Sound Foundation v. SCI Fund II, LLC

CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedJanuary 25, 2022
Docket3:20-cv-01190
StatusUnknown

This text of Sound Foundation v. SCI Fund II, LLC (Sound Foundation v. SCI Fund II, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sound Foundation v. SCI Fund II, LLC, (D. Or. 2022).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON

SOUND FOUNDATION, a foreign No. 3:20-cv-01190-HZ corporation, OPINION & ORDER Plaintiff,

v.

SCI Fund II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and HERBERT P. WILKINS, JR., a Maryland resident,

Defendants.

Britta E. Warren Colin G. Andries Black Helterline LLP 805 SW Broadway, Suite 1900 Portland, OR 97205

Attorneys for Plaintiff Shannon Armstrong Kristin Asai Alex Hadduck Holland & Knight LLP 601 SW Second Ave., Suite 180 Portland, OR 97204

Attorneys for Defendants

HERNÁNDEZ, District Judge: Plaintiff Sound Foundation brings six claims against SCI Fund II, LLC (“Defendant Fund II”) and Herbert P. Wilkins, Jr. (“Defendant Wilkins”), individually and collectively. Against Defendant Fund II, Plaintiff brings a breach of contract claim. Against Defendant Wilkins, Plaintiff alleges securities violations under Oregon Revised Statute (“O.R.S.”) §§ 59.115(1)(b) & 59.115(3), and securities fraud under O.R.S. §59.135. Against both Defendants, Plaintiff brings claims for fraudulent transfer under the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, O.R.S. 95.200 et seq. and unjust enrichment. Defendants move to dismiss all claims for lack of personal jurisdiction. Defs.’ Second Mot. to Dismiss at 1, ECF 34. Alternatively, Defendants move to dismiss all claims for failure to state a claim, except the breach of contract claim. Id. For the following reasons, the Court grants in part and denies in part Defendant’s Second Motion to Dismiss. BACKGROUND This case concerns an unpaid promissory note between Plaintiff Sound Foundation and Defendant Fund II. Plaintiff is a foreign corporation registered in the Cook Islands founded by Dennis and Derek Sivers. Pl.’s First Am. Compl. (“Am. Compl.) ¶¶ 2, 9. During the period relevant to this motion, Dennis Sivers lived in Oregon and his son, Derek Sivers, lived outside of the United States. Id. at ¶ 9; Supp. Warren Decl. Ex. 1 (“Wilkins Dep.”) at 31:14-20. Defendant Herbert P. Wilkins is a Maryland resident. Am. Compl. ¶ 4; Wilkins Dep. at 7:16-20. He is the managing director of SCI Management, Inc. (“SCI Management”), a venture capital management firm based in Delaware. Asai Decl. Ex. 2; Wilkins Dep. at 8:14-9:3. He does not own property in Oregon and does not have an address, professional license, or bank account in Oregon. Declaration of Herbert Wilkins ¶ 3 (“Wilkins Decl.”), ECF 24. SCI Management

manages three separate investment portfolios: SCI Management, LLC (“Fund I”), SCI Fund II, LLC (Defendant Fund II), and SCI Fund III, LLC (“Fund III”) (collectively “SCI Funds”). Wilkins Dep. 11:10-12:1; 15:23-16:3. Defendant SCI Fund II is a venture capital fund registered in Delaware. Id. 9:6-8; 9:18- 10:21; Am Compl. ¶ 3; Asai Decl. Ex. 3, ECF 35-3. It has an investment portfolio comprised of multiple companies. Wilkins Dep. 9:6-8; 9:18-10:21. One of those is Maya Cinemas, a California corporation. Id. 10:14-20. Defendant Wilkins and Dennis Sivers are board members of Maya Cinemas. Id. 16:16-20. In January 2017, Defendant Wilkins contacted Dennis Sivers to ask if his son Derek

Sivers would loan money to Defendant Fund II. Am Compl. ¶ 8. Derek Sivers had lent money to Maya Cinemas in the past. Wilkins Dep. 39:3-5, 17:12-17. Dennis Sivers told Defendant Wilkins to “give [Derek Sivers] a call and ask him.” Id. 17:10-20. Defendant Wilkins has never met Derek Sivers. Id. 48:3-5. The two have only communicated via phone and email. Id. 17:6-9. Derek Sivers agreed to loan Defendant Wilkin’s venture capital fund, Defendant Fund II, $700,000. Am. Compl. ¶ 10. Derek’s father, Dennis, facilitated the transaction from Oregon. Supp. Warren Decl. Ex. 5. The parties memorialized this agreement in a promissory note on January 10, 2017. Am. Compl. ¶ 10. The Note listed Derek Sivers as payee and Defendant Fund II as debtor. Id.; Am. Compl. Ex. 1 (“Promissory Note”) at 1. The Promissory Note lists Derek Sivers with a Portland, Oregon address, and Defendant Fund II with a Baltimore, Maryland address. Promissory Note at 4. Defendant Wilkins signed the Promissory Note as managing member of Defendant Fund II. Id. The Promissory Note listed “Portland, OR” in the top right- hand corner, stated that Defendant Fund II was to pay Derek Sivers “at such address” listed “or at such other place as may be designated,” contained a Choice of Law clause stating that the note

“shall be governed and construed under the laws of Oregon,” and that all remedies for default shall be provided by Oregon Law. Promissory Note, 1-4. Derek Sivers wire transferred $700,000 to Defendant Fund II the same day they executed the Promissory Note. Am. Compl. ¶ 11. Defendant Fund II secured the loan by providing Derek Sivers with shares in Maya Cinemas stock. Promissory Note at 2. Defendant Fund II agreed to pay Derek Sivers the loan back, plus interest, on or before January 10, 2018. Id. at 1. The same day Derek Sivers and Defendant Wilkins signed the Promissory Note, Defendant Wilkins executed a promissory note between Defendant Fund II and Fund III for $700,000. Am. Compl. ¶ 12. Defendant Wilkins then transferred the $700,000 to Fund III. Am.

Compl. ¶ 12; Wilkins Dep. 39:3-9; 40:24-41:19. Fund III then made staggered investments into a Delaware holding company, Morris Medical, LLC, (“Morris Medical”). Id. 43:2-25. Morris Medical is the holding company for Morris Medical Oregon, LLC (“Morris Oregon”), another Delaware company. Id. 42:3-11. Morris Medical then transferred the money to Morris Oregon. Id. 39:10-13; 42:3-11. Morris Oregon then invested those funds into Trellis Holdings OP – 3242 NE 82nd Avenue, LLC (“Trellis”), an Oregon company that holds cannabis investments in Oregon. Id. 12:20-14:4; 42:6-8. Over five months, Fund III invested the entire $700,000 into Trellis. Id. 37:16-38:10; Asai Decl. Ex. 6.1 In February 2018, Defendant Wilkins requested more time to repay the loan. Am. Compl. ¶ 14. Derek Sivers agreed to extend the repayment deadline. Am. Compl. ¶ 15. The parties executed another promissory note to memorialize the extension. Id.; Ex. 2 (“Amended

Note”). The Amended Note replaced the original Promissory Note and extended Defendant Fund II’s time to repay the loan to December 31, 2018. Am. Promissory Note at 1. In all other respects, the Amended Note contained the same provisions and information as the original Promissory Note, including the references to Oregon state. See Am. Promissory Note. Afterward, Defendant Wilkins sent Derek Sivers quarterly updates on the operations and performance of the cannabis companies that Derek Sivers’ funds were invested into. Supp. Warren Decl. Ex. 4; Declaration of Derek Sivers, Ex. A, ECF 21-1. Each update included a section on investments in Oregon state. Id. The last quarterly update occurred on September 30, 2019. Supp. Warren Decl. Ex. 4 at 15.

Defendants failed to repay the loan by the amended deadline. Am Compl. ¶ 24. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Wilkins, through Fund III, used the entire $700,000 to invest in cannabis companies in Oregon and Maryland, which caused Defendant Fund II to have insufficient funds to repay its obligation. Id. ¶¶ 13-14. On or about January 29, 2020, Derek Sivers assigned his rights, titles, and interests in the Amended Note and in Defendant Fund II’s collateral stock shares to Plaintiff Sound Foundation.

1 A diagram of these transactions provided by Plaintiff is attached as Appendix A to this Opinion and Order. The Court notes that Defendants object to the accuracy of this diagram because it suggests that Defendant Wilkins is the only director of SCI Management when there are three directors. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 22, 23; Am. Compl. Ex. 3. Defendant Wilkins signed the Assignment of Debt Agreement. Am. Compl. Ex. 3 at 3. The Agreement also includes an Oregon choice of law provision. Id.

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Sound Foundation v. SCI Fund II, LLC, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sound-foundation-v-sci-fund-ii-llc-ord-2022.