Erausquin v. Notz, Stucki Management (Bermuda) Ltd.

806 F. Supp. 2d 712, 80 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 537, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 95346, 2011 WL 3734387
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 25, 2011
DocketNo. 09 Civ. 7846(WHP)
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 806 F. Supp. 2d 712 (Erausquin v. Notz, Stucki Management (Bermuda) Ltd.) 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
Erausquin v. Notz, Stucki Management (Bermuda) Ltd., 806 F. Supp. 2d 712, 80 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 537, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 95346, 2011 WL 3734387 (S.D.N.Y. 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

WILLIAM H. PAULEY III, District Judge:

Plaintiffs Matías Erausquin, Enrique Erausquin, Liliana Controne, and Yolanda Frischknecht bring this putative class action against Defendants Notz, Stucki Management (Bermuda) Limited (“Notz Stucki Bermuda”), Notz, Stucki & Cie S.A. (“Notz Stucki & Cie” and with Notz Stucki Bermuda, the “Notz Stucki Defendants”), UBS (Luxembourg) S.A. (“UBS Luxembourg,” and together with the Notz Stucki Defendants, the “Foreign Defendants”), and Frank DiPascali, Jr. (“DiPascali”). The Complaint includes twenty-two counts of fraud, misrepresentation, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment arising from Plaintiffs’ investment in Plaza Investments International Limited (“Plaza” or the “Fund”), an investment fund in the British Virgin Islands. Plaza’s assets were invested with Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (“BMIS”) and lost after Bernard Madoffs (“Madoff’) Ponzi scheme was revealed to the world.

The Notz Stucki Defendants and UBS Luxembourg move to (1) sever the claims against DiPascali, (2) dismiss the Complaint on forum non conveniens grounds, and (3) dismiss Counts 5 through 7, 9, 14 through 16, and 22 for lack of standing. UBS Luxembourg moves separately to dismiss the Complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction. For the following reasons, Defendants’ motion to sever and dismiss on forum non conveniens grounds is granted. Accordingly, this Court need not reach Defendants’ other arguments.

BACKGROUND

I. The Parties & Relevant Third-Parties

Plaintiffs are foreign citizens who reside in Argentina. (Amended Class Action Complaint dated Nov. 24, 2010 (“Compl.”) ¶¶ 8-11; Plaintiffs’ Declaration Concerning Their Choice of Forum dated Mar. 2011 ¶ 2.) Plaintiffs invested in Plaza and lost their investments after Madoffs fraud was uncovered. (Compl. ¶¶ 8-11.)

Plaza is an investment company with its principal place of business in the British Virgin Islands. (Compl. ¶ 18.) Since its inception in 1996, Plaza invested 100% of its assets with BMIS.

Notz Stucki & Cie is an asset management company with its principal place of business in Switzerland. (Compl. ¶ 13.) It is the “flagship” company of a group of Notz Stucki entities that specialize in managing investments for private individuals and institutions (the “Notz Stucki Group”). (Compl. ¶ 13(a).) Among other things, Notz Stucki & Cie marketed Plaza to potential investors, solicited investments from Plaintiffs, and “purported to oversee, control and manage those investments.” (Compl. ¶ 14(c).)

[716]*716Notz Stucki Bermuda is a Bermuda company and an affiliate of the Notz Stucki Group. (Compl. ¶ 14.) Because it held all of Plaza’s voting shares, Notz Stucki Bermuda controlled the Fund’s decision making. (Compl. ¶¶ 19-21.) It also served as Plaza’s investment manager and, technically, was responsible for all services provided to the Fund, including the selection and supervision of the Fund’s administrator, auditor, custodian, and investment advisor, BMIS. (Compl. ¶¶ 14(a) and (b).) As a practical matter, however, Notz Stucki Bermuda delegated those responsibilities to Notz Stucki & Cie, as set forth in two agreements effective January 1, 2007 (the “Agreements”). The Agreements required, inter alia, Notz Stucki & Cie to prepare periodic reports and analyses of BMIS’s performance and the risks associated with its investments. (Compl. ¶¶ 33-34, 83-87.) According to the Complaint, the Agreements merely memorialized the delegation of duties that had existed among the Notz Stucki Defendants since 2000, under which Notz Stucki & Cie “exercised control and discretion over all investment management responsibilities for Plaza, including responsibility for monitoring market conditions and Plaza’s investment with BMIS.” (Compl. ¶¶ 34, 82.) Notz Stucki & Cie generally performed these responsibilities from its headquarters in Geneva. (Hoegger Deck ¶¶ 20, 22.)

UBS Luxembourg is a bank with its principal place of business in Luxembourg. In April 2002, UBS Luxembourg and Plaza entered into an agreement appointing UBS Luxembourg custodian of Plaza’s assets. (Compl. ¶ 15; Ex. 13: Custodian Agreement, art. II — III.) Plaza’s offering documents advertised UBS Luxembourg’s role, stating that it had been “engaged as Custodian to hold and maintain all cash, currency and investments of [Plaza].” (See, e.g., Compl. Ex. 1: Information Memorandum at 8; see also Compl. ¶ 52.)1

DiPascali was BMIS’s Chief Financial Officer and helped perpetrate Madoffs fraud by fabricating account statements and trading confirmations for BMIS’s fictional investments. On August 11, 2009, DiPascali pled guilty to ten felony counts and consented to the imposition of a $170.25 billion judgment against him. (See Stipulation & Order ¶¶ I — III, United States v. DiPascali, 09 Cr. 764(RJS) (S.D.N.Y. June 16, 2010), ECF No. 64). DiPascali is a resident of New Jersey and is currently released on bail pending sentencing. (Compl. ¶ 17(a).)

II. The Claims

The Complaint’s core allegations are that Defendants deceived Plaintiffs and/or breached their duties with respect to the performance, custody, and oversight of Plaza’s investments with BMIS. (See Compl. ¶¶ 161-79, 203, 216, 240-45, 298-303.) Plaintiffs bring their claims against each Defendant individually, with the exception of their claim for unjust enrichment, which is pled against all Defendants together. As such, the unjust enrichment claim is the only claim with the potential for joint and several liability. (Compl. ¶ 332.)

As to the Notz Stucki Defendants, the Complaint alleges that they “induced Plaintiffs to invest in Plaza on the basis of uniform false and misleading representations and omissions set forth in [Plaza’s offering documents].” (Compl. ¶¶ 161.) These included false statements concern[717]*717ing BMIS’s investment strategy, the monitoring of its investments, and the custody of Plaza’s assets. (Compl. ¶¶ 161-79.) The Complaint alleges further that the Notz Stucki Defendants failed to disclose numerous “red flags” associated with BMIS’s trading strategy. (Compl. ¶¶ 180-SI.) UBS Luxembourg also allegedly ignored these red flags and failed to properly maintain custody of Plaza’s assets. (Compl. ¶¶ 180-82.)

III. Witnesses and Evidence

The Complaint identifies various individuals with responsibility for selecting and monitoring investments in BMIS. Christian Stucki (“Stucki”), the co-founder of Notz Stucki & Cie, served on the board of directors of both Notz Stucki & Cie and Notz Bermuda.2 (Compl. ¶¶ 13, 94.) From approximately 1987 to 2007, Stucki also served as Notz Bermuda’s Vice President. (Compl. ¶ 94.) Stucki resides in Switzerland. (Hoegger Decl. ¶ 21.) Julian Elliot, a Notz Stucki Bermuda director from 2006 to 2009 who also served as head of compliance for Notz Stucki & Cie, met with Madoff in New York. (Compl. ¶ 31.) While a Notz Stucki & Cie employee, Elliot resided in Switzerland. (Hoegger Decl. ¶ 18.) However, he left the firm and neither Plaintiffs nor Defendants identify where he currently resides.

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806 F. Supp. 2d 712, 80 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 537, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 95346, 2011 WL 3734387, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/erausquin-v-notz-stucki-management-bermuda-ltd-nysd-2011.