Edge Communications Solutions LLC v. Heide Werthamer, ET AL.

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Texas
DecidedNovember 26, 2025
Docket4:25-cv-00397
StatusUnknown

This text of Edge Communications Solutions LLC v. Heide Werthamer, ET AL. (Edge Communications Solutions LLC v. Heide Werthamer, ET AL.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edge Communications Solutions LLC v. Heide Werthamer, ET AL., (E.D. Tex. 2025).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS SHERMAN DIVISION

EDGE COMMUNICATIONS § SOLUTIONS LLC § § v. § CIVIL NO. 4:25-CV-397-SDJ § HEIDE WERTHAMER, ET AL. § MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER Edge Communications Solutions LLC (“Edge”) sued its former employees, Heide Werthamer and Marina Willis, in Texas state court. Werthamer timely removed the case to this Court based on an allegation of diversity jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a). (Dkt. #1). Edge moves for remand to state court, maintaining that Werthamer has failed to meet her burden to show that diversity exists. The Court agrees with Edge and the case will be remanded. I. BACKGROUND Werthamer and Willis are citizens of Florida. (Dkt. #1-1 ¶ 2). Werthamer previously served as Chief Operating Officer for Edge and Willis is a former Vice President of Strategic Accounts for Edge. (Dkt. #3 ¶ 4.01). In addition to being an employee, Werthamer was also a member of Edge, a Delaware limited liability company with its principal place of business in Collin County, Texas. See (Dkt. #1-2 at 7); (Dkt. #11-1 ¶ 2). Werthamer and Willis both voluntarily resigned their employment at Edge in 2023. (Dkt. #3 ¶ 4.01). Edge asserts that Werthamer and Willis misappropriated Edge’s confidential and proprietary information and improperly used the stolen information to solicit Edge’s employees and customers for their new employer. Edge also contends that Werthamer violated a non-competition agreement. Based on these assertions, Edge has brought various state law causes of action against Werthamer

and Willis, including claims for tortious interference with contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and conspiracy. In regard to diversity of citizenship, neither Edge nor Werthamer have provided a complete list of Edge’s members. Werthamer asserts that Michael Ford, Richard A. Heise Jr., and Bill Hamel are members of Edge, but she does not allege that they are the only members of Edge. (Dkt. #1-1 ¶ 6). Edge asserts that

Werthamer’s membership was never terminated and that she is still a member of Edge. (Dkt. #9 at 2). Additionally, Edge and Heise assert that Old Willow Partners, LLC (“OWP”), a single-member Delaware LLC, and Edge Series C, LLC (“Edge Series C”), a Delaware LLC, are also members of Edge. (Dkt. #11 at 3–4); (Dkt. #12-1 ¶ 5). Heise claims that he is the sole member of OWP and that OWP is the sole member of Edge Series C. (Dkt. #12-1 ¶ 5). Werthamer alleges that Ford is a resident and citizen of Texas, Heise is a

resident and citizen of Illinois, and Hamel is a resident and citizen of Pennsylvania. (Dkt. #1-1 ¶ 6). To support her argument that Heise is a citizen of Illinois, Werthamer notes that Heise’s Florida property tax bills were sent to his Illinois address, Heise executed an affidavit in Illinois, and Heise has not provided certain documents that would verify Florida as his domicile. (Dkt. #11 at 4–6); (Dkt. #14 at 5–6). Heise contends that he is a resident and citizen of Florida. (Dkt. #12-1 ¶ 4). To support Florida citizenship, Heise has provided copies of property tax records for a residence in Palm Beach, Florida for the years 2021 to 2024, (Dkt. #9-2), utility bills

for that property for the months of January 2025 and May 2023, (Dkt. #9-3), and a copy of his Florida driver’s license, (Dkt. #9-4). Heise also asserts that he is registered to vote in Florida, (Dkt #9-1 ¶ 6), and that he and his wife have voted in statewide and national elections in Florida for many years, (Dkt. #12-1 ¶ 4). Heise acknowledges that he maintains residences in Illinois, Indiana, Texas, and Mexico, in addition to his Florida residence, and that he spends time at each residence throughout the year.

(Dkt. #12-1 ¶ 8). In further support of his claim that he is not an Illinois citizen, Heise alleges that he has paid income tax to Illinois that only applies to non-Illinois residents. (Dkt. #12-1 ¶ 9). The parties dispute whether Werthamer is currently a member of Edge. (Dkt. #11-1 ¶ 3); (Dkt. #12 at 5). Werthamer asserts that her membership in Edge terminated in 2023, when she ceased to be an employee at Edge, and that she has not otherwise consented to reinstate her membership in Edge. (Dkt. #11-1 ¶¶ 3, 5). Heise

contends that Werthamer has provided no proof that her membership was terminated and asserts that Werthamer is still a member of Edge because she continues to own a 1.78% equity interest in Edge. (Dkt. #12-1 ¶¶ 12–13). In support of his assertion that Werthamer’s membership is still active, Heise provided K-1 forms from 2020 to 2023, which evidence Werthamer’s equity interest. (Dkt. #12-2, #12-3, #12-4, #12-5). In response, Werthamer states that because she has not received a K-1 form for 2024, she cannot be a current member of Edge. (Dkt. #11 at 2–3). According to Edge, however, Werthamer should have received the form in September 2025, which is consistent with when she received the form for the prior four years. (Dkt. #12 at 5);

see (Dkt. #12-2, #12-3, #12-4, #12-5) (The letters sent to Werthamer with the K-1s attached were all dated in September the year following the K-1’s tax year.). Werthamer has not advised the Court whether she received the form in September 2025. In sum, and relevant here, Edge maintains that diversity does not exist because Heise—an undisputed member of Edge—lives in Florida, as do Defendants

Werthamer and Willis, and Werthamer remains a member of Edge, further negating any possibility of diversity jurisdiction. For her part, Werthamer maintains that diversity exists because Heise is a citizen of Illinois, not Florida, and Werthamer is no longer a member of Edge. This case was originally filed in the 296th Judicial District Court of Collin County, Texas prior to being removed by Werthamer. (Dkt. #1 at 1). The Court now considers Edge’s Motion to Remand to State Court, which asks the Court to remand

the matter to the 296th Judicial District Court of Collin County, Texas on the basis that complete diversity does not exist under 28 U.S.C. § 1332. (Dkt. #9 at 1). II. LEGAL STANDARD A party may remove an action from state court to federal court if the action is one over which the federal court possesses subject matter jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a). “The removing party bears the burden of showing that federal jurisdiction exists and that removal was proper.” Manguno v. Prudential Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 276 F.3d 720, 723 (5th Cir. 2002). Because federal courts have limited jurisdiction, the removing party must make “clear, distinct, and precise affirmative jurisdictional allegations” in her pleadings. MidCap Media Fin., L.L.C. v. Pathway Data, Inc.,

929 F.3d 310, 313 (5th Cir. 2019) (quoting Getty Oil Corp. v. Ins. Co. of N. Am., 841 F.2d 1254, 1259 (5th Cir. 1988)). To determine whether jurisdiction is present for removal, courts consider the claims in the state court petition as they existed at the time of removal. Cavallini v. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins. Co., 44 F.3d 256, 264 (5th Cir. 1995). Any ambiguities are construed against removal because the removal statute should be strictly construed

in favor of remand. Acuna v.

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Bluebook (online)
Edge Communications Solutions LLC v. Heide Werthamer, ET AL., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edge-communications-solutions-llc-v-heide-werthamer-et-al-txed-2025.