Soroof Trading Development Co. v. Ge Microgen, Inc.

283 F.R.D. 142, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67736, 2012 WL 1681815
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 11, 2012
DocketNo. 10 Civ. 1391 (LTS) (JCF)
StatusPublished
Cited by72 cases

This text of 283 F.R.D. 142 (Soroof Trading Development Co. v. Ge Microgen, 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
Soroof Trading Development Co. v. Ge Microgen, Inc., 283 F.R.D. 142, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67736, 2012 WL 1681815 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

JAMES C. FRANCIS IV, United States Magistrate Judge.

This is an action for breach of contract and misrepresentation against defendants GE Microgen, Inc. (“GE Microgen”) and Plug Power, Inc. (“Plug Power”), who were the members of the now-defunct GE Fuel Cell Systems, LLC (“GEFCS”). Plaintiff Soroof Trading Development Company Ltd. (“So-roof’) seeks leave to amend its complaint to add the General Electric Company (“GE”) as a defendant. For the reasons that follow, the motion is granted.

Background

The following facts are taken from the proposed second amended complaint. GEFCS was a Delaware limited liability company established in 1999 as a joint venture between GE Microgen, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GE, and Plug Power. ([Proposed] Second Amended Complaint (“PSAC”), attached as Exh. A to Declaration of Aaron W. Knights dated March 16, 2012 (“Knights Decl.”), ¶¶ 6, 8, 18). GE was also a major shareholder of Plug Power. (PSAC, ¶ 7). In June 2000, GEFCS and Soroof entered into an agreement under which, for a $1 million distribution fee, Soroof would have the right to distribute in Saudi Arabia GEFCS-produced fuel cells meeting certain specifications. (Distributor Agreement dated June 6, 2000 (“Agreement”), attached as Exh. 1 to PSAC, ¶¶ 1-2.4, 6.4). GEFCS was to use reasonable efforts to supply fuel cells meeting the performance specifications to Soroof, and Soroof was to use its best efforts to sell and promote the fuel cells. (Agreement, ¶¶ 5.2, 6-1). In addition, the parties were to share relevant information about the product. (Agreement, ¶ 7.4). In reliance on the Agreement, Soroof “expended in excess of $1 million.” (PSAC, ¶ 32).

Soroof asserts that GE, GE Microgen, and Plug Power knew by the time GEFCS was formed that there was a “strong possibility that the [contemplated fuel cells] would never be marketable.” (PSAC, ¶ 19). Notwithstanding this knowledge, the defendants repeatedly misrepresented to Soroof that the project would succeed. (PSAC, ¶¶22, 24, 29-30, 39-40, 47). As it turned out, GEFCS was not able to make fuel cells that met the specifications in the Agreement, and allegedly abandoned development within a year. (PSAC, ¶¶ 37, 41, 47). Soroofs $1 million distribution fee “was diverted to defray the salaries of GE employees whom GE had tasked to [GEFCS].” (PSAC, ¶ 28). In 2006, GE, GE Microgen, and Plug Power dissolved GEFCS without informing Soroof, which became aware of the dissolution in 2007. (PSAC ¶¶ 8, 51, 56-58). This litigation eventually ensued. The remaining causes of action are for breach of contract [145]*145and misrepresentation. (First Amended Complaint (“FAC”), ¶¶ 57-85).

The plaintiff filed its original complaint in February 2010 against GEFCS, GE Micro-gen, and Plug Power. (Complaint (“Compl.”) at 1). On June 4, 2010, the parties filed a joint preliminary pre-trial statement, which included as an attachment a proposed two-phased discovery schedule. (Preliminary Pre-trial Statement filed June 4, 2010, Exh. A at 1-2; Proposed Discovery Plan and Schedule, undated (“Proposed Discovery Plan”), attached as Exh. D to Knights Decl., at 1-2). Under the proposed schedule, the deadline for joinder of additional parties and amendments to pleadings was October 31, 2010. (Proposed Discovery Plan at 2). On June 11, 2010, the Honorable Laura Taylor Swain, U.S.D.J., issued a pre-trial scheduling order that set a deadline of August 31, 2010, for applications for joinder or amendment of pleadings. (Pre-trial Scheduling Order dated June 11, 2010 (“Scheduling Order”), at 1).

Discovery commenced, and Soroof deposed GEFCS president Frank Seovello on September 2, 2010. (Transcript of Deposition of Frank Seovello dated September 2, 2010 (“Seovello Dep.”), attached as Exh. E to Knights Decl., at 1). On October 20, 2010, defendants GE Mierogen and Plug Power filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings seeking dismissal of all six of the causes of action outlined in the complaint. (Memorandum of Law in Support of Defendant GE Mierogen, Inc.’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings dated Oct. 20, 2010; Defendant Plug Power Inc.’s Joinder in Defendant GE Mierogen, Inc.’s Rule 12(c) Motion dated Oct. 20, 2010). On October 29, 2010, Soroof filed a motion seeking leave to file an amended complaint and modification of the scheduling order. (Plaintiffs Memorandum of Law in Support of its Motion for Leave to Amend the Complaint and to Modify the Scheduling Order dated Oct. 29, 2010 (“First Motion to Amend”)). That motion sought, first, an extension of each of the dates in the Proposed Discovery Plan by 60 days and, second, permission to amend the complaint “merely [to add] a new [defendant]—General Electric Company, Inc.[,] on a veil-piercing theory” based on “facts uncovered by Soroof in the course of ... discovery.” (First Motion to Amend at 4, 8, 16). The proposed first amended complaint, which was attached as an exhibit, included the same causes of action as the original complaint, but named GE as an additional defendant. ([Proposed] First Amended Complaint, attached as Exh. A to Declaration of Mary M. Baker dated Oct. 29, 2010, at 2-3, 9-16). The defendants opposed the application, arguing that amendment would be futile and also noting that the plaintiff had missed the August 31, 2010 deadline for amendments to pleadings. (Defendant Plug Power Inc.’s Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion to Amend dated Nov. 15, 2010, at 2; Defen[d]ant GE Microgen Inc.’s Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion for Leave to Amend dated Nov. 15, 2010, at 2,11).

On December 1, 2010, after a conference with the parties, I issued an order denying Soroofs First Motion to Amend “without prejudice to renewal following determination of [the] defendants’ pending motion for judgment on the pleadings and their anticipated motion for summary judgment.” (Order dated Dec. 1, 2010 (“Dec. 1 Order”) at 2). Plaintiffs counsel recognized that it was unclear whether the motion to amend should be evaluated solely under Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or also under Rule 16, but consented to the denial provided that the status quo would be preserved until Judge Swain ruled on the dispositive motions—that is, that the Court would “stop [ ] the clock” and plaintiff would not “be prejudiced by any delay that might happen.” (Hearing Transcript dated Dee. 1, 2010 (“Tr.”) attached as Exh. B to Knights Decl., at 56-57).

On January 24, 2012, Judge Swain ruled on four outstanding motions—the defendants’ motions for judgment on the pleadings and for summary judgment, and the plaintiffs motions for partial summary judgment and for sanctions. (Order dated Jan. 24, 2012 (“Jan. 24 Order”) at 1-2). The order granted the defendants’ motion for judgment on the pleadings and dismissed with prejudice four of the plaintiffs six claims. (Jan. 24 Order at 28). However, Judge Swain also granted Soroofs motion for partial summary judgment, which argued that it should be able to [146]*146pierce GEFCS’ corporate veil to proceed against its members, defendants GE Micro-gen and Plug Power. (Jan. 24 Order at 26-28). Consequently, Judge Swain dismissed the plaintiffs first two causes of action “without prejudice to repleading” to add relevant facts to support the claims. (Jan. 24 Order at 12, 13, 28). The deadline for this amendment was February 10, 2012. (Jan. 24 Order at 28).

Soroof filed the first amended complaint in mid-February.1

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283 F.R.D. 142, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67736, 2012 WL 1681815, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/soroof-trading-development-co-v-ge-microgen-inc-nysd-2012.