FDIC v. Mijalis

800 F. Supp. 397, 1992 WL 172677
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedJune 30, 1992
DocketCiv. A. No. 89-1316
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 800 F. Supp. 397 (FDIC v. Mijalis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
FDIC v. Mijalis, 800 F. Supp. 397, 1992 WL 172677 (W.D. La. 1992).

Opinion

800 F.Supp. 397 (1992)

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
v.
Gus S. MIJALIS et al.

Civ. A. No. 89-1316.

United States District Court, W.D. Louisiana, Shreveport Division.

June 30, 1992.

*398 Judy Y. Barrasso, Barry W. Ashe, Sarah S. Vance, Stephen G. Bullock and Karen H. Freese, Stone, Pigman Law Firm, New Orleans, La., for F.D.I.C.

Joe C. Lesage Jr. and John D'Anna, Booth, Lockard Law Firm, Shreveport, La., for Gus S. Mijalis, Alex S. Mijalis and John G. Cosse.

Paul M. Cooke, Simon, Fitzgerald, Cooke Law Firm, Shreveport, La., for J. Harper Cox Jr. and John B. Franklin.

James Russell Lewis, Phillip Wesley Pries, Catherine S. St. Pierre, Dana L. Reneau, Preis & Crawford, Baton Rouge, La., for Intern. Ins. Co.

MEMORANDUM RULING

STAGG, Senior District Judge.

This case was tried before a jury from November 5 to December 11, 1991. The jury found that the individual director and officer defendants were grossly negligent in approving and funding certain loans made by the Bank of Commerce. The sole issue now to be decided is the amount available to pay the jury's verdict from the coverage provided by the two policies issued by International Insurance Company.[1] The parties have submitted a series of combative and argumentative briefs which, with attached appendices, forms an eight-inch stack on my desk.

A. THE FACTS

In 1986, the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States declared the Bank of Commerce ("BOC" or "the Bank") insolvent and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") as Receiver. The FDIC-Receiver later assigned to FDIC-Corporate all of its rights in various claims, including claims the FDIC believed it possessed against former officers and directors of BOC. Those claims are the subject of this suit.

The complaint alleged that the directors and officers breached a fiduciary duty owed to the Bank, breached their contract with the Bank and negligently carried out their duties to the Bank. International Insurance Company ("International") was named a defendant pursuant to the Louisiana Direct Action Statute. International issued directors and officers liability and corporate reimbursement insurance policies to BOC which allegedly provide coverage for the acts alleged in the complaint. There are two insurance policies at issue: first, Directors and Officers Liability and Company Reimbursement Policy No. FDO8874 ("1983 policy"), allegedly covering *399 claims from February 21, 1981 to January 1, 1984; and, second, Directors and Officers Liability and Company Reimbursement Policy No. 524-033127-9 ("1984 policy"), allegedly covering claims from January 1, 1984 to January 1, 1985. The coverage at issue under both policies concerns directors and officers liability, not company reimbursement liability.

THE INSURANCE POLICIES

The relevant policy portions are:

1. INSURING CLAUSE
If during the policy period any claim or claims are made against the Insureds (as hereinafter defined) or any of them for a Wrongful Act (as hereinafter defined) while acting in their individual or collective capacities as Directors or Officers, the Insurer will pay on behalf of the Insureds or any of them, their Executors, Administrators, Assigns 95% of all Loss (as hereinafter defined), which the Insureds or any of them shall become legally obligated to pay, in excess of the retentions stated in Item IV(a) and (b) of the Declarations, not exceeding the limit of liability stated in Item III of the Declarations.
* * * * * *
9. LOSS PROVISIONS
If during the policy period or extended discovery period:
(a) The Company or the Insureds shall receive written or oral notice from any party that it is the intention of such party to hold the Insureds responsible for the results of any specified Wrongful Act done or alleged to have been done by the Insureds while acting in the capacity aforementioned; or
(b) The Company or the Insureds shall become aware of any occurrence which may subsequently give rise to a claim being made against the Insureds in respect of any such alleged Wrongful Act;
and shall in either case during such period give written notice as soon as practicable to the Insurer of the receipt of such written or oral notice under Clause 9(a) or of such occurrence under Clause 9(b), then any claim which may subsequently be made against the Insureds arising out of such alleged Wrongful Act shall, for the purpose of this policy, be treated as a claim made during the policy year in which such notice was given or if given during the extended discovery period as a claim made during such extended discovery period.
The Company or the Insureds shall, as a condition precedent to the Insureds' right to be indemnified under this policy, give to the Insurer notice in writing as soon as practicable of any claim made and shall give the Insurer such information and cooperation as they may reasonably require and as shall be in the Insureds' power.
For the purpose of the above clauses notice to that individual named in Item VII of the Declarations shall constitute notice to the Company or the Insureds.
10. In the event of any claim occurring hereunder, the person or firm(s) as named in Item VIII of the Declaration shall be given notice on behalf of the Insurers.

The insurance policies provide that coverage exists under the "insuring" clause if a claim is made against the insured. The "loss provisions" clause governs situations in which the insured or BOC has been made aware of possible liability stemming from specific acts or occurrences. Written notice would be required to the insurer during the policy period "as soon as practicable" if the company or the insured received written or oral notice from a party of an intent to hold them responsible.

In this suit, the FDIC has brought its claim against International pursuant to Louisiana's Direct Action Statute ("LDAS"). La.Rev.Stat. 22:655. The policies at issue are the directors and officers liability policies, not the company's reimbursement liability policies. The policies at issue concern contract of liability, not indemnity. The LDAS applies to every "policy or contract of liability insurance." La. *400 Rev.Stat. 22:655. See also Quinlan v. Liberty Bank & Trust Co., 575 So.2d 336 (La.1990). The LDAS is applicable to the FDIC's claims against International. "It has long been the recognized public policy of [Louisiana] that a policy of liability insurance is issued for the protection of the general public as well as for the security of the insured." White v. State Dept. of Public Safety & Corrections, etc., 569 So.2d 1001, 1003 (La.App. 1 Cir.1990), citing Hughes v. Southeastern Fidelity Ins. Co., 340 So.2d 293 (La.1976); West v. Monroe Bakery, Inc., 217 La. 189, 46 So.2d 122 (1950).

The FDIC's[2] rights arise out of the LDAS. "Thus, the policy terms do not control the scope and nature of the injured third party's rights. The third party's rights under the statute vest at the time of injury, whereas the rights of the insured remain subject to conditions in the policy that arise subsequent to the injury, such as the requirement of notice." Auster Oil & Gas, Inc. v. Stream, 891 F.2d 570, 578 (5th Cir.1990).

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

Related

Federal Deposit Insurance v. Barham
794 F. Supp. 187 (W.D. Louisiana, 1991)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
800 F. Supp. 397, 1992 WL 172677, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fdic-v-mijalis-lawd-1992.