Fed. Sec. L. Rep. P 98,327 Dorothy G. Twiss and Armin R. Twiss v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Martha P. Sanders v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., James R. Addonizio v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Jeffrey B. Miller v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., J. Letcher Lamkin v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., David O. Stefl and Patricia A. Stefl v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Mary M. Warner

25 F.3d 1551
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedJuly 20, 1994
Docket92-2475
StatusPublished

This text of 25 F.3d 1551 (Fed. Sec. L. Rep. P 98,327 Dorothy G. Twiss and Armin R. Twiss v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Martha P. Sanders v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., James R. Addonizio v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Jeffrey B. Miller v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., J. Letcher Lamkin v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., David O. Stefl and Patricia A. Stefl v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Mary M. Warner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fed. Sec. L. Rep. P 98,327 Dorothy G. Twiss and Armin R. Twiss v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Martha P. Sanders v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., James R. Addonizio v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Jeffrey B. Miller v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., J. Letcher Lamkin v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., David O. Stefl and Patricia A. Stefl v. David J. Kury, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc., Associated Planners Securities Group, American Capital Equities Corp., Robert E. Hillard, Prudential-Bache Securities Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Mary M. Warner, 25 F.3d 1551 (11th Cir. 1994).

Opinion

25 F.3d 1551

Fed. Sec. L. Rep. P 98,327
Dorothy G. TWISS and Armin R. Twiss, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
David J. KURY, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc.,
Associated Planners Securities Group, American
Capital Equities Corp., Robert E.
Hillard, Prudential-Bache
Securities Corp., Defendants,
Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Defendant-Appellee.
Martha P. SANDERS, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
David J. KURY, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc.,
Associated Planners Securities Group, American
Capital Equities Corp., Robert E.
Hillard, Prudential-Bache
Securities Corp., Defendants,
Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Defendant-Appellee.
James R. ADDONIZIO, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
David J. KURY, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc.,
Associated Planners Securities Group, American
Capital Equities Corp., Robert E.
Hillard, Prudential-Bache
Securities Corp., Defendants,
Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Defendant-Appellee.
Jeffrey B. MILLER, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
David J. KURY, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc.,
Associated Planners Securities Group, American
Capital Equities Corp., Robert E.
Hillard, Prudential-Bache
Securities Corp., Defendants,
Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Defendant-Appellee.
J. Letcher LAMKIN, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
David J. KURY, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc.,
Associated Planners Securities Group, American
Capital Equities Corp., Robert E.
Hillard, Prudential-Bache
Securities Corp., Defendants,
Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Defendant-Appellee.
David O. STEFL and Patricia A. Stefl, Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
David J. KURY, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc.,
Associated Planners Securities Group, American
Capital Equities Corp., Robert E.
Hillard, Prudential-Bache
Securities Corp., Defendants,
Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., Defendant-Appellee,
Mary M. Warner, Plaintiff.

No. 92-2475.

United States Court of Appeals,
Eleventh Circuit.

July 20, 1994.

H. Michael Madsen, John G. Crabtree, Tallahassee, FL, for appellant.

Nicholas V. Pulignano, Jr., Jacksonville, FL, for appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

Before COX, Circuit Judge, JOHNSON, Senior Circuit Judge, and PAINE*, Senior District Judge.

PAINE, Senior District Judge:

Dorothy G. Twiss, Armin R. Twiss, Martha P. Sanders, James R. Addonizio, Jeffrey B. Miller, J. Letcher Lamkin, David O. Stefl, and Patricia A. Stefl (collectively the "Investors") appeal from summary final judgments entered in this consolidated action in favor of Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc. ("Hutton"), a securities brokerage firm. Because the district court erroneously held that, as a matter of law, Hutton owed no duty under Florida law to the Investors in this case, we reverse the court's order of summary judgment on the Investors' negligence claims and remand for further proceedings. We, however, affirm the court's grant of summary judgment in favor of Hutton on the Investors' aiding and abetting claims because private plaintiffs no longer may maintain such a cause of action.I. BACKGROUND1

From 1978 until January 1984, David J. Kury ("Kury") was a registered sales representative with E.F. Hutton & Company, Inc.,2 and was the manager of Hutton's Pensacola branch office. In 1983, Kury's supervisor, Fred Ronald Brown ("Brown"), discovered that Kury had taken money from several of his clients in exchange for personal and corporate promissory notes. Since he was "very definitely" concerned, Brown immediately notified Hutton's legal department and regional vice president. Brown subsequently asked Kury for a list of the people to whom Kury or his corporation owed money and the amount owed. Hutton then sent letters to all such customers and asked them to verify that Hutton was not obligated on Kury's promissory notes. There is evidence that Brown was aware that Kury's actions violated Hutton's internal rules and policies, the Rules of Fair Practice of the National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD"), as well as state and federal securities laws.3 In January 1984, Brown requested and received Kury's resignation.

In February 1984, Hutton filed a Uniform Termination Notice For Securities Industry Registration ("Form U-5") concerning Kury's resignation. Hutton reported on the Form U-5 that Kury's termination was voluntary4 and that it had no "reason to believe" that Kury had violated any state or federal law or regulation or had "engaged in conduct which may be inconsistent with just and equitable principles of trade."

Following his termination with Hutton, Kury went to work as a registered sales representative with Prudential-Bache Securities Corporation ("Prudential"). Kury also served as branch office manager of Prudential's Escambia County office. In March 1985, Kury left Prudential and obtained employment with Associated Planners Securities Corporation ("Associated"), where he worked as a registered sales representative and registered principal. In October 1985, Kury Financial Planning Group, Inc. ("Kury Financial") was incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida, and Kury served as director and sole shareholder of that entity. After leaving Associated in April 1987, Kury became the registered sales representative, registered principal, and branch office manager of American Capital Equities Corporation ("American").

In May 1988, the Florida Department of Banking and Finance (the "Department") began an investigation of Kury's affairs involving the sale of promissory notes issued by Kury or Kury Financial. In January 1989, a hearing officer with the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings issued a recommended order and found, inter alia, that Kury and Kury Financial had sold approximately $2.4 million worth of personal and corporate notes to at least fifty investors5 and that Kury's activities constituted, at least in part, the operation of a "pyramid" or "ponzi" scheme.6 The Department permanently revoked Kury's securities license by final order entered in April 1989.

The Investors, persons who became Kury's clients subsequent to his resignation from Hutton, thereafter brought the instant action against Kury, Hutton, and several other defendants. The Investors sued Hutton in negligence for lack of due care and breach of duty to Kury's then and future customers that Hutton allegedly exhibited in misrepresenting the reasons for Kury's termination and in failing to report properly to the regulatory authorities. The Investors also asserted claims against Hutton for aiding and abetting violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,7 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder.8 Hutton eventually moved for summary final judgment.

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