Financial Programs, Inc. v. Falcon Financial Services, Inc.

371 F. Supp. 770, 182 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 36, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12398
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedFebruary 5, 1974
DocketCiv. 72-745
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 371 F. Supp. 770 (Financial Programs, Inc. v. Falcon Financial Services, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Financial Programs, Inc. v. Falcon Financial Services, Inc., 371 F. Supp. 770, 182 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 36, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12398 (D. Or. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

SKOPIL, District Judge:

I.

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs, four mutual funds and a mutual fund management company, assert claims against defendants, a broker-dealer corporation and some of its officers and employees, for alleged acts of unfair competition, commercial disparagement, interference with contractual relations, and securities law violations.

II.

JURISDICTION

I find that the Court lacks jurisdiction over the securities law claims because the plaintiffs have not established that they were defrauded purchasers. However, jurisdiction over the remainder of plaintiffs’ claims exists under 28 U.S.C. § 1332. There is diversity of citizenship, and the plaintiffs have alleged in good faith that the amount in controversy, exclusive of interest and costs, exceeds $10,000.

III.

FACTS

Financial Programs, Inc. (hereinafter FPI) is the investment adviser and underwriter for four affiliated, open-end investment companies: Financial Industrial Fund, Inc.; Financial Industrial Income Fund, Inc.; Financial Dynamics Fund, Inc.; and Financial Venture Fund, Inc.; (hereinafter the Funds). FPI is compensated by the Funds on a fee basis computed as a percentage of the net assets of the Funds. As open-end registered investment companies, each of the Funds stands ready to redeem at net asset value shares tendered by its shareholders.

Prior to July, 1972, the Funds had operated as “load” mutual funds with sales fees being charged to investors at the time of the initial purchase. FPI maintained a sales force, whose commissions were taken from the proceeds of the charges. Divisional offices were maintained in most major cities.

On July 11, 1972, FPI summoned approximately sixty of its divisional managers, district managers, regional managers, and high-production sales representatives to a meeting in Denver, Colorado. Defendants Day and White were among those who attended. At that meeting FPI announced its decision to *773 change the Funds from “load” to “no load”. As “no load” funds, there would no longer be a sales charge to investors. Shares in the Funds would be marketed through general advertising efforts, and investors’ services would be handled primarily through toll-free telephone service to Denver. FPI therefore announced that it would be terminating the employment of its field sales force and closing its offices throughout the country.

The sales personnel in attendance were advised that new employment for them had been arranged with Hamilton Management Corporation (hereinafter Hamilton), another Denver-based mutual fund management company. FPI and Hamilton had previously entered into a contract. Hamilton was to acquire all of the leasehold, furnishings, and fixtures of the various FPI offices; and FPI was to utilize its best efforts to persuade its former sales force to affiliate with Hamilton.

Hamilton then conducted a series of meetings, at which it attempted to persuade the former FPI employees to join Hamilton. During one of the meetings, a vice president of FPI was asked what was to be done with FPI’s field office records. The inquirer stated that he did not want to destroy the records but wanted to keep them. The FPI officer responded, “Okay”. .

While in Denver, defendant White met the Hamilton Seattle Sales Manager, Burton Severeid, with whom he discussed arrangements for transferring the Seattle office of FPI to Hamilton. THey agreed to meet at the Seattle FPI office at 9:00 a. m. on Monday, July 17, 1972, to effect a transfer.

On July 14 defendant Foss, a Vice President of defendant Falcon Financial Services, Inc. (hereinafter Falcon), a broker-dealer corporation, telephoned White. He had previously attempted to persuade White to join Falcon. On July 15 White met with Foss and defendant Dennis, the President of Falcon, at Falcon’s Seattle office. After the meeting, White agreed to join Falcon as its Seattle Sales Manager. As compensation, he was to receive 65 percent of sales commissions on mutual fund sales effected by him individually and an override commission on sales generated by sales representatives under his supervision.

On July 16 White and Foss went to the offices of FPI. They removed a large quantity of files. Some of the FPI files, including customer lists, were taken to the Falcon offices. The balance of the files went to White’s residence.

After commencing employment with Falcon, White prepared á letter on FPI’s letterhead. He had obtained the letterhead stationery from FPI’s office. The letter was reviewed and edited by Dennis. It was prepared and transmitted, in FPI envelopes, at Falcon’s expense, to more than 1,000 shareholders of the Funds. The names and addresses were obtained from the files removed from FPI’s office. The letter was antedated to July 14, 1972, and signed by White, who identified himself as Divisional Manager for FPI. It read as follows:

“This is in reference to the letter you received recently in which you were advised that the company has discontinued the use of field representatives. In keeping with that decision, and as divisional manager of the company, I wish to advise you that this office has been closed effective this date.
“Our experience has been that our clients continue to have a need for our service over the years, and this letter is to assure you that while the company has seen fit to disassociate their clients from their field representatives, I will continue to work with you and for you in the future as I have in the past.
“Please contact me at 789-2144 or 232-3884 if you have any questions concerning your account, or if you wish to discuss the company’s action. I will contact you in the near future and wish to thank you for having had the privilege of serving you.”

*774 One of the telephone numbers referred to was White’s home telephone, and the other was Falcon’s office number. White received approximately one hundred responses to the letter.

After sending the letter, White began systematic solicitation of the Funds’ shareholders. The names were obtained from FPI’s records. In most, if not all, of his contacts with shareholders, White recommended that they liquidate their holdings in the Funds and reinvest in load funds.

In his meeting with Foss and Dennis, White discussed the possibility of Falcon’s hiring other FPI sales personnel. On two occasions White telephoned Day, FPI’s former Divisional Manager for Oregon, to persuade him to join Falcon.

While in Denver, Day had met Hamilton’s Portland Divisional Manager, Patrick Byrne. Day told Byrne that he desired to join Hamilton in Portland. Day executed employment and license transfer forms. After returning to Oregon, he reaffirmed to Byrne his intention to join Hamilton.

On August 1, 1972, White and Dennis came to Oregon to confer with Day and defendant Fahlman. Fahlman had been an FPI sales representative in the Portland office for about a year and one-half. White observed that Day had FPI records, and Day told the others that he had the files intact.

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371 F. Supp. 770, 182 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 36, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12398, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/financial-programs-inc-v-falcon-financial-services-inc-ord-1974.