Yankowitz Law Firm, P.C. v. Tashlitsky (In re Tashlitsky)

492 B.R. 640, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 2559, 58 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 42
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJune 24, 2013
DocketCase No. 12-45669-CEC; Adv. Proc. No. 12-1304-CEC
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 492 B.R. 640 (Yankowitz Law Firm, P.C. v. Tashlitsky (In re Tashlitsky)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yankowitz Law Firm, P.C. v. Tashlitsky (In re Tashlitsky), 492 B.R. 640, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 2559, 58 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 42 (N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

Chapter 7

DECISION

CARLA E. CRAIG, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge

This matter comes before the Court on the motion of Gary Tashlitsky a/k/a Igor Tashlitsky (the “Debtor”), seeking to dismiss, in part, the complaint (the “Complaint”) filed against him by Yankowitz Law Firm, P.C. (“Plaintiff’ or ‘Yankow-itz”), objecting to the dischargeability of a debt under § 523 of Title 11, U.S.C. (the “Bankruptcy Code”).1 The Complaint alleges that the Debtor diverted potential clients from Yankowitz to other law practices while acting as Yankowitz’s office manager, and that the debt is non-dis-chargeable under § 523(a)(4), which provides an exception to discharge for debts for “fraud or defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity, embezzlement, or larceny,” and under § 523(a)(6), which provides an exception to discharge for debts for “willful and malicious injury by the debtor to another entity or to the property of another entity.” Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, as incorporated by Rule 7012(b) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the “Bankruptcy Rules”), the Debtor moves to dismiss the cause of action predicated on § 523(a)(4). The Debtor asserts that he did not act in a “fiduciary capacity,” and the diversion of potential clients does not constitute “embezzlement,” as those terms are used in § 523(a)(4). For the reasons set forth below, the Debtor’s motion is granted, and the claim predicated on § 523(a)(4) is dismissed, except to the extent set forth below.

JURISDICTION

This Court has jurisdiction of this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b), and the Eastern District of New York standing order of reference dated August 28, 1996, as amended by order dated December 5, 2012. This matter is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I). This decision constitutes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law to the extent required by Bankruptcy Rule 7052.

BACKGROUND

The Debtor filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code on August 2, 2012. On Schedule F, which lists creditors holding unsecured [643]*643non-priority claims, the Debtor scheduled a debt to Yankowitz as contingent, unliqui-dated, and disputed. On November 7, 2012, Plaintiff timely filed a complaint seeking a determination that the debt owed to Plaintiff is not dischargeable in bankruptcy pursuant to § 523(a)(4) and (6).2

The Complaint alleges the following pertinent facts:

From 2001 until November 26, 2008, the Debtor, a law school graduate who was never licensed to practice law, was employed by the Plaintiffs personal injury law firm as its full time office manager. Compl. ¶¶ 12, 13, ECF No. 1 (“Compl.”). In this capacity, the Debtor was responsible for taking basic information from potential clients who contacted the Plaintiffs office. Compl. ¶ 15.

At some point between 2006 and 2008, the Debtor began diverting potential clients from Yankowitz to his own unauthorized law practice, or to one of two other law firms. Compl. ¶¶ 16, 17. The Debtor solicited the assistance of other Yankowitz employees in furtherance of this scheme, and used “firm resources, including but not limited to Plaintiffs phone system, computers, fax machines, photocopying resources, postage, federal express account, Department of Motor Vehicle account, and supplies.” Compl. ¶ 19.

The Complaint alleges that Debtor “did not comply with his agreement with The Yankowitz Law Firm that required him to give his full and undivided loyalty and efforts on the firm’s behalf, as a full time employee; and, instead, engaged in fraudulent and illegal efforts to benefit himself to the detriment of The Yankowitz Law Firm and assisted aforesaid attorneys ..., during business hours and while being compensated by The Yankowitz Law Firm.” Compl. ¶ 21. The Complaint further alleges that “[t]he defendant/debtor Tashlitsky, as an employee of The Yan-kowitz Law Firm, PC owed the firm a duty of loyalty and good faith and he breached his fiduciary duty by engaging in a secretive, fraudulent scheme to unlawfully solicit and divert potential clients of the firm to himself and/or other attorneys.” Compl. ¶ 25.

The Plaintiff commenced an action in state court against the Debtor and the other law firms on March 19, 2009, asserting causes of action for tortious interference, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment. Compl. Ex. B. This litigation is currently pending, though stayed as to the Debtor.

Based on these allegations, Yankowitz seeks a determination that the Debtor’s liability to Yankowitz is non-dischargeable. Yankowitz claims that the debt is non-dischargeable under § 523(a)(4) because the debt is for “fraud or defalcation while acting in a fiduciary capacity,” and for “embezzlement.” Yankowitz also asserts that the debt is non-dischargeable under § 523(a)(6) because the debt is for “willful and malicious injury” to Yankowitz.

On December 14, 2012, the Debtor filed a motion to dismiss the claim predicated on § 523(a)(4). The Debtor argues that even if all allegations in the Complaint are true, Debtor, as office manager of a law firm, was not a fiduciary within the meaning of § 523(a)(4); that the diversion of potential clients does not constitute the taking of “property” as required to establish embezzlement; and that the Com[644]*644plaint does not adequately plead the elements of fraud as required under Rule 9 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

DISCUSSION

A. Standard for a Motion to Dismiss

Under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, made applicable in bankruptcy cases by Bankruptcy Rule 7012(b), a complaint may be dismissed for “failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 12(b)(6). “To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). While “ ‘a court must accept as true all [factual] allegations contained in a complaint,’ [it] need not accept ‘legal conclusions.’ ” Wells Fargo Bank, Nat. Ass’n v. Kokolis, No. 12-cv-2433 (DLI)(JO), 2013 WL 789448 at *2 (E.D.N.Y.2013) (citing Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937).

B. Section 523(a)(1)

The goal of the Bankruptcy Code is to provide a fresh start to the “honest but unfortunate” debtor. Cohen v. de la Cruz,

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Bluebook (online)
492 B.R. 640, 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 2559, 58 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 42, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yankowitz-law-firm-pc-v-tashlitsky-in-re-tashlitsky-nyeb-2013.