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Forum Non Conveniens Doctrine Applied

In affirming the dismissal of a complaint on forum non conveniens grounds [after noting the first inquiry must be whether the court has jurisdiction over the parties], the First Department wrote:

“The applicability of foreign law is an important consideration in determining a forum non conveniens motion and weighs in favor of dismissal”… .. The question of whether defendants’ corporate veils should be pierced will be determined by the laws of each defendant’s state of incorporation… . That means that a New York court will have to apply the laws of Samoa, Hong Kong, and Canada.  The witnesses and documents required to show that defendants are alter egos will likely be located in Samoa, Hong Kong, and Canada. This also weighs in favor of dismissal… .  Other than the fact that plaintiff is trying to enforce a judgment of the Southern District of New York (which merely recognized a London judgment against Shipping), this case has no tie to New York… .  Flame SA v Worldlink Intl (Holding) Ltd, 2013 NY Slip Op 04107, 1st Dept, 6-6-13

 

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Adjournment Which Would Not Affect Trial Date Should Have Been Granted

The First Department determined Supreme Court should not have denied a request for a one-day adjournment to conduct an independent medical examination (IME):

The court improvidently exercised its discretion by denying defendants a one-day adjournment to conduct the already scheduled IME, as there is no evidence that the failure to conduct it previously was willful, and no evidence that plaintiff would have been prejudiced by the delay …. Moreover, the court could have allowed the IME without vacating the note of issue…, thereby causing no delay in the trial. …  Pickering v Union 15 Rest Corp, 2013 NY Slip Op 04122, 1st Dept, 6-6-13

 

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“Crime-Fraud” Exception to Attorney-Client Privilege Re: Studies Funded by Defendant Casting Doubt on Relationship Between Asbestos and Cancer

In a full-fledged opinion by Justice Andrias, the First Department determined plaintiffs, as part of discovery in this asbestos litigation, were entitled to an in camera review of defendant’s internal communications and to the data underlying published research studies funded by the defendant. The studies purported to cast doubt on whether chrysotile asbestos caused cancer.  In the course of the opinion, the First Department explained the “crime-fraud” exception to the attorney-client privilege (the basis of the request for in camera review of defendant’s internal communications):

The motion court providently exercised its broad discretion …when it  …granted in camera review of the documents to determine whether the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege applied … .

The crime-fraud exception encompasses ” a fraudulent scheme, an alleged breach of fiduciary duty or an accusation of some other wrongful conduct'”…. “[A]dvice in furtherance of a fraudulent or unlawful goal cannot be considered sound.’ Rather advice in furtherance of such goals is socially perverse, and the client’s communications seeking such advice are not worthy of protection”….

A party seeking “to invoke the crime-fraud exception must demonstrate that there is a factual basis for a showing of probable cause to believe that a fraud or crime has been committed and that the communications in question were in furtherance of the fraud or crime” … .However, “[a] lesser evidentiary showing is needed to trigger in camera review than is required ultimately to overcome the privilege”… .

To permit in camera review of the documents to analyze whether the communications were used in furtherance of such wrongful activity, there need only be “a showing of a factual basis adequate to support a good faith belief by a reasonable person that in camera review of the materials may reveal evidence to establish the claim that the crime-fraud exception applies” …. “Once that showing is made, the decision whether to engage in in camera review of the evidence rests in the sound discretion of the [] court” …. Matter of New York City Asbestos Litig, 2013 NY Slip Op 04127, 1st Dept, 6-6-13

 

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30-Day Time-Limit for Bringing Article 78 Proceeding Pursuant to Public Health Law Runs from Date of Determination, Not Date of Written Notice of Determination

The Third Department upheld the Appalachian Regional Emergency Medical Services Council’s determination that petitioner’s Article 78 action was untimely. Although the proceeding was brought within 30 days of the written notice of the Council’s determination, and the Council had a policy of issuing written notice, the Third Department determined the 30 day time-limit started when the determination was made, not when written notice was received:

Public Health Law  §  3008  (5) requires that an appeal be taken within 30 days of when a regional council makes its determination, and there is no statutory requirement that the determination be  in writing (see Public Health Law § 3008 [4]… .  Matter of Richmondville Volunteer Emergency Squad, Inc v NYS Department of Health…, 515688, 3rd Dept, 6-6-13

 

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Nature of Motion to Resettle Explained

In dismissing the appeal from the denial of a motion to resettle or clarify, the Third Department explained the nature of a motion to resettle and some aspects of motions to reargue and renew:

Petitioner’s motion was one to resettle and/or clarify Supreme Court’s prior judgment regarding back pay. Such a motion is designed “not for substantive changes [in, or to amplify a prior decision of, the court], but to correct errors or omissions in form, for clarification or to make the [judgment] conform more accurately to the decision” … .  Such  motions  rest on  the inherent power  of courts to  “‘cure mistakes,  defects  and  irregularities that  do  not  affect substantial rights of [the] parties'” Here, petitioners’ motion  sought, unsuccessfully, to amplify and substantively amend, not merely to clarify, Supreme Court’s prior judgment  … Under established precedent, no appeal lies from the “‘denial of a motion to resettle [or clarify] a substantive portion of an order'” … .Moreover, even were we to view petitioners’ motion as one to reargue, which Supreme Court indicated would have been untimely (see CPLR 2221 [d] [3]), the motion was not “identified specifically as such” (CPLR  2221  [d] [1]), as required, and, in any event, no appeal lies from the denial of a motion to reargue ….  The motion likewise was not denominated as one seeking renewal (see CPLR 2221 [e] [1]) and was not based upon “new facts” or “a change in the law” (CPLR 2221 [e] [2]).  Accordingly, the appeal must be dismissed.  Matter of Torpey v Town of Colonie, 515902, 3rd Dept, 6-6-13

 

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In Court of Claims Case, Inability to Prove State Was Served with Notice of Claim Required Dismissal

In affirming the Court of Claims’ dismissal of a claim because claimant was unable to demonstrate the state was properly served, the Third Department explained the relevant law as follows:

“A claimant seeking to recover damages  for personal injuries caused by  the negligence . . . of an  officer or employee  of [defendant] must  file and  serve a claim or, alternatively, a notice of intention to file such a claim, upon the Attorney General within 90 days after the accrual thereof”….  Both filing with the court and service upon the Attorney General must take place within the relevant statutory period … and, as suits against defendant are permitted only by virtue of its waiver of sovereign immunity and  are in derogation of the common law, “the failure to strictly comply with the filing or service provisions of the Court of Claims Act divests the court of subject matter jurisdiction”….   Notably, “a defect in subject matter jurisdiction may be raised at any time, even for the first time  on appeal, because it relates to the competence of the court to consider [the] matter”… .and, therefore, such defect “cannot be overlooked or remedied by either waiver or estoppel” … .  Caci v State of New York, 515844, 3rd Dept, 6-6-13

BICYCLES

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Notice of Claim (Pursuant to Court of Claims Act) Not Specific Enough

The Third Department upheld the Court of Claims’ dismissal of a claim because the notice of claim was not specific enough.  In describing the statutory criteria, the Third Department wrote:

Pursuant to Court of Claims Act § 11 (b), a claim must set forth the nature of the claim, the time when and place where it arose, the damages or injuries and  the total sum  claimed. “Because suits against [defendant] are allowed only by [defendant’s] waiver of sovereign immunity and  in derogation of the common law, statutory requirements conditioning suit must be strictly construed”….   Although “absolute exactness” is not required…, the claim must “‘provide a  sufficiently detailed  description  of  the  particulars of the claim to enable [defendant] to investigate and promptly ascertain the existence and  extent of its liability'” … .  Morra v State of New York, 515751, 3rd Dept, 6-6-13

NEGLIGENT SUPERVISION, EMPLOYEE

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Question of Fact Re: Duty Owed to Developmentally Disabled Plaintiff for Injury Incurred After Plaintiff Left Facility for a Bus Ride Home

In affirming the denial of summary judgment to the defendant, which provided services to developmentally disabled people, the Third Department determined there was a question of fact about whether defendant owed plaintiff a duty and whether the breach of that duty was the proximate cause of plaintiff’s injuries.  Plaintiff was placed on a bus to take her home from defendant’s premises, after plaintiff’s mother had instructed a respite worker that plaintiff should be driven home.  Plaintiff was struck by a car as she crossed the road after getting off the bus.  The Third Department wrote:

… [W]e agree with Supreme Court that summary judgment in defendant’s favor is precluded by  material issues of fact as to the degree  of care that  defendant  owed  to  plaintiff and  its compliance  with that duty… .  Further, given the record evidence regarding defendant’s knowledge of plaintiff’s abilities and limitations, we  find that it did not establish as a matter of law that its conduct in sending plaintiff to an unsupervised location along a highway was not the proximate cause of her injuries or that plaintiff’s actions  constituted  an  intervening  cause  ….  Warley v Grampp, et al, 515724, 3rd Dept, 6-6-13

PEDESTRIANS, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

 

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Elements of Breach of Fiduciary Duty

The Second Department explained the elements of a cause of action for breach of fiduciary duty in the context of the board of directors of a corporation and the business judgment rule:

A cause of action sounding in breach of fiduciary duty must be pleaded with the particularity required by CPLR 3016(b)”…. “The elements of a cause of action to recover damages for breach of fiduciary duty are (1) the existence of a fiduciary relationship, (2) misconduct by the defendant, and (3) damages directly caused by the defendant’s misconduct”… . Members of a board of directors of a corporation “owe a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders in general and to individual shareholders in particular to treat all shareholders fairly and evenly”….

The business judgment rule “bars judicial inquiry into actions of corporate directors taken in good faith and in the exercise of honest judgment in the lawful and legitimate furtherance of corporate purposes”… .   Deblinger v Sani-Pine Prods Co, Inc, 2013 NY Slip Op 03963, 2nd Dept, 6-5-13

 

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