Eugene Sisco, III v. Alexandria Allen

Court of Appeals of Kentucky·Decided September 29, 2022·No. 2021 CA 001108·Unknown

Opinion

RENDERED: SEPTEMBER 30, 2022; 10:00 A.M.

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED

Commonwealth of Kentucky

Court of Appeals

NO. 2021-CA-1108-MR

EUGENE SISCO, III APPELLANT

APPEAL FROM PIKE CIRCUIT COURT v. HONORABLE JOHN DAVID PRESTON, SPECIAL JUDGE ACTION NO. 17-CI-00782

ALEXANDRIA ALLEN AND EUGENE SISCO, JR. APPELLEES

OPINION

AFFIRMING

** ** ** ** **

BEFORE: CLAYTON, CHIEF JUDGE; CETRULO AND K. THOMPSON, JUDGES.

CETRULO, JUDGE: Appellant Eugene Sisco, III (“Sisco III”) appeals two orders granting partial summary judgments to Appellee Alexandria Allen (“Allen”); one order granting partial summary judgment to Appellee Eugene Sisco, Jr. (“Sisco, Jr.”); orders scheduling a bench trial then rescheduling it via Zoom; the trial

court’s July 2021 judgment, amended August 2021; and orders denying his motions to alter, amend, or vacate all the above.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY In August 2013, Sisco III and his sister, Allen, bought Alcohol and Substance Abuse Professionals, LLC (“ASAP”) from their father, Sisco, Jr. Sisco III, Allen, and Sisco, Jr. entered a contract at that time that detailed the specifics of the transaction (“Purchase Agreement”). The Purchase Agreement outlined the per patient royalties Allen and Sisco III owed to Sisco, Jr. for each person enrolled in the clinic that was transferred, as well as Allen and Sisco III’s responsibility to pay 50% of Sisco, Jr.’s federal tax liability for 2010 and 2011. Those provisions were later clarified in an Addendum.

In May 2014, Allen and Sisco III entered into a contract detailing the ownership structure and management of ASAP (“Operating Agreement”). The Operating Agreement stated that Allen and Sisco III were the only members and co-owners of ASAP, each owning 50% of its shares. It described ASAP’s business services as “the business of providing substance abuse education and prevention; drug testing services; and medical assisted treatment.” Further, the Operating Agreement stated that Allen and Sisco III could alter or change the contract only when in writing, signed or initialed by the parties, and made part of the main body of the contract.

In November 2014, Allen and Sisco III reconfigured the services ASAP offered into four separate business entities, with ASAP serving as the managing entity: ASAP Addiction Treatment, LLC; ASAP Outpatient & Residential Services, LLC; ASAP Behavioral Health, LLC; and ASAP Labs, LLC. ASAP Labs, LLC (“ASAP Labs”) was the arm that handled the drug testing service. Initially, ASAP Labs identified its members/managers as Sisco III and Allen; however, a year after its formation, ASAP Addiction Treatment, LLC was also listed as a manager.

Around the time that Allen and Sisco III reconfigured ASAP, Sisco III created another entity, Toxperts, LLC, and listed ASAP Addiction Treatment, LLC as the responsible party for forming that new company. In March 2016, Sisco III unilaterally changed the name of ASAP Labs to Toxperts, LLC. Then, in July 2017, Sisco III filed an Annual Report for Toxperts, LLC – formerly ASAP Labs (referred to hereinafter as ASAP Labs/Toxperts, LLC) – and identified himself as the sole member/manager.

Additionally, a few months after Allen and Sisco III purchased ASAP, Sisco III created multiple business entities solely owned by him that performed virtually the same services as ASAP and its eventual subsidiaries (the “mirror entities”). Sisco III testified during his deposition that he did not obtain Allen’s consent to operate competing companies and did not communicate to her that he

planned to open a competing business. He further explained that there were “not a lot of differences” between the services his mirror entities offered and those that ASAP offered. Sisco III’s mirror entities utilized some of the same employees, physicians, and vendors that were concurrently working at ASAP, and Sisco III agreed that patients could receive the same services at both groups of entities. Sisco III also used ASAP money to pay some operational costs of his mirror entities.

In early 2017, Allen began requesting ASAP accounting documents from Sisco III, which he failed to provide. After a few months of these unsuccessful requests and Allen’s counsel threatening to file suit to get the documents, Sisco III filed a complaint against Allen. He alleged that she breached the Operating Agreement by failing to maintain a daily schedule; breached her fiduciary duty by failing to abide by the operating agreements1 and disparaging the ASAP entities and Sisco III; and failed to properly maintain business records and financial information for the jointly owned ASAP entities. Sisco III asserted that he suffered damages based on Allen’s alleged actions or inactions, and he requested a trial by jury on such issues. Further, he requested dissolution of the jointly owned ASAP entities.

1 Sisco III alleged that there were multiple written and unwritten operating agreements for the various entities. In Allen’s answer, however, she denied the existence of any agreements aside from the Operating Agreement and nothing in the record shows that they exist.

The next month, Allen filed her answer and counterclaim, in which she asserted that Sisco III breached the Operating Agreement by unilaterally making decisions for ASAP and failing to abide by multiple provisions, including those regarding bi-annual meetings, salary payment, and dividend distributions; and that he breached his fiduciary duty to the jointly held ASAP entities by failing to act with honesty, loyalty, and good faith. She also sought dissolution of the ASAP entities. For the next few months, the parties conducted discovery, each filing multiple motions to compel.

In March 2018, Allen filed a motion for partial summary judgment on the issue of whether she owned 50% of ASAP; ASAP Addiction Treatment, LLC; ASAP Labs/Toxperts, LLC; ASAP Outpatient & Residential Services, LLC; and ASAP Behavioral Health, LLC.

Sisco III responded the next month, claiming that summary judgment was premature because they had been conducting discovery for only ten months. Nevertheless, he conceded that Allen owned 50% of ASAP; ASAP Addiction Treatment, LLC; ASAP Outpatient & Residential Services, LLC; and ASAP Behavioral Health, LLC. However, the parties disagreed on ownership of ASAP Labs/Toxperts, LLC: Sisco III claimed sole ownership of ASAP Labs/Toxperts, LLC and alleged that he and Allen had negotiated to give Allen no ownership

interest of the entity and only 10% royalty of gross billings. Allen denied such a negotiation took place.

In April 2018, Sisco, Jr. moved to intervene, claiming, in pertinent part, that Sisco III and Allen violated the Purchase Agreement and that Sisco III breached his duty of good faith and fair dealing because he failed to pay Sisco, Jr. the per patient royalties due and the monthly installments for the federal income liability.

In August 2018, the trial court heard all pertinent motions and in September 2018, overruled Allen’s partial motion for summary judgment; however, it permitted her to refile the motion after the parties completed their depositions. Following the depositions, Allen filed a renewed motion for partial summary judgment regarding her 50% ownership interest in ASAP Labs/Toxperts, LLC. Additionally, in early 2019, Allen filed a motion for partial summary judgment regarding her claim that Sisco III breached his fiduciary duty to her.

Similarly, Sisco, Jr. moved for partial summary judgment as to Sisco III’s breach of the Purchase Agreement and Sisco III’s breach of his duty of good faith and fair dealing.

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