Xerox State & Local Solutions, Inc. v. Xchanging Solutions (USA), Inc.

216 F. Supp. 3d 355, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145581, 2016 WL 6135660
District Court, S.D. New York·Decided October 20, 2016·No. 13 Civ. 3472 (LLS)·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

OPINION & ORDER

LOUIS L. STANTON, United States District Judge.

Plaintiff Xerox State & Local Solutions, Inc.’s (“Xerox”)1 amended complaint seeks indemnification from defendants Xchang-[359]*359ing Solutions (USA), Inc. (“Xchanging USA”)2 and Xchanging Solutions Limited (“Xchanging Ltd.”)3 (collectively “Xchang-ing”) for losses resulting from Xchanging’s breach of representations and warranties.

Xchanging moves for summary judgment to dismiss Xerox’s claim as time barred. For the reasons that follow, the motion is granted.

BACKGROUND

Xerox is incorporated in New York. Dkt. No. 59 ¶ B.1, Exh. 1. Its principal place of business is in Dallas, Texas. Dkt. No. 56 Exh. A9. Xchanging and Xerox entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (“APA”) dated January 22, 2007, and an amendment dated April 25, 2007. Dkt. No. 56 ¶ 1, Exh. A1 at 2, 244. Through the APA Xerox, purchased Xchanging’s rights and obligations under a contract with the Tennessee Department of Human Services (“Tennessee Contract”) to design and construct a computer software application referred to as the Vision Integration Platform (“VIP”). Id. ¶ 3. The APA provides that it is to be “governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.” Id. ¶ 2, Exh. A1 at 68.

In a Disclosure Schedule attached to the APA, Xchanging provided a description of the VIP’s status and progress and estimated, among other things, the project end date to be in May 2009, and future cost to be incurred $14, 086, 931. Id. ¶ 4, Exh. A1 at 226. Xchanging’s Closing Month Financial Baseline, attached to the amendment, provided an updated description of the VIP’s status and progress and estimated the project end date to be in December 2009, and' future cost to be incurred $14,221,587. Id. Exh. A1 at 277-78. The APA represented that the information in the Disclosure Schedule and in the Closing Month Financial Baseline was “accurate and complete.” Id. ¶¶ 4-5, Ex. A1 at 37. Additionally, in a Bring Down Certificate dated April 25, 2007, Xchanging certified that the representations and warranties made in the APA continued to be “true and correct”. Dkt. No. 59 ¶ B. 5, Exh. 2. The representations and warranties were to survive the closing and expire on the thirtieth day after the applicable statute of limitation. Dkt. No. 56 ¶¶ 12-14, Exh. A1 at 60, 17, 11.

According to Xerox, the parties agreed to a final purchase price on October 9, 2007 in the sum of $30,866,333. Dkt. No. 59 ¶ B.9, Exh. 3. Xerox claims that it relied on the representations and warranties in the APA and in the Bring Down Certificate in agreeing to the price it paid for the Tennessee Contract. Amend. Compl. (Dkt. No. 18) ¶¶ 30-31.

Xerox alleges that as of July 15, 2013, the project was still not completed and that Xerox’s total expenditure on the VIP was nearly $100, 000, 000. Id. ¶¶ 39-40.

In the APA, Xchanging agreed to indemnify Xerox for any loss, regardless of whether or not such loss related to third party claims, arising out of or resulting from any breach or inaccuracy of the representations in the Disclosure Schedule or the Closing Month Financial Baseline. Dkt. No. 56 ¶ 15, Exh. A1 at 61. Indemnification under the APA is the sole and exclusive remedy for any breach of the representations and warranties made in the APA. Id. ¶ 16, Exh. A1 at 63.

' On May 22, 2013, Xerox commenced this action by filing a two-count complaint against Xchanging for indemnification and breach of contract. Dkt. No. 1. On July 15, [360]*3602013, Xerox amended its complaint, alleging only one count for indemnification (thereby mooting Xchanging USA’s then pending partial motion to dismiss the breach of contract count). Dkt. No. 18.

The amended complaint alleges that the information in the Disclosure Schedule and in the Closing Month Financial Baseline was neither accurate nor complete, and that Xchanging is, therefore, in breach of the representations and warranties it made in the APA and in the Bring Down Certificate. Id. ¶¶ 43, 50. It alleges that Xerox is entitled to indemnity from Xchanging for losses it incurred as a result of Xchanging’s breach in the form of “the difference between the value of the Tennessee Contract as warranted and represented, and the value of the Tennessee Contract as delivered.” Id. ¶ 55.

At the time this motion was served, discovery had been ongoing for approximately two and a half years, which involved considerable expense. Dkt. No. 59 ¶¶ B.13-26.

In its Motion for Summary Judgment Xchanging makes two arguments: (1) Under New York’s borrowing statute, Xerox’s claim is time barred by Texas’s four year statute of limitation, and (2) even if subject to New York’s longer six year limitation period, the claim is still time barred because it was filed after the six year limitation period expired.

DISCUSSION

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction exists pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332 because the parties are diverse and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000 exclusive of interest and costs. Amend. Compl. ¶ 11.

Standard for Summary Judgment

“The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). “An issue of fact is genuine if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. A fact is material if it might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law.” WWBITV, Inc. v. Vill. of Rouses Point, 589 F.3d 46, 49 (2d Cir. 2009). “In looking at the record, we construe the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and draw all inferences and resolve all ambiguities in favor of the nonmoving party.” Dalberth v. Xerox Corp., 766 F.3d 172, 182 (2d Cir. 2014).

Choice of Law

“A federal court sitting in diversity jurisdiction will, of course, apply the law of the forum state on outcome determinative issues.” Bank of N.Y. v. Amoco Oil Co., 35 F.3d 643, 650 (2d Cir. 1994), citing Erie R.R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64, 80, 58 S.Ct. 817, 823, 82 L.Ed. 1188 (1938); 28 U.S.C. § 1652. “Because this action was filed in a district court within the State of New York, we will apply New York’s substantive law.” Schiavone Constr. Co. v. City of New York, 99 F.3d 546, 548 (2d Cir. 1996).

The APA provides that “This agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.” Dkt. No. 56 Exh. A1 at 68. New York General Obligations Law § 5-1401(1) provides, in pertinent part:

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Xerox State & Local Solutions, Inc. v. Xchanging Solutions (USA), Inc., 216 F. Supp. 3d 355, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145581, 2016 WL 6135660 (S.D.N.Y. 2016).

216 F. Supp. 3d 355 (Xerox State & Local Solutions, Inc. v. Xchanging Solutions (USA), Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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