Medical Supply Chain, Inc. v. Neoforma, Inc.

419 F. Supp. 2d 1316, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9330, 2006 WL 560164
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedMarch 7, 2006
DocketCiv.A. 05-2299-CM
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 419 F. Supp. 2d 1316 (Medical Supply Chain, Inc. v. Neoforma, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Medical Supply Chain, Inc. v. Neoforma, Inc., 419 F. Supp. 2d 1316, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9330, 2006 WL 560164 (D. Kan. 2006).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

MURGUIA, District Judge.

On March 9, 2005, plaintiff Medical Supply Chain, Inc. filed the above-captioned case in the United States District Court for the District of Western Missouri, case number 05-2010-CV-W-ODS. Plaintiff brought suit against Neoforma, Inc., Robert J. Zollars, Volunteer Hospital Association (“VHA”), Curt Nonomaque, University Healthsystem Consortium, Robert J. Baker, U.S. Bancorp NA, U.S. Bank National Association, Jerry A. Grundhofer, Andrew Cesare, 1 Piper Jaffray Companies, Andrew S. Duff, Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C., 2 and Novation, LLC. Plaintiffs 115 page complaint alleges sixteen counts including claims for price restraint under the Sherman Act, restraint of trade and monopolization under both federal and Missouri law, conspiracy, tortious interference with contract or business expectancy, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, prima facie tort, and claims under RICO and the USA PATRIOT Act.

On June 15, 2005, Judge Ortrie D. Smith of the Western District of Missouri granted defendants’ Motions to Transfer the case to the District of Kansas, citing this district court’s experience with “the almost identical previous lawsuit” and the interests of justice. (Doc. 26, at 2).

Each group of defendants have filed a motion to dismiss, and two groups of defendants have filed renewed motions after the case was transferred, resulting in seven motions to dismiss. The motions to dismiss pending before the court are defendant Robert Zollars’ Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction (Doc. 2); Defendant Neoforma, Inc.’s Motion to Dismiss, [sic] Complaint, or Alternatively to Require Amendment, Pursuant to F.R.C.P. Rules 8 and 9 (Doc. 4); Defendants U.S. Bancorp, U.S. Bank National Association, Piper Jaffray Companies, Jerry A. Grundhofer, Andrew Cesare and Andrew S. Duffs’ Motion to Transfer, Dismiss and/or Strike (Doc. 6); Defendants Curt Nonomaque and Robert Baker’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction and for Failure to State a Claim (Doc. 11); Defendant Shug-hart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C.’s Motion to Transfer, Dismiss and/or Strike (Doc. 13); Defendants U.S. Bancorp, U.S. Bank National Association, Piper Jaffray Companies, Jerry A. Grundhofer, Andrew Cesare and Andrew S. Duffs’ Renewed Motion to Dismiss and/or Strike (Doc. 32); and No-vation, LLC, VHA Inc., University Health-system Consortium, Robert Baker and *1321 Curt Nonomaque’s Renewed Motion to Dismiss Complaint for Failure to State a Claim (Doc. 34).

Additional motions before the court are defendants U.S. Bancorp, U.S. Bank National Association, Piper Jaffray Companies, Jerry A. Grundhofer, Andrew Cesare and Andrew S. Duffs’ Motion for Sanctions (Doc. 22); Defendants’ Motion to Stay Rule 26(f) Conference and Discovery (Doc. 24); plaintiffs Motion for Reconsideration of Order Transferring Venue (Doc. 28); Novation, LLC, VHA, University Health-system Consortium, Robert Baker and Curt Nonomaque’s Motion for Sanctions (Doc. 36); plaintiffs Motion to Strike Defendants’ Renewed Motion to Dismiss and/or Strike (Doc. 38); plaintiffs Motion to Consolidate Under Rule 42 (Doc. 39); plaintiffs Motion to Require Consolidation Arguments to be in the Form of Pleadings on the Record and Notice of Threat of Unlawful Sanctions (Doc. 42); plaintiffs Motion to Strike Novation Defendants’ Renewed Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 43); plaintiffs Motion for Clarification of Order in Case No. 03-2324 (Doc. 45); First Plaintiffs Motion for Partial Summary Judgment Under F.R. Civ. P. Local Rule 56.1 (Doc. 46); plaintiffs Motion for Leave to Join Additional Defendants Under Fed. R.Civ.P. 29(a) (Doc. 49); plaintiffs Motion to Substitute Plaintiff Under F.R.C.P. Rules [sic] 17(a), 15(a) and 25(a) (Doc. 56); plaintiffs Motion to Substitute Defendant Under F.R.C.P. Rules [sic] 17(a) (Doc. 57); and Novation, LLC, VHA Inc., University Healthsystem Consortium, Robert Baker and Curt Nonomaque’s Motion to Set Oral Hearing on Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 76).

I. Background

A. Bret D. Landrith

Plaintiffs counsel for all of the pending motions before the court, Bret D. Lan-drith, withdrew as counsel for plaintiff on January 30, 2006 after being disbarred from the practice of law in the state of Kansas on December 9, 2005 for violating Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct relating to competence, meritorious claims, candor toward the tribunal, fairness to opposing parties and counsel, respect for rights of third persons, and misconduct. See In re Landrith, 124 P.3d 467, 485-86 (Kan.2005). On February 7, 2006, Ira Dennis Hawver entered his appearance on behalf of Medical Supply Chain, Inc.

B. Prior Relevant Cases

Plaintiff has brought two other cases in this court that are relevant to the court’s analysis. The first, captioned Medical Supply Chain, Inc. v. U.S. Bancorp, NA, et al., 02-2539-CM, 2003 WL 21479192 (D.Kan.2003) (“Medical Supply /”), was filed on October 22, 2002 against defendants U.S. Bancorp, NA; US Bank Private Client Group, Corporate Trust, Institutional Trust and Custody, and Mutual Fund Services, LLC, a subsidiary of U.S. Ban-corp; Piper Jaffray; Andrew Cesare; Susan Paine; Lars Anderson; Brian Kabbes; and Unknown Healthcare Supplier. Plaintiff contended these defendants engaged in conduct violating (1) the Sherman Antitrust Act; (2) the Clayton Antitrust Act; and (3) the Hobbs Act. Plaintiff also alleged defendants (4) “fail[ed] to properly train [their] employees on the USA PATRIOT Act or to provide a compliance officer”; (5) misused “authority and excessive use of force as enforcement officers under the USA PATRIOT Act”; and (6) violated “criminal laws to influence policy under section 802 of the USA PATRIOT Act.” The complaint further charged defendants with (7) misappropriation of trade secrets under state law; (8) tortious interference with prospective contracts; (9) tor-tious interference with contracts; (10) breach of contract; (11) promissory estop-pel; (12) fraudulent misrepresentation; and (13) violation of the covenant of good *1322 faith and fair dealing. Plaintiff sought over $943 million in damages and declaratory relief.

On June 16, 2003, this court granted defendants’ motions to dismiss for failure to state any claims upon which relief could be granted and dismissed the case. Medical Supply I, 2003 WL 21479192, at *9 (D.Kan. June 16, 2003). When discussing plaintiffs USA PATRIOT Act claims, the undersigned judge advised Mr. Landrith to “take greater care in ensuring that the claims he brings on his clients’ behalf are supported by the law and the facts.” Id. at *6. Furthermore, with regard to the same claims, the undersigned judge noted that “the court finds plaintiffs allegation so completely divorced from rational thought that the court will refrain from further comment until such time as federal criminal proceedings are commenced, if indeed they ever are.” Id. at *8.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
419 F. Supp. 2d 1316, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9330, 2006 WL 560164, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/medical-supply-chain-inc-v-neoforma-inc-ksd-2006.