Frankel v. Slotkin

984 F.2d 1328, 1993 U.S. App. LEXIS 1180, 1993 WL 12897
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedJanuary 25, 1993
DocketNo. 499, Docket 92-7678
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 984 F.2d 1328 (Frankel v. Slotkin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frankel v. Slotkin, 984 F.2d 1328, 1993 U.S. App. LEXIS 1180, 1993 WL 12897 (2d Cir. 1993).

Opinion

HEANEY, Senior Circuit Judge:

Eli Frankel, a minority shareholder of United Brands Company (UB), brought a shareholder derivative suit on behalf of UB against the directors of UB and two other corporations, alleging securities fraud under both federal and state law. The district court dismissed two of Frankel’s claims prior to discovery and granted summary judgment to the defendants on the others following discovery. We affirm, but for reasons other than those advanced by the district court.

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Facts

On March 8, 1985, UB publicly announced a twenty-day lowering of the conversion rate on its 5x/2% convertible subordinated debentures due February 1, 1994, from $55 per share to $21.50 per share. The temporary reduction brought the conversion rate into line with the market value of the common stock by allowing conversion to common stock for about $13.33 per share while the stock had been trading at $13 to $14.25 per share. The announcement stated that American Financial Corporation (AFC), which owned 49.6% of the outstanding voting stock of UB and $29 million of the convertible debentures, intended to convert all of its debentures into common stock. The announcement also disclosed that Carl Lindner was chairman of the board of both UB and AFC, and that three additional AFC executive officers served on the board of UB. Fifty-three million dollars’ worth of the outstanding $105 million of debentures were converted into common stock during the temporary reduction.

[1331]*1331On May 7, 1985, AFC purchased 2,500 shares of UB stock on the open market for $13.71 per share. On May 21, 1985, FMI Financial Corporation (FMI) purchased 1.1 million shares of UB stock on the open market for $15.18 per share. Lindner and his family own 100% of AFC, which in turn beneficially owns 65.1% of FMI stock. Forty-five days later FMI made a tender offer for up to 4.5 million shares of UB. stock at $20 per share. At that time, AFC owned approximately 54% of outstanding UB stock and FMI owned approximately 7.3% of UB stock. App. at 137. In connection with the tender offer, AFC granted FMI the right to require AFC to purchase the shares acquired by the offer at a price of $18 per share.

Throughout the above events, UB’s board of directors consisted of nine members, all of whom are defendants in this action.1 Three of the directors are Lind-ners: Carl H. Lindner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of UB and a director of FMI; Carl’s son Keith E. Lindner, also a Vice President of UB, and a director and Executive Vice President of FMI; and Carl’s son S. Craig Lindner, also a director of FMI. A fourth director, Ronald F. Walker, was President and Chief Operating Officer of both UB and AFC as well as being a director of AFC. The other five directors (Louis A. Guzzetti, David H. Lu-betzky, Donald Slotkin, Jean H. Sisco, and Jay Wells) are referred to throughout as the “independent” directors because under New Jersey law they were allowed to vote on the board’s response to the tender offer by FMI, the other four being prevented by conflicts of interest. The five independent directors of UB voted to take no position on the tender offer. FMI then acquired 3.8 million shares of UB stock, which increased the amount of UB common stock controlled by AFC from 61.3% to 85.8%.

B. The Complaint and Its History

Frankel originally filed this action in September 1985 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, asserting four bases of relief: (1) violation of section 10(b) of the • Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Act), 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b) (1982), and Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) rule 10b-5, 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5 (1985); (2) violation of section 14(e) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78n(e) (1982), and SEC rule 14e-3, 17 C.F.R. § 240.14e-3 (1985); (3) violation of section 16(b) of the Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78p(b) (1982); and (4) violation of the common law fiduciary duty of corporate officers to the corporation. Frankel framed the action as a shareholder derivative suit on behalf of the corporation and alleged that the defendants aided, abetted, and conspired in the claimed violations.

On defendants’ motion, the court dismissed the complaint in August 1986 with leave to refile. After an amended complaint was filed in October 1986, defendants again moved to dismiss. The court dismissed plaintiff’s claims under rule 14(e) and section 16(b), but denied defendants’ motion with respect to the rule 10b-5 claim and the pendent common law claim. Frankel v. Slotkin, 705 F.Supp. 105 (E.D.N.Y.1989). A subsequent summary judgment motion against the remaining claims was denied prior to discovery. Following discovery, defendants renewed their motion for summary judgment, asserting that there was no evidence to suggest that defendants were planning the tender offer at the time of the debenture conversion. The court denied the motion, but later entertained a successive motion for summary judgment on the grounds that the defendants had no inside information at the time of the debenture conversion. On its own initiative, the court then requested “papers from the parties clarifying what injury, if any, United Brands as opposed to its shareholders suffered for which plaintiff can recover on behalf of the corporation.” Frankel v. Slotkin, No. 85-C-3385 (E.D.N.Y. dated Feb. 3, 1992). After the requested papers were filed, the court granted summary judgment for the defendants on the two remaining claims. It found no injury to UB that would allow a derivative suit on its behalf for violation of [1332]*1332section 10(b) and rule 10b-5 and found that “the New Jersey courts would not recognize a duplicative claim under common law for recovery of profits from insiders.” Frankel v. Slotkin, 795 F.Supp. 76, 81 (E.D.N.Y.1992).

Frankel appeals the disposition of three of his claims, those based on SEC rule lob-5, New Jersey common law, and section 16(b) of the Act. We examine each of these in turn.

II. THE CLAIM UNDER SECTION 10(b) AND RULE 10B-5

Frankel asserts that the debenture conversion violated section 10(b) of the Act and rule 10b-5. He appears to argue along two distinct lines: first, that by causing UB to omit information of FMI’s future tender offer in the announcement of the debenture conversion, AFC—and those defendants who aided, abetted, and conspired with AFC—violated rule 10b-5, see Amended Complaint HI! 70-72; and second, that AFC and the others violated rule 10b-5 by trading on misappropriated inside information that belonged to UB—namely, that FMI’s tender offer would not be opposed by UB. See Amended Complaint ¶¶ 14, 18.2

A. The Injury

Without noting the distinction between the two theories of liability under rule lob-5, the district court raised the question of what harm to the corporation had occurred that would support a shareholder derivative action on its. behalf.

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Frankel v. Slotkin
984 F.2d 1328 (Second Circuit, 1993)

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Bluebook (online)
984 F.2d 1328, 1993 U.S. App. LEXIS 1180, 1993 WL 12897, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frankel-v-slotkin-ca2-1993.