On October 20, 2020, the First Department issued a decision in La Scoula D’Italia Guglielmo Marconi v. Gates Capital Corp., 2020 NY Slip Op. 05859, enforcing a disclaimer of fiduciary duty, explaining: Here, the documents conclusively establish that defendants acted as placement agent to plaintiff and not, as plaintiff now contends, also as a financial... Read more »
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Posts Categorized: Fiduciary Duties
Fiduciary Duty Claims Based on Joint Venture Fail Without Provision Providing for Sharing Losses as Well as Profits
On October 1, 2020, the First Department issued a decision in Shionogi Inc. v. Andrx Labs, LLC, 2020 NY Slip Op. 05308, holding that breach of fiduciary duty claims based on an alleged joint venture fail without allegations of an agreement to share losses as well as profits, explaining: Plaintiff failed to point to cognizable... Read more »
A Claim for an Accounting May be Made Whenever a Fiduciary Relationship Exists
On August 20, 2020, Justice Masley of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Storper v. WL Ross & Co., LLC, 2020 NY Slip Op. 32742(U), holding that a claim for an accounting may be made whenever a fiduciary relationship exists, explaining: The right to an accounting is premised upon the existence... Read more »
Accounting Claim Dismissed for Failure Adequately to Allege a Fiduciary Relationship
On July 16, 2020, Justice Borrok of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Karen’s Shipping, LLC v. West Side Foods, Inc., 2020 NY Slip Op. 32347(U), dismissing an accounting claim for failure adequately to allege a fiduciary relationship, explaining: To demonstrate entitlement to equitable accounting, a plaintiff must establish (i) the... Read more »
Allegations Insufficient to Show Existence of a Joint Venture
On July 22, 2020, the Second Department issued a decision in MacKay v. Paesano, 2020 NY Slip Op. 04155, holding that the plaintiff had failed adequately to allege the existence of a joint venture and, thus, of a fiduciary duty, explaining: The essential elements of a joint venture are an agreement manifesting the intent of... Read more »
Accountants Did Not Have Fiduciary Duty to Client
On June 18, 2020, Justice Borrok of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Deane v. Brodman, 2020 NY Slip Op. 31880(U), holding that accountants did not have a fiduciary duty to their client, explaining: To prevail on a cause of action for breach of fiduciary duty, a plaintiff must prove the... Read more »
To State a Conspiracy to Breach Fiduciary Duty Claim, All Alleged Conspirators Must Owe Fiduciary Duties
On May 8, 2020, Justice Borrok of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Sands Bros. Venture Capital II, LLC v. Metropolitan Paper Recycling, Inc., 2020 NY Slip Op. 50568(U), dismissing a claim for conspiracy to breach a fiduciary duty because not all the conspirators were alleged to have such duties, explaining:... Read more »
Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims Timely Even Though Alleged Breach Merely Renewed Earlier, Time-Barred Breaches
On May 7, 2020, the First Department issued a decision in Ganzi v. Ganzi, 2020 NY Slip Op. 02740, holding that breach of fiduciary claims were timely even though the alleged breach merely renewed earlier, time-barred breaches, explaining: Breach of fiduciary duty is a tort claim that accrues when all the elements of the tort... Read more »
Fiduciary With Unfettered Discretion Cannot Exercise That Discretion in Bad Faith
On February 27, 2020, the First Department issued a decision in Shatz v. Chertok, 2020 NY Slip Op. 01383, holding that even a fiduciary with unfettered contractual discretion cannot exercise that discretion in bad faith, explaining: The motion court correctly declined to dismiss the breach of fiduciary duty cause of action. In Richbell Info. Servs.... Read more »
LLC’s Managing Members Owed Fiduciary Duties to Non-Managing Member
On January 3, 2020, Justice Scarpulla of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Zunzurovski v. Bukefal LLC, 2020 NY Slip Op. 30264(U), holding that an LLC’s managing members had fiduciary duties to its non-managing member, explaining: To assert a claim for breach of fiduciary duty, a plaintiff must allege that (1)... Read more »