Blau v. Allen
| Decision Date | 02 July 1958 |
| Citation | 163 F. Supp. 702 |
| Parties | Isadore BLAU, a stockholder of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., suing on behalf of himself and all other stockholders similarly situated and on behalf of and in the right of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., Plaintiff, v. Charles ALLEN, Jr., Albert Warner, Jack L. Warner and Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., Defendants. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York |
Morris J. Levy, New York City, for plaintiff.
Sullivan & Cromwell, New York City, for defendants Albert Warner and Jack L. Warner. Howard T. Milman and Jerome K. Walsh, Jr., New York City, of counsel.
Holtzmann, Wise & Shepard, New York City, for defendant Charles Allen, Jr., Edmund H. H. Caddy, New York City, of counsel.
The plaintiff moved for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 28 U.S.C.A. The action is a stockholders derivative suit under the provisions of section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.1
On argument all the defendants, agreeing there were no issues of fact, asked for summary judgment in their favor.
The plaintiff's motion will be granted as to the defendant Charles Allen, Jr. but denied as to the remaining defendants. As will appear, there are issues of fact with respect to the latter which require a trial.
The complaint alleged that certain directors of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., namely, Charles Allen, Jr., Albert Warner and Jack L. Warner, engaged in "short swing" transactions in the corporation's stock and that all profits realized therefrom must be paid to the corporation; and that the corporation has refused to institute action after due demand.
The facts involving the defendant Charles Allen, Jr. are not disputed. He was at all material times a general partner in the firm of Allen & Company, having a 38.5% partnership interest. On July 10, 1956, Allen & Company purchased 150,000 shares of the common stock of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. at 25 dollars per share. On the following day, July 11, 1956, Charles Allen, Jr. became a director of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. On September 13, 1956, in response to an invitation, he tendered to that corporation 5,750 shares of its stock at $27.50 per share. The plaintiff now demands that Allen pay to the corporation the sum of $14,127.72 which represents a difference of $2.50 per share on 5,750 shares less expenses.
Allen contends (1) that the shares tendered to the corporation on September 13 were not part of those purchased by Allen & Company on July 10 but were separate and distinct shares purchased by him and/or members of his family prior to January 1, 1956; (2) that a tender of shares made in response to the corporation's invitation is not a sale within the meaning of section 16(b) and (3) he is not liable for any profit realized since he was not a director of Warner Bros. at the time of the purchase by Allen & Company.
As to the first point, there is no requirement that the shares purchased be the identical ones sold.2 To hold otherwise would permit easy avoidance of the statute.
Allen cites no rule or ruling in support of his second objection. He takes the position, however, that it may be assumed that the corporation was acting for its own benefit in inviting tenders and it would be against the interest of the corporation and therefore contrary to legislative intent to bring such a transaction under section 16(b). It is difficult to see how the corporation would be injured in the present situation for the statute does not prohibit such transactions but merely states that all profits realized shall inure to and be recoverable by the corporation. In any event, since an option to purchase stock extended by a corporation has been included under the statute,3 invitations to tender must logically be included also.
Defendant's third point appears to be a novel one. There is no express requirement in the statute that a director be such both at the time of purchase and of sale to bring his dealings under section 16(b). However, as the decision in Stella v. Graham-Paige Motors Corporation4 makes clear, a purchaser of stock need not have access to inside information in entering into his initial transaction. Having become an insider by virtue of becoming a director, it was this defendant's subsequent speculation that is the "vice within the purview of § 16(b)." Blau v. Ogsbury, supra. Judge Hincks' dissenting opinion in Stella v. Graham-Paige Motors Corporation, supra, which supports the position of the present defendant and is relied on by him is expressly based on a rationale which the majority did not adopt. In addition, it is significant that while the proscriptions of section 16(b) apply to a 10% beneficial owner only if he is such both at the time of purchase and sale, there is no such limitation in the case of officers and directors.5
Allen finally asserts that his liability, if any, must be limited to 38.5% of the alleged profit. He relies on the decision in Rattner v. Lehman.6 In that case the defendant director was held liable to the corporation only for his proportionate share of the profits resulting from a purchase and sale conducted in the name of a partnership of which he was a member. Here, however, the sale of the 5,750 shares was conducted by the defendant Allen acting for himself. His proportionate interest in the number of shares purchased by Allen & Company on July 10, 1956, exceeded the number he sold individually. The entire profit on the 5,750 shares is therefore his. He is liable for that amount with interest.
The facts with regard to plaintiff's claim against Albert Warner and Jack L. Warner are different and, only to a point, undisputed. During the period from December 9, 1955 through December 13, 1955, Albert Warner and Jack L. Warner each bought 5,000 shares of stock in Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. at $19.875 per share. Additional purchases made in January of 1956 are not now in issue, the defendants having voluntarily paid to the corporation the profit realized on the later sales.
On May 8, 1956 an agreement was signed by Albert Warner, Jack L. Warner and Harry M. Warner designated "Sellers" and David G. Baird designated "Buyer." By the terms of this agreement Baird would be entitled to delivery of 800,000 shares of Warner Bros.' stock if he made the following payments: $2,000,000 on May 14, 1956, $10,000,000 on July 16, 1956 and $10,000,000 on September 14, 1956. This constituted a price per share of $27.50. Baird was given the right...
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