Winchester Capital Management Co. v. Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co.

144 F.R.D. 170, 24 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 348, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16288, 1992 WL 302291
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedOctober 15, 1992
DocketCiv. A. No. 91-11014-H
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 144 F.R.D. 170 (Winchester Capital Management Co. v. Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Winchester Capital Management Co. v. Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co., 144 F.R.D. 170, 24 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 348, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16288, 1992 WL 302291 (D. Mass. 1992).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON MOTION TO COMPEL DEPOSITION TESTIMONY AND PRODUCTION OF SUBPOENAED DOCUMENTS (# 19)

COLLINGS, United States Magistrate Judge.

INTRODUCTION

In 1989, the defendant (hereinafter, “Manufacturers”) began to consider offering a guaranteed investment contract (“GIC”) and an enhanced guaranteed investment contract (“enhanced GIC”) to investors. However, it had no experience in operating GIC or enhanced GIC funds and sought to identify an organization from whom it could obtain advice with respect to these types of funds.

After an investigation during the late spring and early summer of 1989 of various firms who offered such services, Manufacturers selected plaintiff (hereinafter, “Winchester”) as the entity with whom it wished .to contract. Although contract negotiations continued at least until mid-1990, no written contract was ever consummated. Winchester alleges that there was a contract, albeit not in writing; Manufacturers denies the allegation. The law firm of Nutter, McClennen & Fish represented Winchester during its contract negotiations with Manufacturers. In February, 1991, Manufacturers informed Winchester that it no longer wished to enter into a contract.

Manufacturers alleges that one of the reasons it selected Winchester as the entity with whom it would attempt to contract was that one Michael Chiusano, an individual who had special expertise regarding GICs, was a consultant to Winchester. Chiusano ceased his relationship with Winchester in 1990, and Manufacturers cites his departure as one of its reasons for its [172]*172position that a contract with Winchester was no longer desirable. Winchester alleges that this reason is “spurious” and that Chiusano and Winchester actually terminated their relationship in February, 1990. Winchester alleges that Manufacturers’ asserted reason for refusing to enter into a contract with Winchester, (i.e., that Mr. Chiusano was no longer associated with Winchester) is a subterfuge and that what Manufacturers really intended was to acquire Winchester’s confidential and proprietary information during the period when the contract was being negotiated.

The instant motion concerns assertions of attorney-client privilege and work-product protection in response to a subpoena duces tecum to Nutter, McClennen & Fish and deposition testimony concerning, in large measure, Mr. Chiusano’s relationship with Winchester.

Mr. Chiusano was not an officer, director or employee of Winchester. Rather, he entered a consulting agreement with Winchester on March 25, 1988 which clearly established his status as an independent contractor vis-a-vis Winchester. In addition, the agreement makes clear that Chiusano was to be Winchester’s only source of outside advice respected GIC and enhanced GIC funds. During Mr. Chiusano’s negotiations with Winchester and its attorney, Nutter, McClennan & Fish, Mr. Chiusano was represented by his own separate attorney.

DEPOSITION TESTIMONY

On April 13, 1988, Mr. Paul Marcus, a principal of Winchester, sought and received an Opinion Letter from Attorney Stephen M. Andress of Nutter, McClennen & Fish. Mr. Chiusano received a copy of the opinion letter, and it was discussed at a meeting between Messrs. Andress, Marcus and Chiusano. Manufacturers, presumably from some source other than Winchester, has obtained a copy of the Opinion Letter (Exhibit A to # 19). Despite the fact that Manufacturers has a copy of the letter, Attorney Andress refused to answer any questions about the letter or the subsequent meeting at his deposition, claiming attorney-client privilege.

The Opinion Letter, by its terms, is a response to Mr. Marcus’ request that he be advised “with respect to the applicability of certain provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws concerning the licensing of ‘insurance brokers’ and ‘insurance advisers’ to the proposed expansion ... of the services you provide to ... clients.” It is clearly a document which provides legal advice to a client on the basis of facts which the client relates to the attorney. It is the type of document which is ordinarily privileged and intended to be confidential. Since there is no allegation that Winchester provided the copy to Manufacturers, the fact that Manufacturers now has a copy does not operate as a waiver of all communications on the subject matter.

Manufacturers argues, however, that since Mr. Chiusano is a “third party,” the disclosure of the document to him and his presence at the discussions on the topics discussed in the letter operates as a waiver. While the general proposition is sound, as with many legal principles, there are exceptions, and, in my opinion, Mr. Chiusano, at least in the context of the Opinion Letter, falls into the exception which provides that disclosure to a third party who is identified with the party claiming the privilege and to whom disclosure is reasonable and necessary in order for all the facts to be made known to the attorney does not waive the privilege. James Julian, Inc. v. Raytheon Co., 93 F.R.D. 138, 141 (D.Del., 1982) (prior employee and consultant); Miller v. Haulmark Transport Systems, 104 F.R.D. 442, 444-45 (E.D.Pa., 1984) (insurance agent). I find that Winchester has carried its burden of establishing its entitlement to assert the privilege as to discussions at which Mr. Chiusano was present for the purpose of transmitting to the attorney information upon which the Opinion Letter was based. The motion to compel deposition testimony as to these communications will be denied.

Manufacturers seeks to compel deposition testimony respecting other meetings which it has characterized as follows:

[173]*173(1) Meetings between Messrs. Marcus, Andress and Chiusano where the structure of a guaranteed investment contract (GIC) business was discussed.
(2) Meetings between Messrs. Marcus, Andress, and Chiusano where Mr. Chiusano’s role in GIC businesses and his professional experience were discussed.
(3) Meetings between Messrs. Marcus, John Livens (of Winchester) and An-dress on June 28, 1990 discussing whether the provisions of a draft investment advisory agreement were acceptable.
(4) Whether Mr. Andress had been told prior to June 28, 1990 that Winchester had discontinued its use of Mr. Chiusano in February, 1990.

The issue with respect to these four meetings is whether any information was conveyed either from the client to the attorney or from the attorney to the client which was intended to be kept confidential. The positions of the parties.may be summarized as follows:

Manufacturer’s position
With respect to the meetings between Paul Marcus and Attorney Andress, at which Mr. Chiusano was present, discussing the structuring of a guaranteed investment contract-related business, and Mr. Chiusano’s role in that business, Winchester has made no showing that the communications made at the meeting were, or were intended to be, confidential.
******
The same analysis ... applies to meetings between Paul Marcus and Steven Andress, attended by Michael Chiusano, during which Mr. Chiusano’s experience in the field of guaranteed investment contracts was discussed. Moreover, Mr. Marcus’ views as to Mr. Chiusano’s experience (and potential value to Winchester) are hardly confidential.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
144 F.R.D. 170, 24 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 348, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16288, 1992 WL 302291, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/winchester-capital-management-co-v-manufacturers-hanover-trust-co-mad-1992.