Layman v. Combs

Decision Date17 December 1992
Docket NumberNos. 89-16621,s. 89-16621
Citation981 F.2d 1093
Parties, Fed. Sec. L. Rep. P 97,274, 24 Fed.R.Serv.3d 748 George E. LAYMAN, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Brownell COMBS, II, et al., Defendants. Frank L. BRYANT, Counter-Claimant-Appellant, v. George E. LAYMAN and George E. Layman, Jr., d/b/a Forest Acres Partnership, a Washington general partnership; Barry K. Schwartz and Calvin Klein d/b/a Barry K. Schwartz Partnership; Earl H. Schultz; and Kenneth Franzhein, II, Counter-Claim-Defendants-Appellees. George E. LAYMAN, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Brownell COMBS, II, et al., Defendants. Bateman EICHLER, Hill Richards, Inc. and Robert J. McGuiness, Counter-Claimants-Appellants, v. George E. LAYMAN and George E. Layman, Jr., d/b/a Forest Acres Partnership, a Washington general partnership; Barry K. Schwartz and Calvin Klein d/b/a Barry K. Schwartz Partnership; Earl H. Schultz; and Kenneth Franzhein, II, Counter-Claim-Defendants-Appellees. George E. LAYMAN, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Brownell COMBS, II, et al., Defendants. Charles R. HEMBREE; Kincaid, Wilson, Schaeffer and Hembree, P.S.C., Counter-Claimants-Appellants, v. George E. LAYMAN and George E. Layman, Jr., d/b/a Forest Acres Partnership, a Washington general partnership; Barry K. Schwartz and Calvin Klein d/b/a Barry K. Schwartz Partnership; Earl H. Schultz; and Kenneth Franzhein, II, Counter-Claim-Defendants-Appellees. H. James GRIGGS, Plaintiff, v. Brownell COMBS, II, et al., Defendants. Bateman EICHLER, Hill Richards, Inc., and Robert J. McGuiness, Counter-Claimants-Appellants, v. H. James GRIGGS, Counter-Claim-Defendants-Appellees. H. James GRIGGS, Plaintiff, v. Brownell COMBS, II, et al., Defendants. Charles R. HEMBREE; Kincaid, Wilson, Schaeffer and Hembree, P.S.C., Counter-Claimants-Appellants, v. H. James GRIGGS, Counter-Claim-Defendant-Appellee. Zenya YOSHIDA d/b/a Shadai Farm, Plaintiff, v. Brownell COMBS, II, et al., Defendants. Frank L. BRYANT, Defendant-Counter-Claimant-Appellant, v. Zenya YOSHIDA, d/b/a Shadai Farm, Counter-Claim-Defendant-Appellee. Zenya YOSHIDA d/b/a
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

James E. Burns, Jr., Kevin P. Muck, Suzanne D. Kay, Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, San Francisco, CA, for defendants-counter-claimants-appellants Bateman Eichler, Hill Richards, Inc. and Robert J. McGuiness.

Thomas K. Bourke, Donald J. Kula, Riordan & McKinzie, Los Angeles, CA, for defendant-counter-claimant-appellant Frank L. Bryant.

M. Laurence Popofsky, Michael L. Rugen, Richard DeNatale, Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, San Francisco, CA, for defendants-counter-claimants-appellants Charles R. Hembree and Kincaid, Wilson, Schaeffer & Hembree, P.S.C.

John I. Alioto, Michael J. Bettinger, Alioto & Alioto, San Francisco, CA, for plaintiffs Richard M. Trautwein, Susan L. Williams, Alagia, Day, Marshall, Mintmire & Chauvin, Louisville, KY, for plaintiff-counter-claim-defendant-appellee Blas R. Casares.

- counter - claim - defendants - appellees George E. Layman and George E. Layman, Jr. d/b/a Forest Acres Partnership, Barry K. Schwartz and Calvin Klein d/b/a Barry K. Schwartz Partnership, Earl H. Schultz, Kenneth Franzhein, II, H. James Griggs, Zenya Yoshida d/b/a Shadai Farm, Robert D. Stratmore, Richard L. Schultz, John F. McGonigle and Virginia M. McGonigle.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Before: CANBY, and KOZINSKI, Circuit Judges, and CARROLL, * District Judge.

CANBY, Circuit Judge:

Certain defendants in McGonigle v. Combs, 968 F.2d 810 (9th Cir.1992), appeal the district court's summary judgment rejecting their counterclaim for attorney's fees. The counterclaim alleged that the defendants were entitled to recover their fees because the plaintiffs' breaches of certain warranties triggered an indemnification clause to which plaintiffs had agreed. In addition, defendant Frank Bryant appeals the district court's denial of his requests for attorney's fees under Section 11(e) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. § 77k(e) (1988), Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and Rule 37(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. We reverse and remand the district court's denial of Bryant's request for attorney's fees under Section 11(e), and we affirm the district court's rejection of the remaining claims.

THE...

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4 cases
  • In re Integrated Resources Real Estate Sec. Lit.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • February 11, 1993
    ... ... See Stratmore v. Combs, 723 F.Supp. 458 (N.D.Cal.1989), aff'd sub nom. Layman v. Combs, 981 F.2d 1093 (9th Cir.1992); Fulco v. Continental Cablevision, Inc., Fed.Sec ... ...
  • Myers Building Industries, Ltd. v. Interface Technology, Inc.
    • United States
    • California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • February 24, 1993
    ... ... This is an issue of fairness and notice to the contracting parties of the scope of the indemnification. (Layman v. Combs II (9th Cir.1992) 981 F.2d 1093; see also Zissu v. Bear Stearns & Co. (2d [13 Cal.App.4th 975] Cir.1986) 805 F.2d 75, 79.) The very ... ...
  • Sequa Corp. v. Gelmin
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • March 18, 1994
    ... ... Such an intent is not unmistakably clear. Cf. Layman v. Combs, 981 F.2d 1093 (9th Cir. 1992) (refusing to interpret indemnification clause by its literal terms because doing so would essentially give ... ...
  • In re F & N Acquisition Corp., Bankruptcy No. 91-6866 to 91-06870.
    • United States
    • U.S. Bankruptcy Court — Western District of Washington
    • March 1, 1993
    ... ... This conclusion is buttressed by the Ninth Circuit's strong adherence to the American rule, as expressed recently in Layman v. Combs, 981 F.2d 1093 (9th Cir.1992) ...         In addition to attorneys' fees, Titanic requests interest on monetary defaults, citing In ... ...
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