Federal Deposit Insurance v. Air Florida System, Inc.

822 F.2d 833, 1987 U.S. App. LEXIS 9577
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJuly 17, 1987
DocketNos. 84-6280, 85-6327
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 822 F.2d 833 (Federal Deposit Insurance v. Air Florida System, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Federal Deposit Insurance v. Air Florida System, Inc., 822 F.2d 833, 1987 U.S. App. LEXIS 9577 (9th Cir. 1987).

Opinion

FLETCHER, Circuit Judge.

The FDIC appeals a judgment refusing to rescind its contract with Air Florida and enforcing an arbitration award in Air Florida’s favor. We reverse in part, vacate in part, and remand.

BACKGROUND

In its capacity as receiver of the United States National Bank, the FDIC became a major creditor of the Westgate-California Corporation (“Westgate”). As such, the FDIC was entitled to a large block of West-gate stock once Westgate’s reorganization in bankruptcy was completed. In 1980, the FDIC sold its Westgate interests to Air Florida for $15.4 million. As part of the agreement, Air Florida promised to make a general public offer for outstanding West-gate common shares at no less than the price it paid the FDIC. If Air Florida acquired more than 80% of Westgate’s common stock, and if it paid more per share to tender-offerees than the FDIC received, the FDIC was entitled to additional compensation to afford it the same price per share paid the tender-offerees.

Air Florida purchased the Westgate stock in order to acquire Air California, a Westgate controlled corporation. After Air Florida purchased the FDIC’s interest in Westgate, however, Westgate’s bankruptcy trustees arranged, and the district court approved, the sale of Air California to a third party for $61.5 million. The sale caused a substantial increase in the trading price of outstanding shares of Westgate common stock. Air Florida had paid approximately $18 per share for the stock, but after Air California’s sale, Westgate shares traded between $21 and $26.50 per share.

In February 1982, Air Florida informed the FDIC that it had decided not to make a tender offer. On April 1, 1982, Westgate’s directors announced that Westgate would be liquidated with shareholders receiving $28.25 per share of common stock.1 On April 30, the FDIC brought suit against Air Florida seeking rescission and restitution because Air Florida had failed to make the tender offer. In defense, Air Florida denied that it had a contractual duty to make an offer at a price exceeding the price paid to the FDIC and argued that the rise in Westgate’s market price excused its tender offer obligation. The FDIC asserted that Air Florida was required to make an offer reasonably calculated to acquire the shares, no matter what the market price.

Air Florida counterclaimed for $2 million it alleged was owing under a separate provision in the contract that required adjustment of the purchase price of the stock upon sale of a cannery owned by Westgate. After a bench trial, the district court adopted Air Florida’s interpretation of the contract, holding that Air Florida had not breached its agreement with FDIC. FDIC v. Air Florida Sys., Inc., No. 85-0525-N(H) (S.D.Cal. Jan. 6, 1983) (Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law). Having rejected the FDIC’s rescission claim, the district court held that the contract, including the cannery adjustment provision, remained in effect. The amount of the adjustment was left open until “determined by the parties, the parties’ designated accountants or an independent accountant [836]*836pursuant to the arbitration procedures set forth in ... the [purchase] Agreement.” Id. at 9.

When neither the parties nor their accountants could reach an agreement on the cannery adjustment, the contractual arbitration process was invoked. Following the arbitration, which resulted in a $1,486,-000 adjustment in favor of Air Florida, the FDIC moved to vacate the award because of the arbitrator’s failure to hold an oral hearing. The district court held that “the arbitrator’s election to resolve the question ... based on written submissions alone, did not deny the FDIC a fundamentally fair hearing.” FDIC v. Air Florida, No. 82-0525-N(I) (C.D.Cal. July 10 1984) (unpublished order). The court granted Air Florida’s cross-motion to enter the arbitration award as part of the judgment and allowed prejudgment interest on the award.

DISCUSSION

1. The Tender Offer2,

The Written Agreement

Air Florida’s obligation to make a tender offer is governed by the Purchase and Sale Agreement (the Agreement) comprised of a November 14, 1980 agreement (November Agreement), and an earlier agreement entered into on October 27, 1980 (October Agreement) incorporated by reference into the Agreement.3 Paragraph 6.01 of the October Agreement provides:

Air Florida, at its own expense, agrees to make a general public offer to the holders of the Common Stock of [Westgate] to acquire the shares of Common Stock owned by such holders (‘Shareholders’) no later than 425 days after the date of Consummation (‘Offer’).

Conditions precedent to Air Florida’s duty to make the tender offer are set out in paragraph 6.04 of the October Agreement:

The obligation of Air Florida to make the Offer shall be subject to (i) compliance with all applicable laws and regulations regulating tender or exchange offers and any other applicable laws and regulations; (ii) Consummation [of the West-gate reorganization]; and (iii) completion of the transfer [of title to the FDIC securities to Air Florida].

Under paragraph 6.03 of the October Agreement, “[t]he minimum price for a share of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer” was to be the price actually paid by Air Florida to the FDIC.

Paragraph 12 of the November Agreement, “Right to Benefits of Tender Offer,” in part provides:

[Air Florida] has agreed to make an offer to all the holders of the Common Stock of [Westgate] (“Offer”). If [Air Florida] is successful in acquiring 80% of the Common Stock ... of [Westgate] pursuant to the Offer, this Agreement and as a result of any previously acquired Common Stock, then FDIC shall have the option to obtain an equivalent amount of consideration which [Air Florida] offers for each share of Common Stock of [Westgate] pursuant to the Offer.

The FDIC argues that Air Florida had an obligation to make a bona fide tender offer at a price adequate to attract offerees subject only to the conditions of paragraph 6.04 of the October Agreement, all of which were satisfied. Air Florida asserts that its only duty was to make the tender offer at the price that it paid the FDIC. Air Florida argues that the sole purpose of the tender offer provision was to protect the FDIC from shareholder lawsuits that might allege that the FDIC had improperly exacted a premium for its block of stock. According to Air Florida, the provision was simply to ensure that other shareholders got at least as much as the FDIC.

[837]*837Paragraph 15.4 of the October Agreement states that the “Agreement shall be construed, governed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California.” Under California law, the paramount principle informing contract interpretation is to give effect to the intention of the parties. Healy Tibbitts Constr. Co. v. Employers’ Surplus Lines Ins. Co., 72 Cal.App.3d 741, 140 Cal.Rptr. 375, 379 (1977). The court should ascertain the intention of the parties from the writing alone, if possible. Cal.Civ.Code § 1638; Healy Tibbitts Constr. Co., 140 Cal.Rptr. at 379. The words are to be understood in their ordinary sense unless a special meaning is given by usage.

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822 F.2d 833, 1987 U.S. App. LEXIS 9577, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/federal-deposit-insurance-v-air-florida-system-inc-ca9-1987.