Waters v. Armenian Genocide Museum & Memorial, Inc.

Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Waters v. Armenian Genocide Museum & Memorial, Inc.. Read the opinion of the Court — 924 F. Supp. 2d 183
District Court, District of Columbia·Decided February 20, 2013·No. Civil Action No. 2008-1254·Published

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA, INC., et al.,

Plaintiffs/Counter-Defendants, Civil Action Nos. 07-1259, 08-255, 08-1254 v. (CKK) GERARD L. CAFESJIAN, et al.,

Defendants/Counter-Plaintiffs.

MEMORANDUM OPINION (February 20, 2013)

Following a twelve-day bench trial in November 2010, the Court held that

Defendants/Counter-Plaintiffs John J. Waters and Gerard L. Cafesjian were entitled to

indemnification from Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant Armenian Genocide Museum & Memorial,

Inc. (“AGM&M”) for legal expenses incurred in defending claims asserted against Waters and

Cafesjian in their capacities as former officers of AGM&M. Armenian Assembly of Am., Inc. v.

Cafesjian, 772 F. Supp. 2d 20, 126-27 (D.D.C. 2011) (“Armenian Assembly I”). The Defendants

subsequently filed a motion seeking $2,875,058.23 in fees and expenses from AGM&M, which

the Court referred to Magistrate Judge Alan Kay for resolution. Defs.’ Suppl. Mot. for

Attorney’s Fees, ECF No. [220]; 5/9/2011 Order, ECF No. [309].1 Magistrate Judge Kay issued

a Report and Recommendation on April 24, 2012, recommending that the Court award the

Defendants indemnification in the amount of $1,461,658.54. Report & Recomm. (“R&R”), ECF

No. [352]. Presently before the Court are AGM&M’s objections to Magistrate Judge Kay’s

1 For ease of reference, all docket entries refer to Case No. 07-1259. R&R.2 Upon consideration of the pleadings,3 the relevant legal authorities, and the record as a

whole, the Court finds none of AGM&M’s objections have merit. The Court shall deduct

$13,684.38 from the final award as agreed to by the parties, but the AGM&M’s objections are

OVERRULED. Magistrate Judge Kay’s Report and Recommendation is ADOPTED as

modified below, for substantially the same reasons as articulated by Magistrate Judge Kay.

I. LEGAL STANDARD

Under Local Civil Rule 72.2(b), “[a]ny party may file written objections to a magistrate

judge’s ruling under [Local Civil Rule 72.2(a) ] within 14 days[.]” Local Civ. R. 72.2(b). Local

Civil Rule 72.2(b) further provides that “[t]he objections shall specifically designate the order or

part thereof to which objection is made, and the basis for the objection.” Id. Pursuant to Local

Civil Rule 72.2(c), “a district judge may modify or set aside any portion of a magistrate judge’s

order under this Rule found to be clearly erroneous or contrary to law.” See also Fed. R. Civ. P.

72(a) (“The district judge in the case must consider timely objections and modify or set aside any

portion of the [magistrate judge’s] order that is clearly erroneous or is contrary to law.”)

(emphasis added). A court should make such a finding when the court “‘is left with the definite

and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.’” Am. Soc’y for Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals v. Feld Entm’t, 659 F.3d 13, 21 (D.C. Cir. 2011) (quoting Anderson v. City of Bessemer

City, 470 U.S. 564, 573 (1985)).

2 The Defendants do not object to the Report and Recommendation, but indicated they intend to supplement their request based on newly incurred costs “at an appropriate time.” Defs.’ Notice at 1. 3 While the Court’s decision is based on the record as a whole, the Court’s analysis focuses on the following documents: Pl.’s Objs., ECF No. [358]; Defs.’ Resp., ECF No. [363]; Pl.’s Reply, ECF No. [364]; Defs.’ Surreply, [366-1]; and Pl.’s Surreply, ECF No. [368]. Both parties moved for leave to file a surreply. The Court shall grant both motions, and considered both pleadings in resolving the Plaintiff’s objections.

2 II. DISCUSSION

A. AGM&M’s Status as a Private Foundation Does Not Preclude Indemnification

Initially, AGM&M objects to Magistrate Judge Kay’s refusal to revisit the Court’s earlier

decision that AGM&M’s status as a private foundation does not preclude AGM&M from

indemnifying the Defendants. Pl.’s Objs. at 14. The indemnification provision of AGM&M’s

By-laws indicates that the corporation will indemnify any former trustee or officer “against any

and all expenses and liabilities actually and necessarily incurred by him . . . in connection with

any claim, action, suit or proceeding . . . in which he or she is or may be made a party by reason

of having been [a] Trustee[]” or officer. Pls.’ Tr. Ex. 122 (PX-122), § 4.1. The availability of

indemnification is limited by Section 4.3 of the By-laws, which provides that

[I]f at any time the Corporation is deemed to be a private foundation within the meaning of Section 509 of the Code then, during such time, no payment shall be made under this Article if such payment would constitute an act of self-dealing or a taxable expenditure, as defined in Section 4941(d) or Section 4945(d), respectively, of the [Internal Revenue] Code.

Armenian Assembly of Am., Inc. v. Cafesjian, 772 F. Supp. 2d 129, 151 (D.D.C. 2011)

(“Armenian Assembly II”). AGM&M asserts (and the Defendants do not dispute) that AGM&M

is currently considered a private foundation by the IRS. Pl.’s Objs. at 14 & Ex. B (IRS Exempt

Org. Select Check for AGM&M). Pursuant to section 4941(d)(1), “self-dealing” includes

payment of compensation or transfer of income/assets of the foundation to a “disqualified

person.” 26 U.S.C. § 4941(d)(1)(D), (E). Per section 4946, officers like Defendants Waters and

Cafesjian are “disqualified persons.” 26 U.S.C. § 4946(a)(1)(B), (b)(1).

As previously noted by the Court, under certain circumstances, Treasury regulations

provide that indemnification of former officers does not constitute self-dealing for purposes of

section 4941(d). Armenian Assembly II, 772 F. Supp. 2d at 151. Pursuant to 26 C.F.R.

3 § 53.4941(d)–2(f)(3),

section 4941(d)(1) shall not apply to the indemnification by a private foundation of a foundation manager, with respect to the manager's defense in any civil judicial or civil administrative proceeding arising out of the manager's performance of services (or failure to perform services) on behalf of the foundation, against all expenses (other than taxes, including taxes imposed by chapter 42, penalties, or expenses of correction) including attorneys' fees, judgments and settlement expenditures if—

(A) Such expenses are reasonably incurred by the manager in connection with such proceeding; and

(B) The manager has not acted willfully and without reasonable cause with respect to the act or failure to act which led to such proceeding or to liability for tax under chapter 42.

The Court thus held that “the By–Laws provision precluding payment of indemnification where

it constitutes self-dealing does not preclude the Court from ordering AGM&M to pay Cafesjian

and Waters for the reasonable expenses they incurred in defending their claims.” Armenian

Assembly II, 772 F. Supp. 2d at 152. Magistrate Judge Kay declined AGM&M’s invitation to

revisit this ruling.

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