Voisine v. Berube

2011 ME 137, 38 A.3d 310, 2011 Me. LEXIS 134
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedDecember 29, 2011
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2011 ME 137 (Voisine v. Berube) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Voisine v. Berube, 2011 ME 137, 38 A.3d 310, 2011 Me. LEXIS 134 (Me. 2011).

Opinion

ALEXANDER, J.

[¶ 1] This appeal arises from a shareholder’s derivative action pursuant to 13-C M.R.S. §§ 751-758 (2010) filed by Gary Voisine on behalf of Valley Firewood and Tree Farm, Inc. (“Valley”) against Valley and Robert J. Berube, a shareholder and president of Valley. Berube appeals from the judgment entered in the Superior Court (Aroostook County, Cuddy, J.) following a jury-waived trial, finding that Be-rube breached his duty to act in good faith toward Valley, pursuant to repealed 13-A M.R.S.A. § 716 (1981 & Supp.1999),1 and awarding damages to Valley in the amount of $1,500,000, with half of that sum, $750,000 plus interest and costs, to be paid over to Voisine.

[¶ 2] On appeal, Berube contends that the court erred in finding that (1) Berube deprived Valley of assets, causing losses to the corporation of $1,500,000 over the years 2001-2007; (2) Voisine, after participating in the sale and division of assets of Valley, had standing to bring the derivative action for Valley’s lost profits; and (3) Valley, the corporate real party-in-interest, had a substantive claim for lost profits after 2001. Because Voisine lacked standing to bring his claim as a shareholder derivative action, we vacate the judgment.

I. SHAREHOLDER DERIVATIVE ACTIONS

[¶ 3] Before considering the history of this case and the issues presented on appeal, it is useful to review the law governing shareholder derivative actions and the distinctions between principles governing shareholder derivative actions and principles governing actions raising similar claims between individuals, such as actions claiming breach of fiduciary duty.

[¶ 4] In a shareholder derivative action, a shareholder of a corporation brings an action on behalf of the corporation that seeks to recover damages from other stockholders or corporate management for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, or [312]*312breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing. “A derivative action is an extraordinary process where courts permit ‘a shareholder to step into the corporation’s shoes and to seek in its right the restitution he could not demand in his own.’” Quinn v. Anvil Corp., 620 F.3d 1005, 1012 (9th Cir.2010) (quoting Lewis v. Chiles, 719 F.2d 1044, 1047 (9th Cir.1983)).

[¶5] In Maine, shareholder derivative actions are governed by 13-C M.R.S. §§ 751-758. A “derivative proceeding” is defined as “a civil suit in the right of a domestic corporation....” 13-C M.R.S. § 751(1). To bring a derivative action, a shareholder must have standing. Standing is defined in section 752 as follows:

A shareholder may not commence or maintain a derivative proceeding unless the shareholder:
1. Shareholder at time of act or omission. Was a shareholder of the corporation at the time of the act or omission complained of or became a shareholder through transfer by operation of law from one who was a shareholder at that time; and
2. Represents interests. Fairly and adequately represents the interests of the corporation in enforcing the right of the corporation.

[¶ 6] Prior to commencing a derivative action, section 753 requires that a shareholder has made “a written demand ... upon the corporation to take suitable action” and that ninety days have expired from the date of demand, unless the shareholder has been notified that the demand has been rejected by the corporation.

[¶ 7] Maine and sixteen other states have adopted “in full” the derivative action provisions of the Model Business Corporation Act.2 2 ABA, Model Business Corporation Act Annotated, § 7.40 at 7-284 (4th ed. 2008). Therefore, precedent in other states can provide a useful guide to application of the derivative action provisions in Maine.

[¶ 8] Derivative actions are also subject to Rule 23A of the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, which is similar to Rule 23.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure governing shareholder derivative actions. See 2 Harvey, Maine Civil Practice § 23AB:2 at 601 (3d ed. 2011). The 2004 Advisory Committee Notes supporting revision of M.R. Civ. P. 23A state: “In keeping with 13-C M.R.S.A. § 752(2), revised Rule 23A makes the focus of the required fair and adequate representation by the plaintiff the interests of “the corporation” and not ‘the shareholders ... similarly situated.’ ” The Advisory Committee Notes further state:

New [sjection 752 requires that the plaintiff ‘fairly and adequately represent the interests of the corporation in enforcing the right of the corporation.’ That new requirement of [sjection 752 is intended to better reflect the nature of a derivative action, where the plaintiff stands in the shoes of the corporation and not the shoes of other shareholders.

[¶ 9] Commentary in the ABA’s Model Business Corporation Act Annotated § publication states: “The same breach of fiduciary duty may injure both the corporation and minority shareholders and may thus provide the basis for both direct and derivative claims.” 2 ABA, Model Business Corporation Act Annotated, § 7.40 at 7-289; see also Quinn, 620 F.3d at 1013-14; Gentile v. Rossette, 906 A.2d 91, 93, 99-100 (Del.2006).

[313]*313[¶ 10] There is no pending concurrent individual direct claim in this case. An individual action was commenced by Voi-sine against Berube, but that action was abandoned before this action was commenced. Thus, the only issues properly before the court in this derivative proceeding are whether Valley itself was damaged and suffered losses as a result of Berube’s conduct and whether Voisine has standing to bring the derivative action on Valley’s behalf.

[¶ 11] Review of those questions is governed by several principles.

[¶ 12] First, in a derivative action, a shareholder has no standing to bring claims on behalf of the corporation if the shareholder participated or acquiesced in division or sale of the assets of the corporation or other acts about which the shareholder complains in the derivative action. See Forbes v. Wells Beach Casino, Inc., 307 A.2d 210, 223 n. 10 (Me.1973) (“stockholder has no standing if either he or his vendor participated or acquiesced in the wrong .... ”); see also Hyams v. Old Dominion Co., 113 Me. 294, 302, 93 A. 747 (1915). This equitable principle from Hyams was cited with approval in another case that arose in northern Maine, the United States Supreme Court’s seminal opinion on shareholder standing, Bangor Punta Operations, Inc. v. Bangor & Aroostook R.R. Co., 417 U.S. 703, 714, 94 S.Ct. 2578, 41 L.Ed.2d 418 (1974).

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Bluebook (online)
2011 ME 137, 38 A.3d 310, 2011 Me. LEXIS 134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/voisine-v-berube-me-2011.