Twin Disc, Inc. v. Lowell

69 F.R.D. 64, 21 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 685, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15460
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedNovember 5, 1975
DocketNo. 73-C-93
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 69 F.R.D. 64 (Twin Disc, Inc. v. Lowell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Twin Disc, Inc. v. Lowell, 69 F.R.D. 64, 21 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 685, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15460 (E.D. Wis. 1975).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

WARREN, District Judge.

Counsel for the defendant named above has filed a motion to dismiss this action. He contends that the issues presented in the complaint are barred by the provisions of Rule 13(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Rule 13 (a)) because, in accordance with that rule, it was necessary that said issues be raised and resolved as compulsory counterclaims in a prior action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The plaintiff here was the defendant there and the defendant here was the plaintiff. See: Lowell v. Twin Disc, Inc., Case No. 72-C-1582 (E.D.N.Y., Order entered March 28, 1975).

Despite the fact that said prior suit was begun in the Supreme Court of Suffolk County, New York, it is clear that the timely removal thereof to the United States District Court caused the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to become controlling. See, e. g., TPO Inc. v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 487 F.2d 131 (3d Cir., 1973). The Court will thus proceed to determine whether defendant’s counsel is correct in his assertions, or whether this action may continue in whole or in part.

I

From a reading of the pleadings, briefs, and other written documents that constitute the record in this ease, it appears that the following facts constitute the background to this litigation:

Sometime during the year 1967, plaintiff Twin Disc, Incorporated (Twin Disc) entered into negotiations with the defendant Frank Lowell for the sale of stock of Lem Instruments Corporation (Lem). Lowell and one Robert Everett, not a party here, were the sole stockholders of Lem. As a result of these negotiations, certain written agreements were signed on or about July 3, 1968. By virtue of these agreements, Twin Disc agreed to purchase the Lem stock then held by Lowell and Everett, and permit Lowell to acquire stock in Twin Disc; Lem agreed to hire Lowell for a period of seven years beginning July 3, 1968; and Twin Disc agreed to guarantee performance by Lem under the terms of the aforementioned contract of employment.

In accordance with their respective commitments, Twin Disc acquired the outstanding stock of Lem, and Lowell acquired stock in Twin Disc and became President and General Manager of Lem. It is apparent that this relationship was found to be unsatisfactory because, on October 8, 1972, Lowell was discharged. Subsequent to that discharge, three suits were commenced, including the action at issue here.

The first of the suits described above was filed by Lowell against Twin Disc in the Supreme Court of Suffolk County, New York. It was subsequently removed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, The complaint in that action charged that Lem had breached its employment agreement with Lowell, and sought damages from Twin Disc as the guarantor of that contract.

A second suit was commenced by Lowell in the Supreme Court of Suffolk County, New York, against Lem. The complaint in that action essentially asserted the allegations raised in the original action against Twin Disc, but sought [66]*66damages from Lem in connection with the breach of the employment contract.

The third suit was brought in this Court by Twin Disc against Lowell. The complaint, filed February 27, 1973, asserts in Count I that damages are due as a result of conduct of the defendant that is alleged to be in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 77q, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 of the Rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder. Count II charges the defendant with breach of the employment contract with Lem by virtue of certain intentional and negligent conduct, and seeks additional damages as a result thereof.

After the commencement of the three actions described above, it appears that the following events took place:

(1) On March 30, 1973, eoiinsel for defendant Lowell filed a motion to dismiss the Wisconsin federal suit, or for summary judgment therein, on the ground that all matters presented were barred by the provisions of Rule 13(a).

(2) An amended complaint was filed in the action pending in the Eastern District of New York, apparently in response to the motion to dismiss. In essence, the breach of contract claim raised by Twin Disc in Count II of the complaint in this Court was added as a counterclaim there.

(3) On April 1, 1975, judgment was entered on the merits of Lowell’s claims in the New York federal action; plaintiff Lowell was thereby denied leave to amend his complaint, and defendant Twin Disc was granted summary judgment. The complaint was ordered dismissed on the basis of a plea of res judicata, the Court finding that Lowell’s claim against Twin Disc was barred because Twin Disc was in privity with Lem and because a jury in the New York state suit had determined that Lem was not liable to Lowell for any breach of the contract of employment. See, Lowell v. Twin Disc, Inc., supra.

(4) By letter dated July 31, 1975, counsel for Twin Disc informed this Court that leave had been granted to withdraw the counterclaim from the New York federal suit. By letter dated August 18, 1975, counsel for Lowell informed this Court that the decision in the New York action was being vigorously appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

To summarize the foregoing, it appears that both of the two suits commenced by Lowell in New York have passed their respective trial stages. The issues confronting this Court thus concern the question of whether Twin Disc may now proceed with either or both of the two counts of the complaint pending here. Counsel for defendant Lowell stands on his motion to dismiss the action: he claims that each issue raised in this Court is barred by the provisions of Rule 13(a) in that, as compulsory ■counterclaims, they could be heard, if at all, only in the New York federal suit. Counsel for plaintiff Twin Disc disputes these arguments and urges that this Court proceed to deny the motions to dismiss and for summary judgment, and hear the case on the merits. For reasons to be articulated in this opinion, the Court finds that dismissal is appropriate at this time.

II

Rule 13(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure reads in pertinent part as follows:

“(a) Compulsory Counterclaims. A pleading shall state as a counterclaim any claim which at the time of serving the pleading the pleader has against any opposing party, if it arises out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the opposing party’s claim and does not require for its adjudication the presence of third parties of whom the court cannot acquire jurisdiction.”

[67]*67Simply stated, the problem before the Court at this time is whether the claims in the complaint at issue here arose out of the same transactions or occurrences as those with which the New York federal suit was concerned. This Court finds that they do.

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Bluebook (online)
69 F.R.D. 64, 21 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 685, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15460, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/twin-disc-inc-v-lowell-wied-1975.