Pereyra v. Sedky

148 F. Supp. 3d 134, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 162219, 2015 WL 7854061
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedDecember 3, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. 15-cv-12854-ADB
StatusPublished

This text of 148 F. Supp. 3d 134 (Pereyra v. Sedky) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pereyra v. Sedky, 148 F. Supp. 3d 134, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 162219, 2015 WL 7854061 (D. Mass. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON DEFENDANTS’ PARTIAL MOTION TO DISMISS

ALLISON D. BURROUGHS, DISTRICT JUDGE

BURROUGHS, DISTRICT JUDGE.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs Roberto Pereyra (“Pereyra”) and City Fitness Group, LLC filed this action against Defendants Herve Sedky (“Sedky”), and five limited liability corporations that Sedky allegedly controls: KLIO Fitness Clubs, LLC; KLIO Fitness BOS, LLC; KLIO Fitness Lynn, LLC; KLIO Fitness MHD, LLC; and KLIO, LLC.1 This case arises out of a 2013 asset purchase transaction in which Sedky and KLIO, LLC bought a chain of three health clubs from Pereyra. A number of disputes arose after the asset purchase was consummated, prompting Plaintiffs to file the instant Complaint on June 29, 2015. [ECF No. 1]. The Complaint asserts federal Lan-ham Act claims for service mark infringement, unfair competition, and cyberpiracy (Counts I — III), as well as state law claims for breach of contract (Count IV); violation of the Massachusetts Wage and Hour Act, Mass. Gen. Laws e. 149, § 148 (Count V); breach of fiduciary duty (Count VI); fraud and misrepresentation (Count VII); and violation of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93A (Count VIII).

On August 21, 2015, Defendants filed a Partial Motion to Dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). [ECF No. 21], Defendants argue that Counts I, II, III (Lanham Act), Count VI (fiduciary duty), Count VII (fraud/misrepresentation), and Count VIII (Chapter 93A) of the Complaint should be dismissed for failure to state claims upon which relief may be granted. Defendants have not moved to dismiss the breach of contract or the statutory wage and hour claims alleged in Counts IV and V. Plaintiffs filed an Opposition on September 18, 2015 [ECF No. 28], and Defendants filed their Reply on October 9, 2015 [ECF No. 32]. The Court held a hearing on Defendants’ Motion on November 18, 2015.

The Court has original jurisdiction over the federal Lanham Act claims alleged in Counts I, II, and III pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 (federal question jurisdiction), and 28 U.S.C. § 1338 (jurisdiction over federal trademark actions). The Court has supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ state law claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a). For the reasons set forth in this Memorandum and Order, Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss is ALLOWED as to the Lanham Act claims in Counts I, II, and III. Following input from the parties, the Court declines to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims, but notes that Plaintiffs may elect to pursue these claims in state court if [137]*137they are so inclined. See 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c).

II. FACTS ALLEGED IN THE COMPLAINT

Plaintiffs’ Complaint alleges the following facts, which the Court accepts as true for purposes of this motion.

Pereyra is the Manager and sole member of Plaintiff City Fitness Group, LLC (“City Fitness”), a Massachusetts limited liability company. [ECF No. 1 (“Compl.”) ¶¶ 5, 14]. City Fitness, which operated under the trade name “Leap Fitness,” is the former owner and operator of three health and fitness clubs located in Boston, Mar-blehead, and Lynn, Massachusetts (the “Health Clubs”). [Id. ¶ 15]. City Fitness acquired the Lynn location in 2007, and the Boston and Marblehead locations in 2011. .[Id. ¶ 16]. City Fitness entered-into several equipment lease agreements to supply the Health Clubs - with various pieces of gym equipment. [Id. ¶¶ 19-24]. Pereyra personally guaranteed these equipment leases. [Id. ¶¶ 20-24],

On May 7, 2013, City Fitness registered a service mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for “Leap Fitness,” consisting of “the standard character mark, Word Mark, .‘Leap Fitness,’ Registration Number 4332014, International Class 41, .relating to health club services providing for the instruction and equipment in the field of physical exercise.” [Id. ¶ 25]. Two weeks later, on May 21, 2013, City Fitness registered a second service mark for “Leap Fitness,” consisting of “a design plus words and/or letters, Word Mark, ‘Leap Fitness,’ ... Registration Number 4338272, International Class 41, relating to health club services providing for the instruction and equipment in the field of physical exercise.” [Id. ¶ 26]. A representation of that service mark appears visually as follows:

[[Image here]]

[Id.]. Plaintiffs allege that City Fitness used these two service marks for identification and marketing purposes, by placing them on its letterhead, internal and external memoranda, business cards, t-shirts, indoor and outdoor signs, and website. [Id. ¶ 27].

2013 Negotiations with Sedky

Shortly after the servicemarks were registered, Pereyra and City Fitness entered into negotiations with Sedky regarding his potential purchase of the Health Clubs. On June 1, 2013, Pereyra and City Fitness Group, LLC entered into a written Memorandum of Understanding [138]*138(“MOU”) with Sedky and one of Sedky’s companies, KLIO, LLC, concerning the sale of all three Health Clubs; and the assets of City Fitness. [Compl. ¶ 31]. The MOU recited, inter alia, that Pereyra and City Fitness were “desirous of selling all three of its health clubs,” and that KLIO, LLC would purchase from City Fitness “all of City Fitness’ right, title, interest in and Of the business Facilities, including but not limited to, all of the assets, any and all customer lists, goodwill, name, equipment, leasehold improvements, security deposits, Accounts Receivables, computers, software, furniture and equipment, and any and all assets used in the business.” [ECF, No. 1-2, (“MOU”) p. 1].2

Plaintiffs also allege that in June 2013, Sedky and KLIO, LLC made “oral and written representations to Pereyra” that they would assume liability and all future payments for the equipment leases. [Compl. ¶ 85]. Pereyra alleges that he relied on these representations when he later discontinued payments on the leases. [Id. ¶ 86]. Plaintiffs further allege that when Sedky made these misrepresentations to Pereyra, he did so with “reckless disregard for the truth, and/or with no intention of honoring such promises.” [Id. ¶ 85].

The August 16, 2013 Asset Purchase Agreement

On August 16,2013, KLIO Fitness, LLC and City Fitness entered into a written Asset Purchase Agreement. [Compl. ¶ 35; see also ECF No. 24-1 (the “APA”) ].3 The APA refers to City Fitness as the “Seller,” and to KLIO Fitness, LLC as the “Purchaser.” [APA p. I].4 The APA’s “Preliminary Statement” recites that

[t]he Purchaser desires to acquire from the Seller, and the Seller desires to transfer to the Purchaser, all of the Seller’s assets properties and business (the “Assets”), and the three [Health Clubs] (“Fácilities”), as set forth in Schedule 1.1 attached hereto, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

[Id,] [alteration added]. In turn, Schedule 1.1 to the APÁ defines the “Assets” as

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
148 F. Supp. 3d 134, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 162219, 2015 WL 7854061, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pereyra-v-sedky-mad-2015.