Int'l Constr. Prods. LLC v. Caterpillar Inc.

• Decision Date: 10 October 2019
• Docket Number: Civ. No. 15-108-RGA
• Citation: 419 F.Supp.3d 791
• Parties: INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS LLC, Plaintiff, v. CATERPILLAR INC., Komatsu America Corp., Associated Auction Services, LLC d/b/a CAT Auction Services, Ring Power Corporation, Ziegler Inc., and Thompson Tractor Company, Inc. Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Delaware

419 F.Supp.3d 791

INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS LLC, Plaintiff,

v.CATERPILLAR INC., Komatsu America Corp., Associated Auction Services, LLC d/b/a CAT Auction Services, Ring Power Corporation, Ziegler Inc., and Thompson Tractor Company, Inc. Defendants.

Civ. No. 15-108-RGA

United States District Court, D. Delaware.

Signed October 10, 2019

John W. Shaw, Esq., Andrew E. Russell, Esq., and Nathan R. Hoeschen, Esq., Shaw Keller LLP, Wilmington, DE; David Boies, Esq., Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, Armonk, NY; James P. Denvir, Esq., Amy J. Mauser, Esq., Christopher G. Renner, Esq., Michael S. Mitchell Esq., Jonathan Shaw, Esq., and William Bloom, Esq., Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, Washington, D.C. Attorneys for Plaintiff International Construction Products LLC.

David J. Baldwin, Esq. and Ryan C. Cicoski, Esq., Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP, Wilmington, DE; Robert G. Abrams, Esq., Gregory J. Commins, Jr., Esq., Danyll W. Foix, Esq., and Carey S. Busen, Esq., Baker & Hostetler LLP, Washington, D.C. Attorneys for Defendant Caterpillar Inc.

Henry E. Gallagher, Jr., Esq., Connolly Gallagher LLP, Wilmington, DE; Quentin R. Wittrock, Esq. and Richard C. Landon, Esq., Gray Plant Mooty, Minneapolis, MN. Attorneys for Associated Auction Services, LLC and Ziegler Inc.

Denise S. Kraft, Esq. and Brian A. Biggs, Esq., DLA Piper LLP US, Wilmington, DE; David H. Bamberger, Esq., DLA Piper LLP US, Washington, D.C.; Adam I. Steene, Esq., DLA Piper LLP US, New York, NY. Attorneys for Komatsu America Corp.

M. Duncan Grant, Esq. and James H.S. Levine, Esq., Pepper Hamilton LLP, Wilmington, DE; Jeremy Heep, Esq., Robin P. Sumner, Esq., and Melissa Hatch O'Donnell, Esq., Pepper Hamilton LLP, Philadelphia, PA. Attorneys for Defendant Thompson Tractor Company, Inc.

Dominick T. Gattuso, Esq., Heyman Enerio Gattuso & Hirzel, LLP, Wilmington, DE 19801; Niels P. Murphy, Esq., Gerry A. Giurato, Esq., and Murphy & Anderson, PA, Jacksonville, FL. Attorneys for Defendant Ring Power Corporation.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ANDREWS, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE

Plaintiff International Construction Products LLC ("ICP") asserts claims against defendants Caterpillar Inc., Komatsu America Corp., Associated Auction Services LLC, Ziegler Inc., Thompson Tractor Company, Inc., and Ring Power Corporation for antitrust violations under the Sherman Act § 1 (Counts 1-2) and for tortious interference, civil conspiracy, and aiding and abetting tortious conduct under state law (Counts 3-10). (D.I. 162). Presently before the Court are Defendants' motions to dismiss the second amended complaint. (D.I. 180, D.I. 182, D.I. 183, D.I. 188, D.I. 190, D.I. 191, D.I. 194). All Defendants request dismissal pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim. In addition, Ziegler, Thompson Tractor, and Ring Power request dismissal pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(2) for lack of personal jurisdiction. For the reasons set forth herein, the motions to dismiss filed by Associated Auction Services, Ziegler, Thompson Tractor, and Ring Power are granted, and the motions to dismiss filed by Caterpillar and Komatsu are granted in part and denied in part.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural History

ICP initiated this action on January 29, 2015. In the original complaint, ICP asserted antitrust and state law claims against Caterpillar, Komatsu, Volvo Construction Equipment North America, LLC, and Associated Auction Services. (D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 1, 113-52). The antitrust claims arose under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1 and 2, and Sections 3 and 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 14 and 18.

In April 2015, the Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the original complaint, which I granted on January 21, 2016. (D.I. 27, D.I. 28, D.I. 30, D.I. 33). The counts based on the Sherman Act § 1, Clayton Act § 3, and state law were dismissed without prejudice. But the counts based on the Sherman Act § 2 and Clayton Act § 7 were dismissed with prejudice. (D.I. 45, D.I. 46).

On February 4, 2016, ICP filed a motion for reconsideration and leave to amend. (D.I. 49). ICP proposed to amend the complaint as to the claims dismissed without prejudice and asked the court to reconsider its dismissal of claims with prejudice. Defendants opposed the motion for reconsideration and filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. (D.I. 54). On August 22, 2016, I denied the motion for reconsideration and granted in part and denied in part the motion to dismiss. (D.I. 64, D.I. 65). Specifically, I did not dismiss the group boycott claims under the Sherman Act § 1 but did dismiss the exclusive dealing claims under the Sherman Act § 1 and all claims under the Clayton Act § 3. (D.I. 64, D.I. 65).

On February 24, 2017, I entered a scheduling order that provided for phased discovery. (D.I. 95). Phase I, which was completed by August 24, 2017, included discovery into the "alleged agreement to boycott IronPlanet." (Id. at ¶ 3(a)(i); D.I. 115). On August 25, 2017, the day after the close of Phase 1 discovery, ICP filed a motion for leave to file a second amended complaint. (D.I. 123). The second amended complaint dropped Volvo as a defendant but added Ring Power, Ziegler, and Thompson Tractor. (D.I. 123-3 at 1). Volvo was formally dismissed from the case by stipulation on December 1, 2017. (D.I. 147). On September 26, 2018, I granted the motion for leave over Defendants' objections, and ICP filed its second amended complaint that same day. (D.I. 139, D.I. 160, D.I. 161, D.I. 162).

B. Factual Background

1. The Relevant Market and Players

ICP's antitrust claims are concerned with the market for "new heavy construction equipment." (D.I. 162 at ¶ 29). ICP imports into and distributes in the United States new heavy construction equipment made by foreign manufacturers. (Id. at ¶ 61). Caterpillar and Komatsu (the "Manufacturer Defendants") are in the business of manufacturing new heavy construction equipment. (Id. at ¶¶ 8-9, 28). Historically, new heavy construction equipment is sold to end users through local equipment dealers. (Id. at ¶¶ 22-23, 36). Ziegler, Ring Power, and Thompson Tractor (the "Dealer Defendants") are three of the forty-eight Caterpillar equipment dealers located in the United States. (Id. at ¶¶ 11-13, 46).

In addition to selling new heavy construction equipment through their local dealerships, the Dealer Defendants sell used heavy construction equipment through consignment with online marketplaces. The second amended complaint identifies Associated Auction Services, IronPlanet, Ritchie Brothers, and EquipmentOne as online marketplaces for the sale of used heavy construction equipment. (Id. at ¶¶ 10, 55, 57, 70). IronPlanet is the largest online marketplace in the United States for the sale of used heavy construction equipment and, according to ICP, offers features for which the other online marketplaces are not adequate substitutes. (Id. at ¶¶ 50, 54-55). Although Associated Auction Services is owned in part by Caterpillar and some of its equipment dealers, Caterpillar's equipment dealers are not required to use Associated Auction Services for consignments of used equipment. (Id. at ¶¶ 10, 47). Indeed, less than a quarter of the Caterpillar equipment dealers located in the United States use Associated Auction Services exclusively for the disposal of their used heavy construction equipment. (Id. at ¶ 89). Some Caterpillar equipment dealers, including the Dealer Defendants, use IronPlanet to sell used heavy construction equipment. (Id. at ¶ 47).

2. ICP Enters the Relevant Market

In 2013, ICP contracted with Lonking Holdings Ltd., a Chinese manufacturer of new heavy construction equipment, to serve as Lonking's master distributor in the United States. (D.I. 162 at ¶¶ 65, 97). ICP planned to sell the new equipment directly to end users through ICPDirect.com, an internet store that would be hosted and supported by IronPlanet. (Id. at ¶ 66). On March 3, 2014, ICP and IronPlanet signed a services agreement, called a Hosted Site Agreement, which memorialized the plan. (Id. at ¶ 69). ICP announced its partnership with IronPlanet the same day. (Id. at ¶ 74). Because IronPlanet operated exclusively in the used equipment market, its agreement with ICP was its first and only foray into the new equipment market. (Id. at ¶ 70). Thus, the only new equipment that would be available on IronPlanet would belong to ICP. As the complaint acknowledges, "The Manufacturer Defendants and the Dealer Defendants do not themselves sell new heavy construction equipment through IronPlanet, and had no interest in competing with ICP to do so." (Id. at ¶ 112).

3. IronPlanet and Associated Auction Services Merge

Associated Auction Services and IronPlanet have held merger discussions in the past. (D.I. 162 at ¶ 87). These merger discussions were renewed in February 2014, before ICP announced its partnership with IronPlanet. (Id. at ¶ 85). Associated Auction Services is owned in part by Caterpillar and some of its equipment dealers, including Ziegler. (Id. at ¶¶ 10-13). IronPlanet is owned in part by the Manufacturer Defendants, another manufacturer, venture capital firms, and certain Caterpillar dealers, including Ring Power. (Id. at ¶ 119). Caterpillar, Komatsu, and Ring Power were minority investors in IronPlanet. (Id. at ¶ 60). In 2015, Associated Auction Services and Iron Planet completed the merger. (Id. at ¶ 10).

4. The Conspiracy

According to second amended complaint, Caterpillar wanted to block ICP's entry as a competitor into the market for new heavy construction equipment by forcing IronPlanet to discontinue its relationship with ICP. (D.I. 162 at ¶¶ 97, 101). To achieve this goal, Caterpillar used two tools: the consignment of used heavy construction equipment by its equipment dealers and a potential merger with Associated Auction Services. According to ICP, Caterpillar's equipment dealers would withhold or consign used heavy construction equipment as a stick or carrot respectively, to induce IronPlanet to end its business relationship with ICP. (I...