Tucker v. Vincent

471 S.W.3d 787, 2015 Mo. App. LEXIS 1032, 2015 WL 5823384
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 6, 2015
DocketNo. ED 102388
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 471 S.W.3d 787 (Tucker v. Vincent) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tucker v. Vincent, 471 S.W.3d 787, 2015 Mo. App. LEXIS 1032, 2015 WL 5823384 (Mo. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

KURT S. ODENWALD, Judge

Introduction

Appellant Steven Tucker (“Tucker”) appeals from the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Respondent Michael Vincent (“Vincent”) on Tucker’s petition for accounting malpractice and negligent misrepresentation against Vincent. On appeal, Tucker contends that if the trial court’s grant of summary judgment was based upon a finding that Tucker’s claims are subject to the mandatory arbitration provision in the Stock Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) entered into between Tucker and Electromedico, LLC, then the trial court erred because Tucker’s tort claims against Vincent are not subject to the SPA. Tucker further argues that if the trial court granted summary judgment ber cause it found that Tucker’s claims barred by res judicata, then the trial court erred because res judicata does not apply to this action. Lastly, Tucker maintains that if it is necessary to determine the basis of the trial court’s summary judgment ruling, we must find that the trial court limited its ruling to a finding that Tucker must pursue his claims in arbitration.

Because no valid agreement to arbitrate existed between Tucker and Vincent, and because the limited circumstances under which a non-party to an arbitration agreement may compel arbitration are not present here, Tucker’s claims are not subject to mandatory arbitration. Because there is no identity of parties between the Florida arbitration proceeding and Tucker’s present lawsuit, and no identity of the causes of action filed in Pinellas County and Tucker’s present lawsuit, Tucker’s claims for accounting malpractice and negligent misrepresentation are not barred by the principles of res judicata. Accordingly, the trial court erred in granting summary judgment. We reverse the judgment of the trial court and' remand for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Factual and Procedural History

I. The 2007 SPA

In 2001, David Tucker (“David”),1 Tucker’s brother, started a business called [790]*790Electromedical Solutions, Inc. (“ESI”). Tucker later purchased 49 percent of ESI’s shares with the intention of serving as a passive investor in the company. Throughout this time, Vincent served as David’s personal accountant" and the 'accountant for ESI. Vincent also was Tucker’s personal accountant during this time.

In 2007, David decided to sell ESI. David and Tucker each owned 49 percent of the shares of ESI, while a third party, Dorothy Quinn' (“Quinn”) owned the remaining two percent. Vincent emerged as a prospective buyer, and the SPA was structured and consummated to that' effect. Under the terms of the SPA, dated June 26, 2007, David, Tucker, and Quinn sold their respective shares of ESI to Eleetromedico, LLC (“Eleetromedico”), an entity formed by Vincent. The total purchase price paid by Eleetromedico for all of the shares of ESI was $1,250,000. David, Tucker, and Quinn were listed as the Sellers;. each signed the SPA in their individual capacities. Eleetromedico was listed as the Buyer; Vincent signed the SPA on behalf of Eleetromedico, as its Manager. The SPA contained an arbitration clause which read, in relevant part:

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the breach thereof, shall be settled by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association- in accordance with its Commercial Rules of Arbitration and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

II. Florida Proceedings

In 2009, Eleetromedico filed suit against both David and Tucker in Florida alleging breach of representations and warranties in the SPA regarding the value of ESI’s assets transferred as part of the sale. In accordance with the arbitration clause in the SPA, the claims .were submitted to binding arbitration. In 2011, Electromedi-co filed a statement of .claim with the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The statement of claim alleged that, following execution of the SPA, Vincent discovered that David and Tucker had not fully disclosed certain information about ESI and had made certain misrepresentations about the value of ESI. Specifically, Eleetromedico alleged that the amount of accounts receivable for ESI was much lower than the amount represented by David and Tucker. Eleetromedico also alleged that ESI did not own certain assets itemized on its financial statements, and that there were issues with ESI’s customer accounts.

David and Tucker filed an answer to the claim of arbitration. In their answer, they asserted numerous affirmative defenses, including that Eleetromedico failed to act with due negligence in running ESI; that Eleetromedico had equal or greater access to the means of verifying any representations made by David and Tucker; and that the complained-of “representations” were mere opinion or “puffing.” Finally, David and Tucker asserted that they-were entitled to a setoff against any recovery by Eleetromedico due to the undervaluation of ESI when it was sold to Eleetromedico. David and Tucker alleged that Vincent undervalued ESI when he represented to them that $1,250,000 was the fair value of ESI, when in fact ESI had a significantly greater value.

While the arbitration proceeding was pending, David and Tucker filed a lawsuit against Vincent and his accounting firm in the Circuit Court of Pinellas County, Florida. , In their lawsuit David and Tucker asserted claims for professional negligence [791]*791and failure to comply with a request for insurance information, the latter claim a violation of Florida statute.2 David and Tucker alleged that Vincent offered to buy all of the outstanding shares of ESI for $1,250,000 and told Tucker that $1,250,000 represented the fair value of ESI. David and Tucker alleged that they relied on Vincent’s knowledge of and familiarity with ESI, accepted and relied upon his valuation of the company, and, entered into the subsequent SPA with Electromedico with $1,250,000 as the purchase price. David and Tucker further alleged that they became aware in 2012 that ESI had been undervalued by Vincent and was worth substantially more than the purchase price.

In support of their professional negligence claims, David and Tucker averred that both Vincent and his accounting firm had a duty to exercise reasonable professional care, including the specific duties of objectivity and integrity; a duty to refrain from knowingly misrepresenting facts to clients; and a duty to obtain sufficient relevant data to afford a reasonable basis for any conclusions, advice, or recommendations made to clients. David and Tuck: er alleged that conclusions, advice, or recommendations made to clients.

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Bluebook (online)
471 S.W.3d 787, 2015 Mo. App. LEXIS 1032, 2015 WL 5823384, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tucker-v-vincent-moctapp-2015.