fife and company's motion to strike cbai's jury demand
DESCRIPTION
text of motion to strike jury demandTRANSCRIPT
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Nate D. Ashcraft (9497)
Email: [email protected]
Jonathan K. Hansen (12349)
Email: [email protected]
HANSEN BLACK ANDERSON ASHCRAFT
2940 West Maple Loop Drive, Suite 103
Lehi, Utah 84043
Telephone: (801) 922-5004
Facsimile: (801) 922-5019
Attorneys for Defendants
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF UTAH, CENTRAL DIVISION
CORD BLOOD AMERICA, INC.; a Florida
corporation,
Plaintiffs,
v.
TONAQUINT, INC., a Utah corporation;
ST. GEORGE INVESTMENTS, LLC, an
Illinois limited liability company,
Defendants.
TONAQUINT, INC., a Utah corporation;
ST. GEORGE INVESTMENTS, LLC, an
Illinois limited liability company,
Counter Plaintiffs,
vs.
CORD BLOOD AMERICA, INC.; a Florida
corporation,
Counter Defendants.
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DEFENDANTS MOTION TO STRIKE PLAINTIFFS JURY DEMAND AND SUPPORTING MEMORANDUM
Case No. 2:13-cv-00806-PMW
Judge Paul M. Warner
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Case 2:13-cv-00806-RJS Document 27 Filed 02/20/14 Page 1 of 7
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Defendants Tonaquint, Inc. (Tonaquint) and St. George Investments, LLC (SGI)
(Tonaquint and SGI are sometimes collectively referred to herein as Defendants), by and
through counsel and pursuant to DUCivR 7-1(a) of the Rules of Practice for the United States
District Court for the District of Utah, hereby submit this motion to strike Plaintiff Cord Blood
America, Inc.s jury demand, and memorandum supporting Defendants motion.
RELIEF SOUGHT AND GROUNDS FOR MOTION
Defendants hereby move the Court to enter an Order striking the jury demand set forth in
Plaintiffs Complaint and requiring that all claims asserted by the parties in the above-captioned
action proceed as a bench trial. This motion is made on the grounds that Plaintiff expressly
waived its right to a jury trial through those agreements that are relevant to this action.
INTRODUCTION
On or about August 30, 2013, Plaintiff Cord Blood America, Inc. (CBAI) initiated the
above-captioned action by filing its Complaint and Jury Demand. The allegations of Plaintiffs
Complaint against Defendants are centered on a transaction that took place with Tonaquint in
2012. That transaction was memorialized in various transaction documents, including a Secured
Convertible Promissory Note, Securities Purchase Agreement, and Security Agreement. Plaintiff
negotiated, approved and executed each of these agreements. Though the applicable transaction
agreements contain clear and unambiguous jury waiver provisions, Plaintiff has, nonetheless,
demanded a jury trial in this matter. However, because Plaintiff has expressly waived its right to
a trial by jury, the court should strike Plaintiffs jury demand and enter an Order requiring that
this matter proceed as a bench trial.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS
1. On or about August 30, 2013, Plaintiff initiated the above-captioned action by
filing its Complaint and Jury Demand. (See Plaintiffs Complaint and Jury Demand on file with
the Court (Complaint)).
2. The transaction that is the subject of Plaintiffs Complaint was memorialized
through various transaction documents, including a Secured Convertible Promissory Note,
Securities Purchase Agreement, and Security Agreement. (Declaration of John M. Fife (2/20/14)
(Fife Decl.), 3).
3. On or about June 27, 2012, CBAI entered into a Secured Convertible Promissory
Note (Promissory Note). (Id. at 4, and Exhibit A thereto).
4. Paragraph 24 of the Promissory Note contains the following unambiguous and
conspicuous language:
THE COMPANY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT
MAY HAVE TO, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL
FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN
CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS NOTE OR ANY
TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
(See Exhibit A to Fife Decl.) (emphasis in original).
5. On or about June 27, 2012, CBAI entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement
(Purchase Agreement). (Id. at 5, and Exhibit B thereto).
6. Paragraph 13.15 of the Purchase Agreement contains the following unambiguous
and conspicuous language:
Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT
IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHTS IT MAY HAVE TO
DEMAND THAT ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM
ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR
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THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PARTIES HERETO BE TRIED BY JURY.
THIS WAIVER EXTENDS TO ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO DEMAND A
TRIAL BY JURY ARISING UNDER COMMON LAW OR ANY
APPLICABLE STATUTE, LAW, RULE, OR REGULATION. FURTHER
EACH PARTY HERETO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT IS KNOWINGLY
AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVING IT RIGHT TO DEMAND A TRIAL BY
JURY.
(See Exhibit B to Fife Decl.) (emphasis in original).
7. On or about June 27, 2012, CBAI entered into a Security Agreement. (Id. at 6
and Exhibit C thereto).
8. Paragraph 8.10 of the Security Agreement contains the following unambiguous
and conspicuous language:
Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY TO THIS SECURITY AGREEMENT
IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHTS IT MAY HAVE TO
DEMAND THAT ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM
ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THIS SECURITY
AGREEMENT OR THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PARTIES HERETO BE
TRIED BY JURY. THIS WAIVER EXTENDS TO ANY AND ALL RIGHTS
TO DEMAND A TRIAL BY JURY ARISING UNDER COMMON LAW OR
ANY APPLICABLE STATUTE, LAW, RULE OR REGULATION. FURTHER,
EACH PARTY HERETO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT IS KNOWINGLY
AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVING ITS RIGHT TO DEMAND A TRIAL BY
JURY.
(See Exhibit C to Fife Decl.) (emphasis in original).
9. Notwithstanding Plaintiffs agreement to the above-referenced agreements and
jury waiver provisions, Plaintiff has, nonetheless, improperly demanded a trial by jury. (See
Complaint, at p. 23).
ARGUMENT
The law in Tenth Circuit is clear that a right to a trial by jury may be waived by contract.
The right to a jury trial in the federal courts is governed by federal law. Telum, Inc. v. E.F.
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Hutton Credit Corporation, 859 F.2d 835, 837 (10th Cir. 1988) (citing Simler v. Conner, 372
U.S. 221, 221-22, 83 S. Ct. 609, 609-10, 9 L. Ed. 2d 691 (1963) (per curiam) (jury trial right
controlled by federal law to insure uniformity in exercise required by seventh amendment)).
Agreements waiving the right to trial by are neither illegal nor contrary to public policy. Id.
(citing McCarthy v. Wynne, 126 F.2d 620, 623 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 317 U.S. 640, 63 S. Ct.
31, 87 L. Ed 515 (1942); see Leasing Serv. Corp. v. Crane, 804 F.2d 828, 832 (4th Cir. 1986)
(right to jury trial, although fundamental, may be knowingly and intentionally waived by
contract); K.M.C. Co. v. Irving Trust Co., 757 F.2d 752, 755 (6th Cir. 1985) (considering it
clear that parties to a contract may by prior written agreement waive the right to a jury trial)).
In the instant action, the waiver of trial by jury is clear, unambiguous, and conspicuous in
multiple contract documents. By executing the referenced agreements Plaintiff knowingly and
intentionally waived its right to trial by jury. As set forth above, such agreements are neither
illegal nor contrary to public policy. Accordingly, Plaintiff is bound by those agreements and its
jury demand should be stricken.
It is expected that Plaintiff will attempt to argue that its allegations of fraud entitle it to a
jury trial, at least on that claim. However, such an argument would be unavailing. The Tenth
Circuit has held that allegations of fraud in the inducement going to the contract generally, are
insufficient to invalidate a jury waiver provision. See Prima Paint Corp. v. Flood & Conklin
Mfg. Co., 388 U.S. 395, 403-04, 87 S. Ct. 1801, 1805-06, 18 L. Ed. 2d 1270 (1967); Meyer v.
Dans un Jardin, S.A., 816 F.2d 533, 538 (10th Cir. 1987). Accordingly, Plaintiffs demand for a
trial by jury should be stricken and this matter should proceed as a bench trial.
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CONCLUSION
For the reasons set forth above, the Court should grant the foregoing Motion to Strike
Plaintiffs Jury Demand and enter an Order requiring that this matter proceed as a bench trial.
DATED this 20th day of February, 2014.
HANSEN BLACK ANDERSON ASHCRAFT
/s/ Nate D. Ashcraft
Attorneys for Defendants/Counter Plaintiffs
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on this 20th day of February, 2014, I electronically filed, and caused
to be served via Notice of Electronic Filing, a true and correct copy of the foregoing
DEFENDANTS MOTION TO STRIKE PLAINTIFFS JURY DEMAND AND
SUPPORTING MEMORANDUM upon the following:
David L. Mortensen
Jill M. Pohlman
Jose A. Abarca
STOEL RIVES LLP
201 South Main Street, Suite 1100
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111-4904
/s/ Nate D. Ashcraft
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