Sedaghatpour v. DoubleClick, Inc.

213 F. Supp. 2d 367, 2002 WL 1766434
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 29, 2002
Docket99 Civ. 3617(JES)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 213 F. Supp. 2d 367 (Sedaghatpour v. DoubleClick, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sedaghatpour v. DoubleClick, Inc., 213 F. Supp. 2d 367, 2002 WL 1766434 (S.D.N.Y. 2002).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM ORDER AND OPINION

SPRIZZO, District Judge.

Plaintiff-former employee Mehran Seda-ghatpour (“plaintiff’) brings this action to recover damages arising out of alleged activities by defendant-employer Double-Click, Inc. (“Doubleclick,” “the company,” or “defendant”). Specifically, plaintiff maintains that defendant committed, inter alia, federal securities fraud, common law fraud, and breach of contract in connection with stock options offered him as part of his compensation package. Defendant moved for summary judgment on the grounds that plaintiffs claims are time-barred, and, in any case, without merit. Plaintiff filed a cross-motion for summary judgment limited to his breach of contract claim. For the reasons set forth below, defendant’s motion for summary judgment is granted, in part, and plaintiffs cross-motion for summary judgment is denied. Plaintiffs remaining state law claims are dismissed without prejudice.

BACKGROUND

Doubleclick, an internet advertising company, is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in New York. See Compl. ¶ 6. Plaintiff is a computer software engineer and a resident of New York. See Compl. ¶¶ 4, 5. The Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action pursuant to § 27 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“the ’34 Act”), 15 U.S.C. § 78aa, and 28 U.S.C. § 1331.

Prior to commencing work with Double-Click, plaintiff was employed with Bloom-berg, L.P.C. See Second Am. Compl. (“Compl.”) dated Jan. 5, 2000 at ¶¶ 4, 6-7, *369 11. Plaintiff received stock incentives as a part of his employment package with Bloomberg, as he had from prior employers. See Dep. of Plaintiff dated Oct. 27, 2000 (“Pl.’s Dep.”) at 57, 109. In mid-1997, plaintiff received an offer from Doub-leclick for a salary higher than that he had been receiving previously. See Pl.’s Dep. at 160-61. In the meetings leading up to his offer, plaintiff met with then-Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), Kevin Ryan, Executive Vice President of Engineering, John Heider, and Chief Technical Officer, Dwight Merriman. According to plaintiff, these meetings were focused on wooing him through talk of the company’s financial strength, potential success, and plans for a future initial public offering (“IPO”) of its stock. Although these meetings also included discussions of the company’s stock option program, Doubleclick never mentioned a particular number of shares, nor was there any discussion of the potential consequences of termination. See Pl.’s Dep. at 6-7, 65, 73. Despite the lack of such conversation, plaintiff claims that he was left with the impression that any stock options granted to him would be “indefeasible.” See Pl.’s Dep. at 66-72. 1

On July 2, 1997, plaintiff received a letter from Doubleclick (the “Offer Letter”), memorializing a promise of employment with the company pursuant to the terms set forth therein. Under the heading “Stock Options,” the Offer Letter stated, in part, that: “In accordance with the DoubleCUck Stock Option Plan, you will receive 12,000 options of stock which vest 3,000 options per year, based upon the date of option grant. The date of option grant is the last day of the month of hire.” Pl.’s Not. of Mot. for Summ. J., Exh. 1, copy of Letter from Doubleclick dated July 2, 1997 (emphasis added). Plaintiff commenced work with Doubleclick on July 15, 1997.

Shortly after beginning work with Doub-leclick, plaintiff says he requested a copy of the Stock Option Plan (“the Plan”) referenced in the Offer Letter from Ms. Debbie Cippoletti, the company’s Human Resources Director. See Pl.’s Dep. at 87. According to plaintiff, Ms. Cippoletti told him that a copy of the Plan was “not available.” See id. Aside from allegedly making an additional request to one of Ms. Cippoletti’s colleagues, who responded similarly, plaintiff took no further steps to obtain a copy of the Plan. See id. at 88-91. Indeed, plaintiff did not contact any of his direct supervisors or any of the corporate officers with whom he had interviewed previously. See id. at 89. 2

Doubleclick filed its Statement of Intention of an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on December 16, 1997. See Compl. ¶ 23. On December 17, 1997, plaintiff received and signed two (2) documents from Double-Click relating to plaintiffs option grant (collectively “Option Documents”). The first, styled “Notice of Grant of Stock Options” (“Notice of Grant”), restated the grant of 12,000 options and described the precise schedule for those options:

Exercise Schedule: The Option shall become exercisable with respect to: (i) twenty five percent (25%) of the Option Shares upon Optionee’s completion of *370 one (1) year of Service measured from the Vesting Commencement Date; (ii) twenty five percent (25%) of the Option Shares upon the Optionee’s completion of two (2) years of Service measured from the Vesting Commencement Date; (iii) twenty five percent (25%) of the Option Shares upon the Optionee’s completion of three (3) years of Service measures from the Vesting Commencement Date; (iv) twenty five percent (25%) of the Option Shares upon the Optionee’s completion of four (4) years of Service measured from the Vesting Commencement Date. In no event shall the Option become exercisable for any additional Option Shares after Optionee’s cessation of Service.

Pl.’s Not. of Mot. for Summ. J., Exh. 3, Copy of Notice of Grant of Stock Option from Doubleclick dated Dec. 17, 1997. The Notice of Grant also emphasized that plaintiffs options were granted subject to the terms of DoubleClick’s 1997 Stock Incentive Plan (“the 1997 Plan”), 3 stating that:

Optionee understands and agrees that the Option is granted subject to and in accordance with the terms of the Doub-leclick, Inc.1997 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). Optionee further agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan and the terms of the Option as set forth in the Stock Option Agreement and any Amendment to such Stock Option agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A. A copy of the plan is available upon request made to the Corporate Secretary at the Corporation’s principal offices.

Id. (emphasis added). 4 The second document, styled DoubleClick’s “Notice of Grant of Stock Options and Option Agreement” (“Option Agreement”), similarly emphasized the import of plaintiffs signature by stating: “By your signature and the company’s signature below, you and the Company agree that these options are granted under and governed by the terms and conditions of the Company’s Stock Option Plan as amended and the Option Agreement, all of which are attached and made a part of this document.” Pl.’s Not. of Mot. for Summ. J., Exh.

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