FIDELITY & CAS. CO., NY v. Mobay Chemical Corp.

625 N.E.2d 151, 252 Ill. App. 3d 992, 192 Ill. Dec. 191
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedAugust 25, 1993
Docket1-89-1307, 1-90-1715 cons.
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 625 N.E.2d 151 (FIDELITY & CAS. CO., NY v. Mobay Chemical Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
FIDELITY & CAS. CO., NY v. Mobay Chemical Corp., 625 N.E.2d 151, 252 Ill. App. 3d 992, 192 Ill. Dec. 191 (Ill. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

PRESIDING JUSTICE TULLY

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is the second time this case is presented to the court for review. In the first case, Fidelity & Casualty Co. v. Nalco Chemical Co. (1987), 155 Ill. App. 3d 730, 509 N.E.2d 446 (Fidelity I), Fidelity & Casualty Company of New York (F&C), the plaintiff-insurer, sued Nalco Chemical Company (Nalco) and Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories (IBT), the defendant-insureds, in a declaratory judgment action claiming that it had no duty to defend Nalco and IBT in 11 separate suits filed against them. In that appeal we affirmed the trial court’s finding that F&C, under a laboratory endorsement added to Nalco’s comprehensive general liability (CGL) policy, had a duty to defend the 11 suits filed against Nalco and IBT and “remand[ed] for a determination of the effect of F&C’s policy defenses, including fraud, and for a determination of any damages.” (Fidelity, 155 Ill. App. 3d at 740, 509 N.E.2d at 453.) As the facts of this case have already been set out in Fidelity I, we need not repeat them here again. Accordingly, we will set out only those additional facts which are pertinent to the issues presented in this appeal.

On remand, F&C sought to depose certain individuals relevant to its policy defense of fraud: Dr. Joseph Calandra; James Seamon; Dr. Donovan Gordon; and Merrill Thompson. Calandra is IBT’s former president. Seamon is an investigator who probed IBT’s activities. Gordon is a veterinarian and pathologist employed by IBT. Thompson is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expert who served as outside counsel for IBT until 1977.

Calandra, Seamon, and Gordon all were involved with studies that were the subject of a Federal criminal fraud prosecution. One such study, done for the Monsanto Company (Monsanto), was the subject of the criminal investigation but not of the underlying civil litigation against IBT and Nalco. F&C sought to explore IBT’s allegedly fraudulent conduct as to the Monsanto study to determine whether there was an overall conspiracy to cheat and defraud IBT’s customers.

During the Federal investigation of IBT, it agreed to waive its attorney-client and work product privileges with respect to the communications that Thompson had with IBT employees regarding studies IBT performed for the Syntex Corporation (Syntex) and Monsanto. Thompson later testified at the criminal trial of certain IBT officers. In turn for Thompson’s testimony, Federal authorities did not seek indictment of IBT.

IBT moved to quash the deposition subpoena of Thompson citing attorney-client and work product privileges. In its order dated September 20, 1988, the trial court granted IBT’s motion to quash the Thompson subpoena. In a separate order issued that day, the trial court also limited the discovery depositions of Calandra, Gordon, and Seamon to the studies which were the subjects of the underlying suits.

After the discovery motions had been ruled on by the trial court, IBT moved for summary judgment based on the estoppel doctrine. Invocation of the estoppel doctrine would prevent F&C from litigating policy defenses, including fraud. On December 20, 1988, following briefing, the trial court entered an order granting IBT’s motion for summary judgment based on the estoppel doctrine. F&C then filed a motion to vacate the estoppel order which was denied by the trial court.

The trial court entered a judgment order against F&C in favor of IBT in the amount of $10,499,500 on April 28, 1989, nunc pro tunc as of April 26, 1989; that order also held: (1) F&C was obligated to indemnify IBT for the entire amounts of settlements made by IBT to third parties in connection with tests performed on or after January 1, 1973; (2) F&C was obligated to indemnify IBT for the entire amounts of settlements made by IBT to third parties in connection with tests performed both before and after January 1, 1973; (3) F&C had no obligation to indemnify IBT for settlements made by IBT to Syntex because all tests made by IBT for Syntex were performed prior to January 1, 1973; and (4) F&C was not obligated to pay IBT prejudgment interest from the dates of IBT’s settlement of each of the underlying actions.

On appeal, F&C argues: (1) the trial court erred in invoking the estoppel doctrine, which prevented F&C from presenting its policy defenses, including fraud; (2) the trial court’s quashing the Thompson subpoena and restricting the discovery depositions of the other individuals with potential knowledge of the fraud issue was error; (3) the trial court erred in holding the laboratory endorsement policy provided for an unlimited amount of liability coverage because the intent of the parties was to limit coverage to the aggregate amount of $300,000 per year; and (4) it cannot be held liable for settlements relating to occurrences outside of the policy.

Northbrook Excess and Surplus Insurance Company (Northbrook) joins F&C's appeal with respect to the second and fourth issues raised by it. Northbrook insured Nalco and IBT under an excess liability policy for the years January 1, 1974, to January 1, 1977. The Northbrook coverage provided $25 million in the aggregate for each year. This excess policy also contained a so-called “following form endorsement.”

On cross-appeal, IBT argues: (1) the trial court erred in excluding coverage for the Syntex litigations; and (2) the trial court erred by denying prejudgment interest on the settlement payments.

We first consider whether the trial court erred in invoking the estoppel doctrine, which prevented F&C from presenting its policy defenses, including fraud. However, before considering this issue specifically, we first examine whether the trial court followed the mandate of this court in Fidelity I. The mandate of an appellate court is its judgment which, upon transmittal to the trial court, revests that court with jurisdiction. Thereupon, a trial court must follow the specific directions of the appellate court’s mandate to the letter to insure that its order or decree is in accord with the decision of the higher court. The trial court may only do those things directed in the mandate and has no authority to go beyond dictates of the mandate. (P S L Realty Co. v. Granite Investment Co. (1981), 86 Ill. 2d 291, 308-09, 427 N.E.2d 563, 571.) Furthermore, where directions are specific, a positive duty is placed on the trial court to enter an order or decree congruent with directions contained in the mandate. Thomas v. Durchslag (1951), 410 Ill. 363, 365, 102 N.E.2d 114, 115.

We find the directions of this court in Fidelity I were clear and specific: F&C was to be given an opportunity to raise its policy defenses, including fraud. Clearly, F&C was not permitted to do so. Accordingly, we find the trial court violated the mandate of this court and erred in granting IBT’s motion for summary judgment to IBT which estopped F&C from presenting available policy defenses.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
625 N.E.2d 151, 252 Ill. App. 3d 992, 192 Ill. Dec. 191, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fidelity-cas-co-ny-v-mobay-chemical-corp-illappct-1993.