Pharos Capital Group, LLC v. Nutmeg Insurance

999 F. Supp. 2d 947, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24130, 2014 WL 737244
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedFebruary 26, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 3:13-CV-2603-B
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 999 F. Supp. 2d 947 (Pharos Capital Group, LLC v. Nutmeg Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pharos Capital Group, LLC v. Nutmeg Insurance, 999 F. Supp. 2d 947, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24130, 2014 WL 737244 (N.D. Tex. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JANE J. BOYLE, District Judge.

Before the Court is Plaintiffs’ Motion to Remand (doc. 19) filed August 22, 2013, and Defendant’s Motion to Transfer (doc. 7) and Motion to Stay (doc. 8), both filed July 18, 2013. For the reasons stated below, the Court finds that Plaintiffs’ Motion to Remand should be and hereby is GRANTED. Because the Court remands the case, the Defendant’s Motion to Transfer (doc. 7) and Motion to Stay (doc. 8) are MOOT.

[950]*950I.

BACKGROUND

This case arises out of an insurance policy that Plaintiffs purchased from Defendant Nutmeg Insurance Company in which Nutmeg agreed to indemnify Plaintiffs for “reasonable and necessary costs, charges, fees (including attorney’s fees and experts’ fees) and expenses incurred in the defense” of a “civil proceeding.” Doc. 29, Policy Ex. 5 §§ IV(A)-(B). The parties disagree as to their respective obligations under the contract, and Plaintiffs have brought suit to enforce the contract and recover certain costs arising from prior suits. Doc. 4-1, Orig. Pet. Ex. A-2, at 1-2.

Plaintiffs in this case are a group of individuals and business entities who purchased an insurance policy from Nutmeg. Doe. 4-1, Orig. Pet. Ex. A-2 ¶ 13. Plaintiffs are Pharos Capital Group, LLC n/k/a Pharos Capital Group GP, LLC (“Pharos Capital”), Pharos Capital Partners, LP ( “Pharos Partners”), DC Investment Partners, LLC (“DC Partners”), Crants-Devlin, LLC d/b/a Lynview Partners, LLC (“Lynview”), D. Robert Crants III (“Crants”), and Michael Devlin (“Devlin”) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”). Doc. 4-1, Orig. Pet. Ex. A-2. Crants and Devlin manage Pharos Capital, Pharos Partners, and DC Partners as private equity investment funds. Doc. 4-1, Orig. Pet. Ex. A-2 ¶ 12. Defendant to this action is Nutmeg Insurance Company (hereinafter “Nutmeg”). Doc. 4-1, Orig. Pet. Ex. A-2.

A. Background Facts

In 2008, Pharos Capital purchased a Private Equity Fund and Management Liability Policy No. 00-DB-0250455-08 (“Pharos Policy”) from Nutmeg with a $5 million limit of liability for claims made between May 14, 2008, and May 13, 2009. Doc. 4-1, Orig. Pet. Ex. A-2 ¶ 13. Under the policy Pharos Capital and Pharos Partners are “Insured Organizations,” and Crants and Devlin are “Insured Persons.” Doc. 4-1, Orig. Pet. Ex. A-2 ¶ 13. Additionally, DC Partners purchased a Private Equity Fund and Management Liability Policy No. 00-DB-0250453-08 (“DC Policy”) from Nutmeg with a $1 million limit liability for claims made between May 14, 2008, and May 13, 2009. Doc. 4-1, Orig. Pet. Ex. A-2 ¶ 19. The policy covers DC Partners and Lynview as “Insured Organizations.” Id. The DC Policy also covers Crants and Devlin as “Insured Persons.” Id.

In September 2008, a lawsuit was filed against Crants in his capacity as manager and/or employee of Pharos Partners, DC Partners, and Lynview (“Siddle I”). Id. ¶¶ 24-30. In May 2009, the same group of plaintiffs from Siddle I filed another lawsuit against Pharos Partners, DC Partners, and Devlin (“Siddle II”), alleging their liability for certain transactions also related to Siddle I. Id. ¶¶ 31-34.

In October 2008, Plaintiffs requested indemnification from Nutmeg, via its agent, under the Pharos Policy and the DC Policy. Id. ¶ 34. In February 2009, Nutmeg denied coverage for the claims under the policy. Id. ¶ 36.

In September 2009, Crants moved for summary judgment in Siddle I, which was granted by that court. Id. ¶ 39. Subsequently in June 2010, that court dismissed the Siddle II action against the other Plaintiffs. Id. ¶ 40. The Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court’s findings and dismissal of Siddle I and Siddle II actions with prejudice. Id.

In April 2013, Plaintiffs requested that Nutmeg pay their claims under the policy, which Nutmeg declined. Id. ¶ 44. On June 13, 2013, Plaintiffs initiated a civil action against Nutmeg in the 14th Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Texas, seeking a declaratory judgment that Nutmeg breached its contract, violated the Texas Insurance Code, and breached [951]*951duties of good faith and fair dealing. Id. ¶¶ 47-54, 55-64, 65-69.

On July 7, 2013, Nutmeg removed this case to federal court, alleging diversity of citizenship as the basis for this Court’s jurisdiction. Doc. 1, Not. of Removal ¶ 3. Nutmeg filed a Motion to Transfer the case to the Middle District of Tennessee as well as a Motion to Stay Discovery on July 18, 2013. Docs. 7, Def.’s Mot. Transfer; 8, Def.’s Mot. to Stay. Plaintiffs filed the instant Motion to Remand on August 22, 2013. Doc. 19, Mot. to Remand.

II.

LEGAL STANDARD

A. Removal Based on Diversity Jtirisdiction

Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. Howery v. Allstate Ins. Co., 243 F.3d 912, 916 (5th Cir.2001). They possess only the power authorized by the Constitution and statute, which is not to be expanded by judicial decree. Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co., 511 U.S. 375, 377, 114 S.Ct. 1673, 128 L.Ed.2d 391 (1994) (citations omitted); see also McKee v. Kansas City S. Ry. Co., 358 F.3d 329, 337 (5th Cir.2004). District courts “must presume that a suit lies outside this limited jurisdiction, and the burden of establishing federal jurisdiction rests on the party seeking the federal forum.” Howery, 243 F.3d at 916. When a party removes a suit to federal court on diversity grounds under 28 U.S.C. § 1332, the removing party must demonstrate that each element of § 1332 is met. Furthermore, an action removable solely on the basis of diversity jurisdiction “may not be removed if any of the parties in interest properly joined and served as defendants is a citizen of the State in which such action is brought.” 28 U.S.C. § 1441(b)(2). “[A]ny doubt about the propriety of removal must be resolved in favor of remand.” Gasch v. Hartford Acc. & Indem. Co., 491 F.3d 278, 281-82 (5th Cir. 2007); Manguno v. Prudential Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 276 F.3d 720, 723 (5th Cir.2002) (noting that any questions or ambiguities “should be strictly construed in favor of remand”).

B. Improper Joinder

Though diversity jurisdiction requires complete diversity of the parties, a case involving a non-diverse defendant may nevertheless be removed to federal court if it is established that the nondiverse defendant was improperly joined. See Ridgeview Presbyterian Church v. Phila. Indem. Ins. Co., No. 3:13-CV-1818-B, 2013 WL 5477166, at *2 (N.D.Tex. Sept. 30, 2013) (J. Boyle) (citing Triggs v. John Crump Toyota, Inc.,

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999 F. Supp. 2d 947, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24130, 2014 WL 737244, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pharos-capital-group-llc-v-nutmeg-insurance-txnd-2014.