Lemanik, S.A. v. McKinley Allsopp, Inc.

125 F.R.D. 602, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6742, 1989 WL 67036
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJune 19, 1989
DocketNo. 88 Civ. 3674 (RO)
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 125 F.R.D. 602 (Lemanik, S.A. v. McKinley Allsopp, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lemanik, S.A. v. McKinley Allsopp, Inc., 125 F.R.D. 602, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6742, 1989 WL 67036 (S.D.N.Y. 1989).

Opinion

BARBARA A. LEE, United States Magistrate.

This is an action for securities fraud by a Swiss financial institution against a broker/dealer and two of its employees, pursuant to §§ 10(b) and 15(c)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), 15 [604]*604U.S.C. §§ 78j(b), 78o(c)(l); Rules 10b-5 and 15cl-5 thereunder, 17 C.F.R. §§ 240.-10b-5, 240.15cl-5; and § 12(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), 15 U.S. C. § 77Z(2). A pendent claim for breach of fiduciary obligation is also pleaded, and plaintiff seeks treble damages under the federal anti-racketeering statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1962, on the basis of the predicate violations of the federal securities laws. By Order of Reference entered December 23, 1988, the case was referred to me by the Hon. Richard Owen, U.S.D.J., for pretrial supervision. Defendant McKinley Allsopp, Inc. (“McKinley”) now moves pursuant to Rule 37(a), Fed.R.Civ.P., to compel plaintiff Lemanik, S.A. (“Lemanik”) to answer interrogatories and document requests concerning the identity of Lemanik’s customers and the financial condition and investment experience of Lemanik. Also before me is a separate dispute relating to Lemanik’s interrogatories to defendants, submitted by letter pursuant to my procedures for informal resolution of discovery disputes.

For the reasons stated below, McKinley’s motion is denied and Lemanik is awarded its costs and expenses pursuant to Rule 37(a)(4), in an amount to be determined as herein set forth. Defendants’ objections to Lemanik’s interrogatories are sustained in part and overruled in part, with each party to bear its own costs on that application.

BACKGROUND

Lemanik is a “Swiss fiduciary corporation” which in early 1987 opened an account at McKinley’s Paris office.1 McKinley is a registered broker/dealer and the individual defendants are alleged to be officers and employees of McKinley, two of whom had supervisory responsibilities at McKinley’s Paris office. The Amended Complaint alleges that, although Lemanik’s account was not a discretionary one, McKinley treated it as such in making purchases and sales without advance authorization (¶1¶ 14, 16); that three of the issues purchased for Lemanik’s account were “illiquid and highly speculative” and “involved personal interests on McKinley’s part” as a market maker or underwriter (IMF 17-18, 20, 23, 27); that McKinley failed to disclose its relationship to the issuers and made material misrepresentations of fact upon which Lemanik relied in connection with some of the purchases (1111 27, 33); and that McKinley failed to follow Lemanik’s instructions with respect to the handling of the account (H1130-41).

McKinley denies the essential allegations of the Amended Complaint and asserts 26 affirmative defenses, including allegations that Lemanik is not the real party in interest and accordingly has suffered no damage; and that Lemanik is chargeable with knowledge of all material facts relating to the account (Amended Answer ¶¶ 108-109, 111).

The Amended Complaint describes plaintiff as follows:

Lemanik is a Swiss fiduciary corporation which has generally restricted its investments to relatively conservative European based investments. Prior to its dealings with defendants, described below, Lemanik had little investment activity in the United States securities markets. [Am.Cplt. ¶ 2, emphasis added]

By way of “Background,” plaintiff alleges:

In the initial conversations between Lemanik and McKinley’s representatives, McKinley was made aware of Lemanik’s fiduciary relationship to its own clients, Lemanik’s interest in investing in high quality American stocks, and Lemanik’s need for a broker with expertise in the American markets. \id. 1112, emphasis added]

The discovery requests at issue on McKinley’s motion relate principally to the italicized portions of the Amended Complaint and to McKinley’s real-party-in-interest and “estoppel” defenses. One group of documents requests calls for far-ranging information concerning the identity of Lem[605]*605anik’s clients and their investments and affairs, including documents relating to “damages allegedly suffered” by Lemanik’s “Clients” or other persons beneficially interested in Lemanik’s account with McKinley (68, 69); “all securities holdings or other investments” of those categories of persons (81, 82); accounts maintained by “Clients” with other American brokers (84) and substantially all of Lemanik’s client account records relating to the investment transactions of such persons (86-89). “Clients” is defined in 11 G of the “Instructions and Definitions” to McKinley’s Rule 34 Request as “the persons or entities to whom Lemanik owes a fiduciary duty as referred to in paragraph 12 of Lemanik’s Amended Complaint.” Another group of document requests (20, 78-80, 83, 88, 93-94) and a related interrogatory call for sweeping information about the financial affairs and investment experience of Lemanik, in the United States and worldwide. Categories of information sought include “all documents relating to Lemanik’s finances including, without limitation, tax returns,” and other listed financial records (20); and “all documents relating to all securities holdings or other investments of Lemanik” (80), as well as a somewhat more specific request for documents relating to investments in American companies (93).

Lemanik objected to these discovery requests on the grounds that all of the disputed items are irrelevant to the subject matter of this action and that some are, in addition, protected from disclosure by Swiss law. McKinley contends, in general terms, that it seeks “to establish exactly what sort of entity Lemanik was and whether it was trading the account ... for itself or for specified clients”; “to discover the nature of the services performed by Lemanik in general and with respect to the account” as well as its “investment guidelines and responsibilities ... managerial expertise and sophistication as an investor.”2 In addition, certain of the requests are described as intended “to establish the lack of bona fides” or “to flush out the truth or falsity” of certain allegations of the Amended Complaint.3

DISCUSSION

I. MCKINLEY’S MOTION TO COMPEL RESPONSES TO ITS INTERROGATORIES AND DOCUMENT REQUESTS.

Because of the confusing and in some respects inconsistent record on McKinley’s motion, it is necessary to begin with determination of what is actually in dispute and what affidavits and exhibits have been considered.

The papers on McKinley’s motion consist primarily of attorney affidavits stating the parties’ respective positions and attaching copies of the pleadings, discovery requests, and correspondence between counsel with respect thereto. In addition, McKinley has submitted affidavits of two employees of its Paris office, which are discussed below in connection with the client identification issue.

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Bluebook (online)
125 F.R.D. 602, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6742, 1989 WL 67036, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lemanik-sa-v-mckinley-allsopp-inc-nysd-1989.