Olympia Co., Inc. v. Celotex Corp.

597 F. Supp. 285, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22073
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedNovember 9, 1984
DocketCiv. A. 76-373
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 597 F. Supp. 285 (Olympia Co., Inc. v. Celotex Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Olympia Co., Inc. v. Celotex Corp., 597 F. Supp. 285, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22073 (E.D. La. 1984).

Opinion

ORDER AND REASONS

CHARLES SCHWARTZ, Jr., District Judge.

This matter came before the Court on the motion of defendant Celotex Corporation (Celotex) and the motion of defendants, Standard-Taylor Industries, Inc. and related entities and persons (Standard) 1 for summary judgment. Following oral argument, the motions were taken under submission. Having considered the memoranda, the record and the law applicable to this motion, the Court grants the motions of defendants for the following reasons.

I. Course of the Litigation

Plaintiffs, Olympia- Company and Olympia Roofing Co., Inc. (hereinafter jointly referred to as Olympia) instituted this litigation in 1976, alleging, inter alia, various violations of the antitrust laws. The subsequent course of this litigation, as is evi *289 denced by the voluminous record, involved extensive discovery, several amendments to plaintiffs’ complaint, substitutions of counsel for plaintiffs, and numerous extensions of cut-off dates, continuances and the like, granted at the instance of plaintiffs. In late 1979, defendants Celotex and Standard filed motions for summary judgment, seeking dismissal of the action. However, prior to the hearing on those motions, the Court was apprised of plaintiffs’ intention to again substitute counsel. The Court allowed the substitution. In order to afford plaintiffs’ latest counsel an opportunity to develop the necessary facts, the Court also ordered that the pending motions for summary judgment be continued indefinitely. 2

By an Order of the Court, plaintiffs then filed their Fourth Amended Complaint, which superseded all prior pleadings of plaintiffs. 3 As the result of a status conference held on May 14, 1980, the Court entered an Order, setting forth the manner in which this case was to further proceed, and requiring plaintiffs to file a Pretrial Statement which would thoroughly set forth plaintiffs’ case and the factual and evidentiary basis for same. 4 Specifically, plaintiffs were directed to articulate their claims, by setting forth “in simple, declarative sentences all material facts relied upon by Plaintiffs in support of their claims for relief ...” The Court directed that the “Pretrial Statements shall serve as each parties’ contribution to the Pretrial Order,” and specified that “[a]ny factual contention, legal contention, any claim for relief or defense in whole or in part, or affirmative matter not set forth in detail as provided hereinabove shall be deemed abandoned, uncontroverted, or withdrawn, notwithstanding the contentions of any pleadings or other papers previously filed herein. The case shall be tried upon the Pretrial Statements.” Finally, the Court provided that “[i]n the event defendants choose to do so, they may admit Plaintiffs’ narrative facts relating to a legal contention or contentions for purpose of a Motion for Summary Judgment or Partial Summary Judgment. Any such Motion will be heard in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Local Rules of this Court, except that the narrative statements of fact in the parties’ Pretrial Statements shall serve as the Statements of Material Facts required by Local Rule 3.9.” 5 Furthermore, plaintiffs were allowed to take additional discovery subject only to the restriction that such discovery not be duplicative. Plaintiffs’ Pretrial Statement, although it was filed approximately six months after the deadline set by the Court for its filing, was accepted by the Court. 6 Thereafter, the voluntary dismissal of certain of plaintiffs’ claims and the motions of defendants to strike necessitated amendments to the plaintiffs’ Pretrial Statement. 7 In its final form, Plaintiffs’ factual contentions are set forth in their Second Amended Pretrial Statement. In response to the motions of defendants for summary judgment, plaintiffs filed into the record a letter of counsel, stating that “the pretrial statement contains both the facts and law on which Plaintiffs must rely.” The. motions were fixed for hearing on a date approximately two weeks prior to the pretrial conference and two days prior to the expiration of the discovery deadline set by the Court.

*290 Summary judgment is appropriate where “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a summary judgment as a matter of law.” Rule 56(c), Fed.Rules Civ.Proc. When a motion for summary judgment is made and supported in the manner provided in Rule 56(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, “an adverse party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleadings, but his response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided in this rule, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Rule 56(e), Fed.Rules Civ.Proc.

The Court is not unmindful of the Fifth Circuit’s admonition to approach summary judgment with caution, particularly with respect to anti-trust litigation. Transource International, Inc. v. Trinity Industries, Inc., 725 F.2d 274, 279 (5th Cir.1984). Nonetheless, summary judgment is sometimes appropriate in anti-trust actions. “It is now established that ‘simply because a suit is brought under the antitrust laws does not foreclose a summary judgment.’ ” Transource International, Inc. v. Trinity Industries, Inc., 725 F.2d 275, 279, quoting In re Municipal Bond Reporting Antitrust Litigation, 672 F.2d 436, 440 (5th Cir.1982), citing, Aladdin Oil Co. v. Texaco, Inc., 603 F.2d 1107, 1112 (5th Cir.1979).

Despite the long and arduous course of this litigation, despite every reasonable opportunity afforded the plaintiffs to discover triable issues of fact, and despite the Court’s many efforts to ensure that plaintiffs’ alleged grievances, if proved, would be redressed, the Court finds that defendants are entitled to summary judgment, based upon the uncontroverted evidence and the law applicable to this case.

II. Motion of Celotex for Summary Judgment

A. The Facts

For the purpose of this motion, Celotex has admitted all of the narrative statements of fact in plaintiffs’ Second Amended Pretrial Statement, except for those which Olympia admits have no factual basis or support and which have been conclusively refuted with sworn testimony based upon personal knowledge. The narrative statements of fact are incorporated herein by reference and are attached hereto as Appendix I. Additionally, Celotex has submitted other facts which are uncontested and which may be material.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
597 F. Supp. 285, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22073, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/olympia-co-inc-v-celotex-corp-laed-1984.