in Re 8650 Frisco, LLC D/B/A Estilo Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse, Mandona, LLC, Galovelho, LLC, Bahtche, LLC, Claudio Nunes and David Jeiel Rodrigues

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided May 8, 2015·No. 01-15-00423-CV·Published

Opinion

ACCEPTED

01-15-00423-CV

FIRST COURT OF APPEALS

HOUSTON, TEXAS

5/8/2015 10:13:28 AM

CHRISTOPHER PRINE

CLERK

No. 01-15-00423-CV

FILED IN

1st COURT OF APPEALS

HOUSTON, TEXAS

In the Court of Appeals

5/8/2015 10:13:28 AM

For the First Judicial District of Texas CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE

Houston, Texas Clerk

In re 8650 Frisco, LLC; Estilo Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse; Mandona, LLC;

Galovelho, LLC; Bahtche, LLC; Claudio Nunes; and David Jeiel Rodrigues, Relators

The Honorable Jaclanel McFarland, 133rd Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas, Respondent Arising out of Cause No. 2014-10896

Real Parties in Interest’s Response to Motion for Emergency Temporary Relief to Stay Action by the Trial Court

Hawash Meade Gaston Stephens & Domnitz, Dykema Cox Smith Neese & Cicack LLP PLLC

Andrew K. Meade Kelly D. Stephens David Kinder State Bar No. 24032854 State Bar No. 19158300 State Bar No. 11432550 Samuel B. Haren P.O. Box 79734 112 East Pecan Street, State Bar No. 24059899 Houston, Texas 77279 Suite 1800 2118 Smith Street 281-394-3287 (phone) San Antonio, Texas Houston, Texas 77002 832-476-5460 (fax) 78205 713-658-9001 (phone) kstephens@stephensdom 210-554-5500 (phone) 713-658-9011 (fax) nitz.com 210-226-8395 (fax) ameade@hmgnc.com sharen@hmgnc.com

Background

Real Parties in Interest (“Los Cucos”) have a pending claim against Relators (“8650 Frisco”) for breach of the parties’ settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”). See Exhibit 1, Fourth Amended Petition at ¶¶ 32–40. Under the Settlement Agreement, 8650 Frisco is required to pay $900,000 to Los Cucos over a period of five years. Id. at ¶ 33. Los Cucos’ suit against 8650 Frisco is premised, in part, on 8650 Frisco’s refusal to execute a promissory note and UCC-1 form. See id. at ¶¶ 34–36. As a result, Los Cucos has taken-on an unbargained-for credit risk. The magnitude of this risk—and the attendant harm and damages resulting therefrom—hinges on 8650 Frisco’s financial condition. Los Cucos seeks damages and, in the alternative, specific performance of 8650 Frisco’s obligation to execute the relevant documents. See id. at ¶ 42; Exhibit 2, Supplement to Fourth Amended Petition at ¶ 3.

Over a year ago, Los Cucos requested that 8650 Frisco produce certain financial and accounting documents (the “Financial Documents”). The Court ordered 8650 Frisco to produce the Financial Documents on June 13, 2014; July 28, 2014; April 1, 2015; and April 27, 2015. See Exhibit 3, Hearing Transcript at 23:2–4; Exhibit 4, Order on Third Motion to Compel; Exhibit 5, Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion to Enforce the Court’s Order; Exhibit 6, Order Granting Plaintiffs’ Third Motion to Enforce the Court’s Order (the “April 27

Order”). The last of these four orders included (1) a monetary sanction of $1,000 and (2) a finding conclusively establishing the irreparable harm element of Los Cucos’ specific performance claim. See Exhibit 6, April 27 Order.

Los Cucos believes that 8650 Frisco still has not complied with the April 27 Order. See Exhibit 7, Fourth Motion to Enforce the Court’s Order and for Sanctions. Los Cucos has filed yet another motion to enforce the trial court’s order; that motion is set for hearing on May 18, 2015. See Exhibit 8, Notice of Hearing.

Discussion

8650 Frisco’s Motion for Emergency Temporary Relief to Stay Action by the Trial Court (the “Motion”) is factually incorrect and legally insufficient. As demonstrated below, the Motion should be denied in its entirety and the trial court should be permitted to continue working toward a resolution of this case. I. 8650 Frisco’s Motion misstates the facts.

8650 Frisco’s Motion contains numerous factual misstatements. First, 8650 Frisco flatly asserts that the Financial Documents “have no relevance to the live pleading on file with the trial court.” Motion at ¶ 7. This is incorrect as 8650 Frisco’s financial condition is relevant to assessing the harm/damages caused by 8650 Frisco’s breach of the Settlement Agreement.1

1 In fact, 8650 Frisco has a pending no-evidence motion for summary judgment on this exact issue, and Los Cucos requires the Financial Documents in order to fully respond thereto. See Exhibit 9, No-Evidence Motion for Summary Judgment at ¶ 13; Exhibit 10, Los Cucos’ Supplemental Response at 1–2.

8650 Frisco next complains that the trial court “conclusively establish[ed] an unpleaded issue in favor of [Los Cucos].” Motion at ¶ 8. This is a reference to the irreparable harm element of Los Cucos’ request for specific performance. Compare Exhibit 6, April 27 Order and Exhibit 2, Supplement to Fourth Amended Petition at ¶ 3. In both its Motion and its petition for writ of mandamus, 8650 Frisco appears to have simply forgotten that Los Cucos has sought specific performance.

8650 Frisco further complains that it had already produced the Financial Documents “twice previously.” Motion at ¶ 9. If this were true, 8650 Frisco could avoid any harm—let alone irreparable harm—by simply sending the documents to a courier and having the courier hand deliver those documents before the May 18, 2015 hearing. In truth, however, the April 27 Order was issued precisely because 8650 Frisco’s prior attempts at production were incomplete. 8650 Frisco has not produced the requested Financial Documents, and any future complete production would be the first.

8650 Frisco next complains that the trial court signed the April 27 Order “in the presence of Counsel for [Los Cucos] but outside the presence of [8650 Frisco’s] attorney.” Motion at ¶ 10. Because 8650 Frisco’s attorney chose to appear telephonically, the entire hearing occurred outside of his presence. Moreover, despite the nefarious implication 8650 Frisco seeks to make, the Court

merely signed the proposed order filed by Los Cucos with its Motion to Enforce. Compare Exhibit 6, April 27 Order and Exhibit 11, Proposed Order.

Finally, 8650 Frisco complains that Los Cucos’ Fourth Motion to Enforce the Court’s Order “demanded that the [trial court] strike [8650 Frisco’s] pleadings for failure to comply” with the April 27 Order. Motion at ¶ 12. But Exhibit B to the Motion plainly states that the only sanctions requested are (1) a monetary sanction for the attorneys’ fees incurred in obtaining the Financial Documents, (2) an order to 8650 Frisco and its attorneys to show cause as to why they should not be held in contempt, and (3) an order barring 8650 Frisco from conducting further discovery. See Motion Exhibit B at 6, 50. While such sanctions are admittedly harsh, they are not requests to strike 8650 Frisco’s pleadings. II. 8650 Frisco has not shown irreparable harm.

8650 Frisco has shown that it disagrees with the trial court’s orders. It has not shown that it faces irreparable harm unless the trial court’s proceedings are stayed. Should the May 18, 2015 hearing go forward, 8650 Frisco is not threatened with the loss of any property, the expiration of any deadlines, or the striking of its pleadings. 8650 Frisco merely complains that, absent a stay, it will be required to appear at a hearing on a motion which 8650 Frisco believes it should win. If that were the standard for irreparable harm, every hearing could produce a petition for

writ of mandamus, and every petition for writ of mandamus would result in a stay of the trial court’s proceedings.

Conclusion

8650 Frisco has not accurately characterized this case, nor has it shown that failure to stay the trial court would cause it any harm. Los Cucos prays that the Court deny the Motion and grant Los Cucos all other relief to which it is entitled.

Respectfully submitted,

Hawash Meade Gaston

Neese & Cicack LLP

/s/ Samuel B. Haren

Andrew K. Meade

State Bar No. 24032854

Samuel B. Haren

State Bar No. 24059899

2118 Smith Street

Houston, Texas 77002

713-658-9001 (phone)

713-658-9011 (fax)

ameade@hmgnc.com

sharen@hmgnc.com

Stephens & Domnitz, PLLC

Kelly D. Stephens

State Bar No. 19158300

P.O. Box 79734

Houston, Texas 77279-9734 281-394-3287 (phone)

832-476-5460 (fax)

kstephens@stephensdomnitz.com

Dykema Cox Smith

David Kinder

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in Re 8650 Frisco, LLC D/B/A Estilo Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse, Mandona, LLC, Galovelho, LLC, Bahtche, LLC, Claudio Nunes and David Jeiel Rodrigues, (Tex. Ct. App. 2015).

in Re 8650 Frisco, LLC D/B/A Estilo Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse, Mandona, LLC, Galovelho, LLC, Bahtche, LLC, Claudio Nunes and David Jeiel Rodrigues (in Re 8650 Frisco, LLC D/B/A Estilo Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse, Mandona, LLC, Galovelho, LLC, Bahtche, LLC, Claudio Nunes and David Jeiel Rodrigues) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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