Senior Health Ins. Co. of Pa. v. Beechwood Re Ltd.(In re Platinum-Beechwood Litig.)

377 F. Supp. 3d 414
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois
DecidedApril 22, 2019
Docket18-CV-6658 (JSR)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 377 F. Supp. 3d 414 (Senior Health Ins. Co. of Pa. v. Beechwood Re Ltd.(In re Platinum-Beechwood Litig.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Senior Health Ins. Co. of Pa. v. Beechwood Re Ltd.(In re Platinum-Beechwood Litig.), 377 F. Supp. 3d 414 (S.D. Ill. 2019).

Opinion

JED S. RAKOFF, U.S.D.J.

Before the Court is the motion of defendants Beechwood Re Ltd. ("Beechwood Re"), B Asset Manager, L.P. ("BAM"), Beechwood Bermuda International Ltd. ("BBIL"), Beechwood Re Investments, LLC ("BRILLC"), Mark Feuer, Scott Taylor, and Dhruv Narain to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint ("SAC") of plaintiff Senior Health Insurance Company of Pennsylvania ("SHIP"). ECF No. 87. After receiving full briefing from each side, the Court held oral argument on March 1, 2019. In a "bottom-line" Order issued on March 15, 2019, ECF No. 184, the Court granted defendants' motion in the following respects:

• SHIP's claims for civil violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO") were dismissed as to all defendants.
• SHIP's fraud and constructive fraud claims were dismissed only as to Narain.
• SHIP's unjust enrichment claim was dismissed only as to Narain, Beechwood Re, BAM, BBIL, and BRILLC.

The Court denied defendants' motion in all other respects. This Opinion sets forth the reasons for the Court's rulings.

Background

The relevant background to this case is largely set forth in the Court's Opinion and Order on defendants' partial motion to dismiss SHIP's Complaint. See ECF No. 72, at 2-8. There, the Court dismissed all claims against Narain without prejudice, except for SHIP's fraudulent inducement claim, which the Court dismissed with prejudice. As to the other moving defendants (Beechwood Re, BAM, BBIL, BRILLC, Feuer, and Taylor), the claims for fraud, constructive fraud, RICO violations, and unjust enrichment were dismissed without prejudice. In all other respects, defendants' motion was denied.1

SHIP subsequently filed the SAC, ECF No. 84, and defendants again filed a partial motion to dismiss, ECF No. 87. Defendants' motion can be divided into three categories. First, defendants move to dismiss *419claims that the Court dismissed without prejudice and that SHIP has reinstated in the SAC. These include SHIP's claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and gross negligence against Narain; SHIP's claim for constructive fraud against Feuer, Taylor, and Narain; and SHIP's claims for RICO and unjust enrichment against all defendants. Second, defendants move to dismiss claims that the Court previously declined to dismiss. These include SHIP's claims for breach of fiduciary duty and gross negligence against Feuer and Taylor. Third, defendants move to limit the allegations on which SHIP can rely in bringing its fraud and fraudulent inducement claims against Beechwood Re, BAM, BBIL, BRILLC, Feuer, and Taylor.

Analysis

I. Standard of Review

"To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009).2 "A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Id. When adjudicating a motion to dismiss, the Court "accept[s] all factual allegations in the complaint and draw[s] all reasonable inferences in the plaintiff's favor." ATSI Commc'ns, Inc. v. Shaar Fund, Ltd., 493 F.3d 87, 98 (2d Cir. 2007).

II. Claims That the Court Previously Declined to Dismiss

As noted, defendants move to dismiss certain claims that the Court declined to dismiss when ruling on defendants' partial motion to dismiss SHIP's original Complaint. Specifically, defendants move to dismiss SHIP's claims for breach of fiduciary duty and gross negligence against Feuer and Taylor. Memorandum of Law in Support of Partial Motion to Dismiss the Second Amended Complaint by Defendants Beechwood Re (in Official Liquidation) s/h/a Beechwood Re Ltd., B Asset Manager, L.P., Beechwood Bermuda International Ltd., Beechwood Re Investments, LLC, Mark Feuer, Scott Taylor, and Dhruv Narain 2 ("MTD"), ECF No. 88 ; see ECF No. 72, at 14 ("SHIP has adequately pled breach of fiduciary duty as to ... Taylor [and] Feuer ...."); id. at 33 ("SHIP's gross negligence claim is dismissed only as to Narain and Illumin.").

The Court will not entertain what is, in effect, an untimely motion for reconsideration. As SHIP explains in its opposition brief, any "request for reconsideration is untimely under Local Rule 6.3, which requires motions for such relief to be filed within 14 days of a ruling." SHIP's Opposition to Defendants' Partial Motion to Dismiss the Second Amended Complaint 2 ("Opp."), ECF No. 93. Moreover, defendants "have not identified any purported newly discovered facts, a change in controlling law, or clear error by the Court, as required to justify the relief Defendants request." Id. Accordingly, the Court denied defendants' motion to dismiss SHIP's claims for breach of fiduciary duty and gross negligence against Feuer and Taylor.

III. Limitations on the Allegations SHIP Can Use to Support Its Fraud and Fraudulent Inducement Claims

In addition to seeking dismissal of the above claims, defendants purport to seek *420dismissal of SHIP's fraudulent inducement claim "against: (a) the Beechwood companies, except as to the representations/omission in SAC ¶¶ 69-70, 77-78, and 87; (b) Feuer, except as to the representation/omission in SAC ¶¶ 77 and 87; and (c) Taylor, except as to the representations/omission in SAC ¶¶ 69-70 and 87." MTD 1. Defendants also purport to seek dismissal of SHIP's fraud claim "against: (a) the Beechwood companies, except as to the representations in SAC ¶¶ 165-68, 172-74, 178-80, 265, and 270; (b) Feuer, except as to the representations in SAC ¶¶ 265 and 270; [and] (c) Taylor, except as to the representations in SAC ¶¶ 172-74 and 178-80." Id.

With respect to the fraudulent inducement claim, the Court concludes, as above, that defendants are impermissibly seeking reconsideration of its prior decision. ECF No. 72, at 21 ("SHIP has stated a claim for fraudulent inducement (except ... against Narain and Illumin)."). And with respect to both the fraud and fraudulent inducement claims, the Court agrees with SHIP that defendants cannot limit SHIP "solely to allegations discussed in the Court's December 6 Order or illustrative examples in the SAC." Opp. 16.

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Bluebook (online)
377 F. Supp. 3d 414, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/senior-health-ins-co-of-pa-v-beechwood-re-ltdin-re-platinum-beechwood-ilsd-2019.