LUTHERNA BROTH. v. Kidder Peabody & Co., Inc.

829 S.W.2d 300, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 815, 1992 WL 59632
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 31, 1992
Docket6-91-091-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 829 S.W.2d 300 (LUTHERNA BROTH. v. Kidder Peabody & Co., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
LUTHERNA BROTH. v. Kidder Peabody & Co., Inc., 829 S.W.2d 300, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 815, 1992 WL 59632 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinions

OPINION

CORNELIUS, Chief Justice.

Lutheran Brotherhood and others, plaintiffs below, appeal from a take-nothing summary judgment in their suit against Kidder Peabody & Company, defendant below. The suit was based on allegations that Kidder sold worthless bonds to plaintiffs by negligently and deliberately making misrepresentations of material facts. Because we find that the summary judgment evidence raises genuine fact questions on the issues of misrepresentations, knowledge, and reliance, we reverse the summary judgment and remand the cause for trial.

THE ISSUES

Although the defendant raises several other defenses, its principal arguments in support of the summary judgment are that plaintiffs, as sophisticated institutional investors who conducted their own investigation and who purchased the bonds through a private placement memorandum that expressly disclaimed any warranties, cannot recover on the basis of misrepresentation. We do not agree that these circumstances inevitably foreclose recovery.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

In November 1987, Browne Bottling Company (BBC) acquired All American Bottling Company (AABC) from Fair Winds Corporation through a leveraged buy-out (LBO). The LBO left AABC with a debt of approximately $100 million and placed heavy demands on its cash and revenue requirements. Of the $100 million, $65 million was owed to Heller Financial, Inc. The remaining $35 million was a subordinate debt in the form of a bridge loan made by defendant Kidder, which AABC intended to ultimately replace with permanent financing. The permanent financing was to be obtained from a private placement of subordinated securities to financial institutions. Proceeds from the permanent financing would be used to repay defendant’s bridge loan.

To secure the permanent financing, AABC and BBC arranged to issue and sell high yield bonds, including subordinated notes and warrants for the purchase of stock. Defendant served as the placement agent for AABC. The private placement was limited to “accredited investors,” defined as large, sophisticated financial institutions doing their own investigations and capable of making independent investment decisions. For this and other reasons, the private placement was exempt from registration under the securities laws that apply to public offerings of securities.

[304]*304Defendant made several unsuccessful attempts to market the bonds. Another attempt was made in June of 1988. Defendant prepared a private placement memorandum (PPM) and made telephone calls from New York to potential investors nationwide, including all the plaintiffs, soliciting purchases. Plaintiff Lutheran Brotherhood received a call at its principal place of business in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from a Kidder salesman in Chicago. Plaintiff Signal received solicitations in Texas by phone from New York. Kidder vice-president Dawley offered bonds to the remaining plaintiffs by telephone calls from New York. Plaintiff American General received its solicitation at its principal place of business in Texas, as did Variable, an affiliate of American General. Plaintiff Creditan-stalt received its offer in New York. Plaintiffs Sprout, Sprout LP, and DU, all affiliated organizations, received their offers in New York.

The initial PPM that defendant prepared and sent to plaintiffs contained the following disclaimer at Page 1:

Kidder, Peabody & Co. Incorporated (“Kidder, Peabody”) is acting as agent in the placement of the Securities described hereby. All of the statements made herein with respect to the business and operating results of AABC and its affiliates are based on the best judgment of management. The information contained in this Memorandum was obtained from the Company and other sources but no assurance can be given by Kidder, Peabody as to the accuracy or completeness of such information. Officers of the Company will be available by appointment to provide any additional information which prospective purchasers or their representatives may reasonably require as to the Securities or the affairs of the Company.

The PPM also contained these warnings about risks involved in the purchase of the bonds: AABC was highly leveraged with a substantial amount of debt; AABC’s heavy debt made its ability to service the debt more susceptible to downturns in its business; the securities offered were subordinated to $65 million in one existing senior debt; the senior debt contained covenants which if violated could result in a default that could substantially impair AABC’s ability to pay the bonds; in view of the substantial amount of funds needed by AABC for debt service and working capital, it was possible that AABC may be unable to meet its cash requirements from revenues, and in that event, additional financing would be needed, but no assurances could be given that additional financing would be obtained. In August of 1988, defendant prepared and distributed a supplemental PPM, which we will refer to in more detail later.

On August 22, 1988, the sales were closed. In the closing, each plaintiff executed a written purchase agreement with AABC. AABC made certain warranties in that agreement, essentially representing that there were no material facts which would adversely affect the company and its ability to pay the bonds. Each plaintiff also warranted in the purchase agreement that it had received a copy of the PPM and the supplement, that it had an opportunity to discuss AABC’s business with its officers, that it was capable of evaluating the risks of the investment, and that it was relying only on the PPM and the supplement and had no guarantee of the ultimate value of the investment. The proceeds of the bond sales were paid by plaintiffs and went directly to defendant to liquidate its $35 million bridge loan to AABC.

AABC failed to maintain its financial status at the level required in its agreement with Heller Financial. Heller then exercised its right to bar payments to the bond holders. According to the plaintiffs’ allegations, the bonds are now essentially worthless.

The plaintiffs filed suit against defendant for compensatory, rescissional, resti-tutional, and punitive damages. They asserted causes of action for fraud, civil conspiracy, negligent misrepresentation, gross negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and violations of the Texas Securities Act, the Oklahoma Securities Act, and the Oklahoma Anti-Fraud Statute.

[305]*305SUMMARY JUDGMENT

At the outset, we note the requirements for summary judgment. A defendant moving for summary judgment on the whole case has the heavy burden of showing by uncontradicted summary judgment evidence that there is no genuine issue of fact as to at least one essential element of each of the plaintiffs’ causes of action and that such element is negated as a matter of law. Gibbs v. General Motors Corp., 450 S.W.2d 827 (Tex.1970); Tex.R.Civ.P. 166a; 4 R. McDonald, Texas Civil PRactice in DISTRICT and County COURTS § 17.26.2 (rev. 1984), and cases there cited.

Defendant here repeatedly asserts that the plaintiffs have failed to establish their causes of action. That is not the test, however. A plaintiff is not required to produce summary judgment evidence raising a material fact question on an essential element of its claim until the defendant/movant first conclusively negates such an element by summary judgment evidence.

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Bluebook (online)
829 S.W.2d 300, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 815, 1992 WL 59632, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lutherna-broth-v-kidder-peabody-co-inc-texapp-1992.