 1998, Kelleher and Waggoner entered into a Joint Participation Agreement (the “JPA”) for purposes of another investment arrangement. Kelleher had located an investment program managed by Mintus, Inc. (“Mintus”) that would maintain funds at and conduct trading through Citibank, N.A. (“Citibank”) in New York. Pursuant to the JPA, Kelleher and his company, Abbeyfield Asset Management, SA, would serve as trustee for Waggoner and invest $10 million, belonging to Wag-goner, in a high-yield investment program administered by Citibank. Within the limits set by the JPA, Kelleher was given “ full power of substitution” to act on behalf of Waggoner; however, Kelleher was “never authorized or empowered to remove [Waggonerj’s funds” from Wag-goner’s bank account.

In return for his services, the JPA section on fees and distribution of returns provided that Kelleher was to receive a share of profits earned from the high yield program, ranging from 20% to 25%. The same section contained a non-circumvention clause, which provided that “[b]oth parties agree to observe the customary rules and regulations of non-circumvention and nondisclosure” and stipulated that Waggoner “acknowledges the specific value of [Kelleher]’s contacts and the value of total confidentiality pertaining to this contract and the private placement process.” The JPA, governed by New York law, provided that any changes to the agreement must be made in writing and agreed to by the parties, and that verbal agreements would have no binding effect.

Incorporated within the JPA was an Exhibit C titled “Appointment of Trustee.” Pursuant to that document, Waggoner appointed Abbeyfield, represented by Kelle-her, as trustee for the following specific and limited purpose only:

1.

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

Correspondent Services Corp. v. J.V.W. Investments Ltd., 173 F. Supp. 2d 171, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19126, 2001 WL 1491397 (S.D.N.Y. 2001).

173 F. Supp. 2d 171 (Correspondent Services Corp. v. J.V.W. Investments Ltd.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Drapkin v. Mafco Consolidated Group, Inc.
818 F. Supp. 2d 678 (S.D. New York, 2011)
Bear, Stearns Funding, Inc. v. Interface Group-Nevada, Inc.
361 F. Supp. 2d 283 (S.D. New York, 2005)
Correspondent Services Corp. v. J.V.W. Investments Ltd.
205 F. Supp. 2d 191 (S.D. New York, 2002)
Nameh v. Muratex Corp.
34 F. App'x 808 (Second Circuit, 2002)