Kuvedina, LLC v. Cognizant Technology Solutions

946 F. Supp. 2d 749, 2013 WL 2243744, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72057
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedMay 21, 2013
DocketCase No. 2:12-cv-342
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 946 F. Supp. 2d 749 (Kuvedina, LLC v. Cognizant Technology Solutions) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kuvedina, LLC v. Cognizant Technology Solutions, 946 F. Supp. 2d 749, 2013 WL 2243744, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72057 (S.D. Ohio 2013).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

MICHAEL H. WATSON, District Judge.

In this diversity action, Plaintiff Kuvedina, LLC (“Kuvedina”) seeks damages arising from disputes in its business relationship with Defendant Cognizant Technology Solutions U.S. Corporation (“Cognizant”) and alleged fraud perpetrated by Defendants Mahesh Kashyap (“Kashyap”) and Crystalsoft, Inc. (“Crystalsoft”). Kashyap and Crystalsoft move to dismiss Kuvedina’s claims, ECF No. 27. Separately, Cognizant moves to dismiss the claims against it or, in the alternative, to transfer venue pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a), ECF No. 28. For the reasons that follow, the Court denies in part and grants in part Defendants’ motions.

I. BACKGROUND

Kuvedina is a limited liability company, incorporated in Illinois, which provides its clients with computer programming, project management, and analytical consultants. Cognizant is a company incorporated in Delaware which provides businesses with technological solutions.

On or about February 18, 2010, Kuvedina entered into an Agency Agreement with Cognizant to provide analytical consultants to Cognizant’s client, WellPoint, Inc. (“Wellpoint”). For the duration of the Agency Agreement, Wellpoint conducted most of its business in Mason, Ohio, and Kuvedina’s consultants provided a substantial portion of their services in Mason, Ohio as well.

Kuvedina alleges Cognizant breached the Agency Agreement by failing to pay several invoices within á reasonable time and failing to pay one invoice altogether. Kuvedina states this failure to pay on time compromised its ability to pay its consultants and caused several consultants to leave Kuvedina. Kuvedina also alleges that Cognizant had a duty to keep certain proprietary and trade secret information confidential but Cognizant has used that information in concert with third parties to make a profit.

Kashyap, a senior manager for Cognizant, operated as the primary point of contact for the work Kuvedina was performing for WellPoint. Anil Baddi (“Baddi”), an employee of Kuvedina, met with Kashyap on several occasions to discuss issues relating to the Agency Agreement.

Kuvedina alleges that Kashyap told Baddi that the entity Crystalsoft was an affiliate of Cognizant, and that Kashyap was an agent for both companies. Kashyap also indicated that Crystalsoft could act as an intermediary between Cognizant and Kuvedina to facilitate and manage the transfér of funds and ensure Kuvedina employees were properly performing their duties.

[753]*753Kuvedina also alleges that between March and December of 2010, Kashyap told Baddi several times that in order for Cognizant to continue allowing Kuvedina to render services under the Agency Agreement, Kuvedina would have to ,pay Crystalsoft a “performance collateral.” Kashyap stated the payment collateral would be returned to kuvedina upon completion of the job duties. Between June 2010 and November 2010, Kuvedina paid Crystalsoft $125,765 as “performance collateral.” Kuvedina states that this amount was never reimbursed.

Kuvedina avers Crystalsoft was not affiliated with nor a subsidiary of Cognizant, yet Kashyap acted as an agent for both companies and perpetuated the appearance of a mutual relationship. Kuvedina alleges Cognizant was aware of or should have been aware of Kashyap’s fraud involving Crystalsoft.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

A claim survives a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) if it “contain[s] sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). “The plausibility standard is not akin to a ‘probability requirement,’ but it asks for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Id. A complaint’s “[fjactual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level, on the assumption that all of the complaint’s allegations are Case No. 12-cv-342 Page true.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555-56, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (internal citations omitted).

A court must also “construe the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.” Inge v. Rock Fin. Corp., 281 F.3d 613, 619 (6th Cir.2002). In doing so, however, plaintiff must provide “more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955; see also Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (“Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.”); Ass’n of Cleveland Fire Fighters v. City of Cleveland, Ohio, 502 F.3d 545, 548 (6th Cir.2007). “[A] naked assertion ... gets the complaint close to stating a claim, but without some further factual enhancement it stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility,...” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955. Thus, “something beyond the mere possibility of [relief] must be alleged, lest a plaintiff with a largely groundless claim be allowed to take up the time of a number of other people, with the right to do so representing an in terrorem increment of the settlement value.” Id. at 557-58, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (internal citations omitted).

III. DISCUSSION

A. Breach of Contract

In Count One, Kuvedina alleges Cognizant breached the Agency Agreement by failing to pay the invoices Kuvedina submitted and/or failing to pay the invoices within a reasonable time. The' Agency Agreement stated, “[ajmounts due from Cognizant to [Kuvedina] under this Section 4 shall be paid monthly Case No. 12-cv-342 Page 4 of 24 upon invoice within thirty (30) days after the last day of the month for which such amounts apply.” Agency Agreement § 4(b), Amend. Compl. Ex. A PAGE ID # 281, ECF No. 25-1. Exhibit B to the amended complaint identifies seventeen invoices that Cognizant allegedly paid after the due date and one invoice that Cognizant allegedly never paid. Amend. Compl. Ex. B., ECF No. 25-2.

[754]*754Cognizant argues it only paid ten of the invoices after the due date, any late payments were not a material breach, Kuvedina’s repeated acceptance of the late payments bar its breach of contract claims, and the one missing payment is not enough to meet the amount in controversy requirement for diversity jurisdiction.

Kuvedina replies whether a breach was material is a question of fact to be determined at trial, Kuvedina can recover even if the breach was not material, the breach was material, and Kuvedina’s acceptance of the payments does not bar its breach of contract claim.

The Agency Agreement states it is to “be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without giving effect to conflict of law provisions.” Agency Agreement § 20, Amend. Compl. Ex. A PAGE ID #283, ECF No. 25-1. In a diversity action, a federal court must apply the choice of law rules of the state in which it sits.

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946 F. Supp. 2d 749, 2013 WL 2243744, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72057, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kuvedina-llc-v-cognizant-technology-solutions-ohsd-2013.