Lincoln National Life Insurance v. Silver

966 F. Supp. 587, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14489, 1995 WL 924646
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedSeptember 29, 1995
Docket86 C 7175
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 966 F. Supp. 587 (Lincoln National Life Insurance v. Silver) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lincoln National Life Insurance v. Silver, 966 F. Supp. 587, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14489, 1995 WL 924646 (N.D. Ill. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

NORDBERG, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This dispute regarding Defendant A. David Silver’s alleged mismanagement of two venture capital funds came before the Court for bench trial on August 16-20, 23-27, and September 30, 1993. The Court heard closing arguments on October 22,1993. The parties have each submitted a memorandum of proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law. In addition, the parties have briefed to the Court the Defendants’ Motion for a Directed Verdict. After first summarizing the ease and then deciding several outstanding motions, the Court makes its findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Fed. R.Civ.P. 52(a).

A. Jurisdiction

The Court has jurisdiction over this action under Section 1331 of the Judicial Code, 28 U.S.C. § 1331, Section 22 of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. § 77v, Section 27 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. § 78aa, Section 1965 of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1965, and supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiffs state law claims under 28 U.S.C. § 1367.

B. Case Summary

This case arises out of Defendant Silver’s improper management of two venture capital funds, the Santa Fe Private Equity Fund (“SFPEF I”) and the Sante Fe Private Equity Fund II (“SFPEF II”), each of which were limited partnerships run by a venture capital fund controlled by Silver, ADS Associates, Ltd. (“ADSA”), which controlled SFPEF I, and ADS Partners, Ltd. (“ADSP”), which controlled SFPEF II. SFPEF I was predominantly a computer industry fund. Its portfolio companies included Pathfinder Computer Centers (“Pathfinder”), Avant-Garde, which later merged with Family Achievement Software Company (“FASCO”), and Cipherlink Corporation (“Ci-pherlink”). Each of these three companies experienced severe cash problems and were on the verge of failing when Silver organized SFPEF II, which he touted as a health care *591 fund. Plaintiff, the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (“Lincoln”), was among SFPEF II’s limited partners.

Although SFPEF II was supposed to be a health care fund, and despite the fact that several of that fund’s limited partners had declined to invest in SFPEF I, Silver invested more than seventy percent of the SFPEF II’s first capital call in computer companies that were part of SFPEF I’s portfolio, including the failing Pathfinder, Avan1>-Garde/FASCO, and Cipherlink. When the SFPEF II limited partners learned of the nature of the fund’s investments, they requested Silver to refrain from continuing to invest in SFPEF I portfolio companies. He nevertheless persisted. The limited partners of the two funds removed Silver’s management companies as their general partners on February 10, 1987 and had a receiver appointed for the Funds. In April 1988, the receiver for SFPEF II assigned to Lincoln all of SFPEF II’s claims in this case.

Lincoln’s Second Amended Complaint, the pleading on which this action is now based, contains twenty-three counts which make claims against several individuals and entities, all of which save Silver and ADS Partners, Ltd. (“ADSP”), the managing general partner of SFPEF II, have been dismissed from this case. The following Counts were tried to the Court.

In Counts VIII, IX and X, Lincoln, in its individual capacity, claims that Silver violated sections 1962(a), 1962(b), and 1962(c) of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), Pub.L. 91-452, Title IX, § 901(a), 84 Stat. 941 (1970) (codified as amended at 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-1968 (1988)),

In Counts XI, XII, and XIII, Lincoln repeats its RICO claims as assignee of SFPEF II, claiming that Silver violated 18 U.S.C. §§ 1962(a), 1962(b), 1962(e).

In Counts VI and VII respectively, Lincoln individually and as SFPEF II’s assignee claims that Silver and ADSP breached fiduciary duties owed under N.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 54-2-9 and 54-l-21(A) (1978).

In Count III, Lincoln, individually, claims that Silver and ADSP violated section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, ch. 404, 48 Stat. 881 (1934) (codified as amended in scattered sections of 15 U.S.C. (1988)).

In Count I, Lincoln, individually, claims that Silver and ADSP violated section 12(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, eh. 38, 48 Stat. 74 (1993) (codified as amended in scattered sections of 15 U.S.C. (1988)).

In Count IV, Lincoln, individually, claims that Silver and ADSP violated section 5/12 of the Illinois Securities Law of 1953 (codified ' as amended at S.H.A. 815 ILCS 5/1-19 (1993)).

• In Count XXI, Lincoln, individually, claims that Silver engaged in common law fraud.

C.Defendants’ Motion for a Directed Verdict

• At the close of the Plaintiffs case, the Defendants moved for a directed verdict. The motion is denied, for the reasons indicated in the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law.

D.Silver’s Motion to Reopen the Evidence

Silver moves, pursuant to Rules 59 and 60 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, to reopen the evidence in this case so that the Court may consider a Pledge Agreement which is already, in fact, in evidence. The motion is denied. The proffered evidence is already part of the record. In addition, Silver’s arguments accusing witness William Enloe and Plaintiffs counsel of wrongdoing are hereby ordered stricken.

E.The Parties’ Motions for Sanctions

The parties have each requested sanctions against the other. These requests are denied.

F.Summary of the Court’s Findings

Both parties were well represented at trial. Lincoln had the services of very capable counsel who represented their client in a thorough and professional way. . Silver, a non-lawyer, represented himself pro se. He demonstrated remarkable skill in capably representing himself, with the assistance of his wife, despite the fact that, as the Court’s findings of fact show, he had a weak case.

At trial, the Court heard testimony from A. David Silver, Ivan Berk, Steven Rork, *592 Verne Spangenberg, Kyle Lefkoff, Richard Azimov, Eric Lesin, Thomas Measday, William Byrne, and Richard Dumler.

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Bluebook (online)
966 F. Supp. 587, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14489, 1995 WL 924646, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lincoln-national-life-insurance-v-silver-ilnd-1995.