South Bend Clinic v. Paul

651 F. Supp. 1212, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 409
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedJanuary 15, 1987
DocketNo. S84-363
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 651 F. Supp. 1212 (South Bend Clinic v. Paul) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
South Bend Clinic v. Paul, 651 F. Supp. 1212, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 409 (N.D. Ind. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

ALLEN SHARP, Chief Judge.

The jurisdiction of this court is based on diversity of citizenship under Title 28 U.S.C. §§ 1332 and 1441. It is undisputed that a basis for such jurisdiction exists.

The evidence in this case was heard in South Bend, Indiana, on December 1 and 2, 1986 and final arguments were heard on the morning of December 4, 1986. Pursuant to the mandates of the resolution of the [1213]*1213Judicial Council for the Seventh Circuit dated October 4, 1984, supplemental briefs were filed simultaneously on the December 22, 1986. This case was tried by highly competent and very experienced trial counsel and the written briefs tendered are excellent. Their briefs have been most helpful to the court.

There is no dispute here that the substantive law of Indiana governs under the principles laid down in Erie Railroad v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64, 58 S.Ct. 817, 82 L.Ed. 1188 (1938).

The basic outlines of the evidence presented in the trial are not in serious dispute but the battleground appears to be in the application of the substantive law of Indiana in the area of liquidated damages in a restrictive covenant.

The South Bend Clinic is located in South Bend, Indiana, and has a historic existence of some seventy (70) years in what became to be called group practice. It is a partnership of physicians and dentists with various professional specialties. Dr. William E. Paul is a licensed dentist who has completed all of the basic requirements for a dental license in the State of Indiana plus additional requirements that qualify him to practice oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Dr. Paul’s origins were in the area of Columbus, Indiana, and prior to his association with The South Bend Clinic he had not lived or practiced his profession in the immediate environs of South Bend, Indiana. While still in his residency program in oral surgery on November 24, 1978, he signed a so-called Associate Agreement which is now identified as Appendix A hereto, which Associate Agreement became effective November 1, 1979. Under that Associate Agreement, the defendant was to receive compensation as an associate of the Clinic, to be determined in the same manner and method as was used by the Clinic in determining the compensation of a partner under the Partnership Agreement of The South Bend Clinic which was dated June 14,1968. The Clinic guaranteed Dr. Paul a minimum compensation of Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) for a twelve months period. As is readily apparent from a simple facial examination of the aforesaid Associate agreement it did not contain any restricted covenant or provision for liquidated damages. On this very point Dr. Paul’s quibbling and unbelievable testimony seriously undermined his credibility as a witness as this court saw, observed and heard him. It is most difficult for this court to comprehend that a person of Dr. Paul’s obvious intelligence, education and sophistication would come to believe that there was a restrictive covenant or a liquidated damage provision in the aforesaid Associate Agreement when there plainly was not.

The 1968 Partnership Agreement was modified in 1974 as follows:

Any member may resign and withdraw as a member of this partnership at any time upon giving written notice to the Board of Trustees hereto, provided, however, that any partner who resigns, retires, becomes disabled or withdraws from the partnership agrees that he will not practice medicine or surgery for a period of one year from the effective date of resignation, retirement, disability or withdrawal within the area contained in a circle drawn with a radius of fifty miles of the location of the main building used and occupied by the partnership or agrees that he will pay in cash to the partnership an amount equal to fifty per cent (50%) of his earnings for the fiscal year next preceding the year of resignation or withdrawal, or the sum of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), whichever is the larger, as liquidated damages, as may be determined by a majority of the remaining members and provided further that both the restriction and the liquidated damages may be waived if a majority of four-fifth (4/5ths) of the remaining members so agree upon the request of such resigning, retiring, disabled or withdrawing partners. (Plaintiff Exhibit 13).

Dr. Paul was given a copy of the 1968 Partnership Agreement and the 1974 amendment thereto and Dr. Paul testified [1214]*1214that he had these documents reviewed by an attorney who did legal work for his father in Columbus, Indiana, and that it was specifically pointed out to him that said documents contained a restrictive covenant and a liquidated damage provision.

At this point it is also important to emphasize that at no time in this case has Dr. Paul challenged either the time or space requirements of the aforesaid restrictive covenant. The focus centers on the provisions liquidated damages as will soon become apparent.

It should also be emphasized that counsel for the defendant explicitly precluded any assertion of claims under any federal statutes dealing with antitrust or restraint of trade and has not asserted here that any of the agreements between the defendant and the Clinic were the product of fraud in the inducement or fraud in the inception.

On December 30,1980, Dr. Paul executed a full Partnership Agreement by which he agreed to be bound by the 1968 Partnership Agreement and its supplements and amendments, including the 1974 amendment above quoted which contained the restrictive covenant and liquidated damage provision here in issue. This court finds specifically that when Dr. Paul executed the Partnership Agreement he was well aware that he was bound by the restrictive covenant and the liquidated damage provision.

In October 1982, a new Partnership Agreement of The South Bend Clinic was entered into and signed by all of the partners of The South Bend Clinic including Dr. Paul. That new Partnership Agreement contained in it verbatim the 1974 amendment to the 1968 Partnership Agreement including the restrictive covenant and the liquidated damage provision.

During his tenure at The South Bend Clinic, Dr. Paul practiced with a Dr. David Harris in the oral surgery department and proved to be an enormous and immediate financial success. In 1980, the first full year as an associate at the Clinic Dr. Paul produced $342,933.67 with an income of $159,958.15.

On December 5,1983, Dr. Paul submitted his letter of resignation as a member of the partnership to become effective December 29, 1983. At a partnership meeting on December 23, 1983, an unsuccessful effort was made to waive the restrictive covenant for payment of seventy-five percent (75%) of the amount due and owing under the liquidated damage provision thereof. This piece of evidence is only relevant to indicate that the Clinic in no sense can be said to have waived the provisions of the restricted covenant and the liquidated damage provision.

On December 29, 1983 Dr. Paul established his practice of oral surgery at 707 North Michigan Street in the city of South Bend, Indiana, within one mile of the location of the Clinic.

In the calendar year 1982 Dr. Paul earned $219,286.00.

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Related

South Bend Clinic v. Paul
662 F. Supp. 452 (N.D. Indiana, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
651 F. Supp. 1212, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 409, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/south-bend-clinic-v-paul-innd-1987.