Federal Deposit Insurance v. BancInsure, Inc.

99 F. Supp. 3d 1084, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82892
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedJune 16, 2014
DocketCase No. CV 12-09882 DMG (MRWx)
StatusPublished

This text of 99 F. Supp. 3d 1084 (Federal Deposit Insurance v. BancInsure, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California 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. BancInsure, Inc., 99 F. Supp. 3d 1084, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82892 (C.D. Cal. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER RE CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT [DOC. ## 27, 28]

DOLLY M. GEE, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment. The hearing took place on June 13, 2014. [Doc. ##27, 28]. The Court has duly considered the arguments and evidence presented in support of and in opposition to the Motions, including arguments made at the hearing. For the reasons discussed below, Plaintiff FDIC’s Motion is GRANTED and Defendant Bancln-sure’s Motion is DENIED.

I.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. Evidentiary Objections

The parties raise voluminous evidentiary objections to exhibits filed by the opposing party. [Doc. ##43-2, 42-2, 48-1, 49-1, 49-2, 49-3, 50, 51.] The Court addresses the objections as necessary below. The Court does not address objections pertaining to facts it deems immaterial to the resolution of the Motions.

B. Material Undisputed Facts

In January 2007, Banclnsure issued a Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance Policy Including Company Reimbursement, No. 04D000378-2 (the “Policy”) to Security Pacific Bank, under which the Bank’s Directors and Officers (“D & Os”) qualified as “Insured Persons.” (Plaintiffs Statement of Uncontroverted Facts (“PSUF”) ¶ 1 [Doc. # 27-2].) The Policy period was from January 2007 to January 2010. (Id. ¶ 3.) On November 7, 2008, the California Department of Financial Institutions (“DFI”) closed Security Pacific Bank, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) was appointed as receiver. (PSUF ¶ 19.) Under the terms of the Policy, when the Bank ceased operations on November 7, 2008, the Policy coverage also ceased. (Id. ¶ 12.)

1. Relevant Policy Provisions

The Policy is a “Claims-Made Policy” containing a “Notice of Claim” provision as follows:

A. The Insured Persons and the Company shall, as a condition precedent to their' rights under this Policy, give the Insurer notice, in writing, as soon as practicable of any Claim and shall give the Insurer such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require.
B. If, during the Policy Period, any Insured Person or the Company (1) receives written or oral notice from any party that it is the intention of such party to hold any Insured Person responsible for a specific alleged Wrongful Act, or (2) becomes aware of any circumstances that may give rise to a Claim against any Insured Person for a specific alleged Wrongful Act; and, as soon as practicable gives written notice of the potential Claim to the Insurer as referenced in subsections (1) and (2) above, which notice is in any event received by the Insurer no later than thirty (30) days following the end of the Policy Period, and such notice includes (1) the reasons for anticipating such a Claim, (2) [1087]*1087the nature and date of the alleged Wrongful Acts, (3) the alleged injury, (4) the names of the potential claimants and any Insured Person involved in the alleged Wrongful Acts, and (5) the manner in which any Insured Person or the Company first became aware of the potential Claim, then any Claim, the potential of which was specifically identified as required above, shall, for the purpose of this Policy, be treated as a Claim made during the Policy Period.”

(Sandra I. Weishart Decl. ¶ 4, Exh. 2 at 10 (Policy at Section IX) [Doc. # 27-3].)

In addition, the Policy’s “Insured v. Insured Exclusion” provides, in relevant part:

Section V. Exclusions.
The Insurer shall not be liable to make any payment for Loss in connection with any Claim made against the Insured Persons based upon, arising out of, relating to, in consequence of, or in any way involving:
11. a Claim by, or on behalf, or at the behest of, any other Insured Person, the Company, or any successor, trustee, as-signee or receiver of the Company except for:
(a) a shareholder’s derivative action brought on behalf of the Company by one or more shareholders who are not Insured Persons and make a Claim without the cooperation or solicitation of any Insured Person or the Company....

(Id. at 7.) The Policy also contains a “Regulatory Endorsement,” which deletes the regulatory coverage exclusion.1 (Id. at 23.)

2. Banclnsure’s Notice of Potential Claims

On November 5, 2008, Amy B. Briggs, counsel for Security Pacific, sent a letter to Banclnsure.2 (Weishart Decl. ¶ 17, Exh. 15.) The letter stated that it was providing notice of a claim pursuant to Section IX of the Policy. (Id.) It further stated that the FDIC had issued a cease and desist order to Security Pacific Bank in April 2008, but the Bank was in violation of the order. (Id.) As a result, it warned that the FDIC “may liquidate and take possession of the Bank, as a result of which the FDIC and the DFI may bring enforcement actions against the individual D & Os of the Bank. Should you need a list of the current D & Os, please let me know and we will provide it for you.” (Id.)

On November 6, 2008, Banclnsure responded to Briggs’ letter, acknowledging “receipt of your notice of a potential claim,” and assigning Donald R. Pratt, Jr. to the investigation of the claim. (Weis-hart Decl. ¶ 18, Exh. 16.)

On November 6, 2008, Briggs wrote a second letter to Banclnsure, to “ensure [1088]*1088compliance with Section IX. of the Policy,” stating:

In addition to any enforcement action, the FDIC, as receiver for the Bank, may bring a civil action against the individual D & Os seeking to recover money damages as a result of their alleged conduct. See 12 U.S.C. § 1821(k). Any such civil lawsuit would likely be based on allegations related to the following “Wrongful Acts” as set forth in the Cease and Desist Order referenced previously ... [enumerating acts].

(Weishart Deck ¶ 19, Exh. 17.)

On November 7, 2008, Claims Adjuster Ted Equals sent a letter to Briggs, requesting that Briggs provide him a list of current D & Os of the Bank, along with a copy of the FDIC’s April 2008 cease and desist letter. (Weishart Decl. ¶ 21, Exh. 19.) That same day, Briggs emailed Equals the requested information. (Defendant’s Statement of Genuine Dispute of Material Fact (“DSGDMF”) ¶ 32.)

On November 13, 2008, Briggs sent a letter to Equals and Claims Manager William Van Butler, notifying them that the FDIC had been made receiver of the Bank and the D & Os could face regulatory action or civil suits. (Weishart Deck ¶ 27, Exh. 25.)

On November 18, 2008, Briggs sent another letter to Van Butler and Equals, notifying them of, among other things, the names and titles of 14 D & Os of the Bank. (Weishart Deck ¶ 28, Exh. 26.)

On October 11, 2011, counsel for the FDIC notified Banclnsure of the FDIC’s impending lawsuit against the D & Os.

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Bluebook (online)
99 F. Supp. 3d 1084, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82892, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/federal-deposit-insurance-v-bancinsure-inc-cacd-2014.