Malihi v. Gholizadeh

11 Mass. L. Rptr. 659
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedMarch 16, 2000
DocketNo. CA 973068B
StatusPublished

This text of 11 Mass. L. Rptr. 659 (Malihi v. Gholizadeh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Malihi v. Gholizadeh, 11 Mass. L. Rptr. 659 (Mass. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

Hinkle, J.

This case arises out of various disputes among‘shareholders of a closely-held corporation. In May and July of 1999, the parties were before the court for a juiy waived trial on the breach of contract claim of plaintiff Ali Malihi (“plaintiff’) and the counterclaims of defendant Dariush Gholizadeh (“defendant”). In his complaint, plaintiff alleges that defendant failed to repay loans of $40,910, ofwhich$37,510was secured [660]*660by two promissory notes. Defendant counterclaims for fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment.

On the basis of the credible evidence and the reasonable inferences I draw therefrom, I find and rule as follows under Mass.R.Civ.P. 52(a).

FINDINGS OF FACT

.Worldwide Broadcasting Network (“WBN”) is a closely held Delaware corporation founded by plaintiff, defendant and Dr. Ali Kazeroonian (“Kazeroonian”)2 in January 1996 to provide video content over the Internet. The original idea, conceived by defendant, was that WBN would take material typically shown on television and make it available over the Internet through hundreds of thousands of customized video channels.

Defendant and Kazeroonian, who had been colleagues in a previous business venture, began planning WBN during 1995. Both had backgrounds in technology. Defendant had studied computer science at Boston University, and Kazeroonian had a Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Shortly after they started looking for individuals to bring financing and marketing expertise to WBN, defendant was introduced to plaintiff. Plaintiff had previously worked for 14 years at Paine Webber, reaching the level of Senior Vice President with over $100 million in assets under management and an annual income of approximately $500,000.

Plaintiff told defendant and Kazeroonian that he left Paine Webber in November 1995 because he considered WBN a great business opportunity as a start-up. The defendant and Kazeroonian relied on plaintiffs financial success at Paine Webber in deciding to include him in their venture. Defendant did no due diligence at Paine Webber with regard to plaintiffs employment. Had he done so, he would have learned that plaintiffs departure from Paine Webber was involuntary and acrimonious.

When WBN was formed, Kazeroonian was the principal developer and designer of the company’s technology. He served as the president of WBN until May 1997. WBN employed defendant as its chief executive officer until late 1998. Plaintiffs principal responsibility at WBN was to secure equity financing to fund the development of WBN’s products. Because defendant and Kazeroonian had no financial expertise, they relied on plaintiff to handle the financial aspects of WBN’s development.

At various times before September 1996, plaintiff advanced money for the initial capitalization of WBN, including payment for the initial shares of WBN stock issued to defendant and Kazeroonian. On May 11, 1996, plaintiff gave defendant a check for $10,000. In September 1996, defendant executed a promissory note in the amount of $10,000 payable to plaintiff. On October 22, 1996, plaintiff gave defendant a check for $3400 for defendant’s personal expenses. Although defendant was to repay this money under the same terms as the promissory note, no note was ever executed.

In addition, in September 1996, defendant and Kazeroonian each executed a promissory note payable to plaintiff dated March 31, 1996 in the amount of $27,510. Neither defendant nor Kazeroonian actually received this money; the notes reflected plaintiffs payment to WBN for stock in WBN. The promissory notes were largely drafted by plaintiff, who insisted that defendant and Kazeroonian execute personal notesfor repayment of plaintiffs capital contributions to WBN on behalf of defendant and Kazeroonian.

In January 1996, defendant and Kazeroonian reasonably expected that plaintiff, based on his own statements, would secure $5 million in equity financing for WBN by June 1996. By March 1996, plaintiff had lowered his initial projection to $2 million and extended his performance date to October 30, 1996, and defendant knew about plaintiffs reduced expectations.

Each promissory note executed by defendant contained a schedule of payments, including an initial maturity date of September 1, 1997. The payment schedule set forth that payments would be made in 12 equal payments and that the “entire principal amount shall be repaid on September 1, 1997.” When the promissory notes were executed, plaintiff was aware that defendant and Kazeroonian’s shares of stock in WBN and their salaries were their only means of repayment for the notes. Defendant and Kazeroonian insisted that the promissory notes contain a provision tying the timing of their repayment obligation to their ability to pay, based on their salaries at WBN.

Consequently, the payment schedule (but not the fact of repayment) was conditional on plaintiff s securing at least $2 million in equity financing for WBN on or before October 30, 1996. If WBN failed to obtain the required financing, the promissory notes provided that the payment schedule “shall be adjusted as the [parties] shall mutually agree, in writing.” The requirement that WBN secure $2 million in equity financing before the notes became due and payable reflected the fact that defendant and Kazeroonian could repay the promissory notes only if plaintiff raised sufficient capital for WBN to maintain and increase their salaries. WBN did not secure equity financing of at least $2 million on or before October 30, 1996. As of October 9, 1996, plaintiff had secured only $800,000 in equity financing for WBN.

WBN achieved the projected goal of $2 million in equity financing early in 1997. However, plaintiff himself did not meet his projections for raising equity financing, either in amount or timing. During plaintiffs tenure, WBN raised only slightly more than $2 million in equity financing.

[661]*661In 1997, after WBN had secured equity financing of $2 million, plaintiff asked defendant to modify or adjust the payment schedule. Defendant never agreed upon a modified payment schedule and has never repaid any of the funds referenced in the promissory notes or otherwise loaned him by plaintiff. Neither plaintiff nor defendant ever negotiated with the other in good faith to modify or adjust the payment schedule.

In December 1996, defendant told plaintiff that his performance in raising equity financing was inadequate, and that, as a result, his future at WBN was uncertain. Soon after, in February 1997, plaintiff made his first demand for repayment of the promissory notes.

For a variety of reasons, including plaintiffs inability to raise the money he had projected, WBN became strapped for the funds necessary to pay operating expenses and continue its business. By March 1997, WBN faced bankruptcy if it did not obtain immediate financing to meet payroll and other operating expenses. Thus, at that time, plaintiff loaned WBN $50,000 on a short term basis to meet operating expenses. Subsequently, defendant brought in an investor, Prince Khalid (“Khalid”), who was willing to bail WBN out of its financial crisis. From the funds Khalid invested in WBN in March 1997, WBN repaid the $50,000 plaintiff had loaned the company earlier that month.

Khalid conditioned each of his investments in WBN upon delivery by the officers of WBN, as shareholders, of a specified number of their common shares.

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11 Mass. L. Rptr. 659, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/malihi-v-gholizadeh-masssuperct-2000.