First Massachusetts Bank, N.A. v. Florian

16 Mass. L. Rptr. 213
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedApril 28, 2003
DocketNo. 024007BLS
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 16 Mass. L. Rptr. 213 (First Massachusetts Bank, N.A. v. Florian) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First Massachusetts Bank, N.A. v. Florian, 16 Mass. L. Rptr. 213 (Mass. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

van Gestel, J.

This matter comes before the Court on two motions for summary judgment pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. Rule 56. The first filed motion is that of the individual defendants, U. Francis Fiorian (“Fior-ian”) and Myron S. Steere, III (“Steere”). The second filed motion is that of the remaining defendant, Morrison, Mahoney & Miller, LLP (“MM&M”). Since both motions raise many of the same issues, as do the oppositions to each, the motions will be discussed as if they were one, except where necessary to highlight issues specific to other than all defendants.

BACKGROUND

The facts that follow are not in dispute.

First Massachusetts Bank, N.A. was formerly known as Springfield Institution for Savings and then as SIS, a division of Family Bank, FSB. It now is part of Banknorth, N.A. Its evolution and iterations are not legally significant to this case and, therefore, it will be referred to herein simply as “the Bank.” The Bank is a federally chartered bank with a place of business in Worcester, Massachusetts.

At all material times, LADD Financial Group, Inc. (“LADD”) was a Massachusetts corporation with a principal place of business in West Springfield, Massachusetts. At all relevant times Fiorian was the president of LADD.

Also at all material times, New England Fidelity Insurance Company (“NEFIC”) was a domestic stock insurance company organized under the laws of the Commonwealth. Steere was the treasurer of NEFIC. LADD was the corporate parent of NEFIC, with LADD being said to wholly own NEFIC. NEFIC, in the fall of 2000, was declared insolvent by the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Commissioner of Insurance (the “Commissioner”) was appointed as its liquidating receiver.

In 1998, LADD sought to obtain funds through a loan from the Bank. The purpose of the transaction [214]*214was to provide LADD with funds which it, in turn, would contribute to NEFIC. The purpose for LADD contributing the borrowed funds to NEFIC was to enable NEFIC to satisfy certain statutory capital surplus requirements designed to protect its policyholders and creditors.

LADD sent the Bank a memorandum dated July 27, 1998, providing certain information regarding LADD and NEFIC, the proposed financing, the conservative accounting practices which insurance companies are statutorily required to follow, and the loan’s intended purpose. In connection with the loan’s purpose, the memorandum stated:

Funds, as may be required to protect capital requirements of NEFIC, would be downstreamed to NEFIC. Said funds would remain in the financing institution and invested in maximum interest-bearing term deposits.

Catherine DeBonis (“DeBonis”), an Assistant Vice President of the Bank, reviewed LADD’s memorandum and, in late 1998, prepared a written loan presentation for the Senior Loan Committee of the Bank. Her presentation contained a section entitled “AMOUNT/PURPOSE,” which read:

Approval of a $4,000,000 non-revolving line of credit, funds from which shall be down-streamed to NEFIC to help protect NEFIC’s statutory capital requirements relative to growth in underwriting. Advances shall be done on a guidance basis.

DeBonis’s presentation also contained a section entitled “COLLATERAL,” which read: “Pledge of 51% of the capital stock of any subsidiaries of the borrower.” The “borrower” was LADD.

DeBonis’s presentation was detailed and included, a section on “RISKS/MITIGATING FACTORS.” The first two paragraphs of this section described the principal risks for the Bank as follows:

The lack of personal guaranties creates an obvious risk to the Bank as it limits the ancillary repayment sources of the loan. Additionally, because of the nature of the security, it is difficult to determine what the value of the Bank’s collateral would be, especially in a liquidation scenario, which would require regulatory approval. The latter is further augmented by the fact that the Bank will have only a 51% pledge of the stock of NEFIC as collateral.
While the Bank would have to receive regulatory approval to sell the company in liquidation, it would like[ly] get this approval since the regulators are looking out for the best interests of the policyholders. From this perspective, the Bank’s bigger risk is that it would likely take 12 to 24 months to sell the company and be paid out such that the holding period for the Bank would be longer than preferred; however, this risk is minimized by the fact that the Bank would probably recover in full based on the selling value of the company.

DeBonis’s presentation indicated that the Bank would make money on the loan transaction in two ways: by charging interest on the money lent and by receiving fees for managing and investing the loan proceeds for NEFIC. Additionally, there would be an exit fee for the loan.

The Bank’s Loan Committee approved the loan on December 15, 1998. Thereafter, the Bank and LADD negotiated a commitment letter, and the Bank’s attorneys drafted a Credit Agreement. LADD was represented by Attorney Barnett D. Ovrut (“Mr. Ovrut”) at MM&M.

The final form of the commitment letter is dated January 6, 1999, and bears an acceptance on behalf of LADD Financial Group, Inc., by its treasurer Donald R. Dupre, dated February 3, 1999.

The Credit Agreement is dated as of March 18, 1999. It is a lengthy and detailed document, which, with exhibits, schedules and attachments, includes approximately 96 pages of single-spaced typing. The parties, and only signatories, to the Credit Agreement are LADD and the Bank. Florian signed for LADD as its president.

. Section 9.12 of the Credit Agreement is an integration clause. It reads:

This Agreement, the Capital Note, the Term Note and the Pledge Agreement set forth the entire agreement between the parties hereto relating to the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby supersede any prior oral or written statements or agreements with respect to such transactions.

Article 3 of the Credit Agreement is entitled “SECURITY.” The only security recited and described in Article 3 consists of (1) the Pledge Agreement, (2) stock certificates for 51% of the outstanding capital stock of NEFIC, and (3) the Financing Statements.

Section 5.15 of the Credit Agreement contains the following representation:

No authorization, consent, [or] approval... by any governmental or public body ... or any other Person, including without limitation, any Insurance Commissioner, is required to authorize, or is required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by [LADD] of, or the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability of, this Agreement or any other Loan Documents, except the consents . . . listed on Schedule 5.15 . . .

Section 5.22 of the Credit Agreement provides that LADD “shall use the proceeds of the Capital Loan solely to make surplus contributions to NEFIC.”

Section 6.14 of the Credit Agreement provides:

The Borrower [LADD] or NEFIC, as applicable, shall invest the proceeds of each Advance disbursed under the Capital Loan in interest-bearing term deposits or other low-risk marketable securities offered by the Bank or its Affiliates, in keeping with [215]

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Related

First Massachusetts Bank v. Florian
22 Mass. L. Rptr. 548 (Massachusetts Superior Court, 2007)

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Bluebook (online)
16 Mass. L. Rptr. 213, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-massachusetts-bank-na-v-florian-masssuperct-2003.