IFC-AMC Motion to Dismiss

181 Pages·2017·13.36 MB·English

Case 1:17-cv-01494-VAC-SRF Document 34-1 Filed 02/16/18 Page 1 of 1 PageID #: 1030

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
JUANA DOE I et al., §
§
Plaintiffs, §
§
vs. §
§ C.A. No. 17-1494-VAC-SRF
IFC ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY, §
LLC, §
§
Defendant. §

[PROPOSED] ORDER
WHEREAS, Defendant IFC Asset Management Company, LLC, having moved to
dismiss the claims in Plaintiff Juana Doe I et al.’s Complaint (D.I. 1); and,
WHEREAS, the Court having considered the briefs and arguments in support of and in
opposition to said Motion;
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED this _______ day of ____________, 2018, that the Motion is
GRANTED. Plaintiffs’ Complaint is dismissed with prejudice.

_______________________________
United States District Judge

RLF1 18887565v.1
Case 1:17-cv-01494-VAC-SRF Document 34-1 Filed 02/16/18 Page 1 of 1 PageID #: 1030

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
JUANA DOE I et al., §
§
Plaintiffs, §
§
vs. §
§ C.A. No. 17-1494-VAC-SRF
IFC ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY, §
LLC, §
§
Defendant. §

[PROPOSED] ORDER
WHEREAS, Defendant IFC Asset Management Company, LLC, having moved to
dismiss the claims in Plaintiff Juana Doe I et al.’s Complaint (D.I. 1); and,
WHEREAS, the Court having considered the briefs and arguments in support of and in
opposition to said Motion;
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED this _______ day of ____________, 2018, that the Motion is
GRANTED. Plaintiffs’ Complaint is dismissed with prejudice.

_______________________________
United States District Judge

RLF1 18887565v.1
Case 1:17-cv-01494-VAC-SRF Document 35 Filed 02/16/18 Page 1 of 51 PageID #: 1031
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
JUANA DOE I et al., §
§
Plaintiffs, §
§
vs. §
§ C.A. No. 17-1494-VAC-SRF
IFC ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY, §
LLC, §
§
Defendant. §

DEFENDANT’S OPENING BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF THEIR MOTION TO DISMISS

OF COUNSEL:

Jeffrey T. Green Susan M. Hannigan (#5342)
Frank R. Volpe Travis S. Hunter (#5350)
Spencer D. Driscoll Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.
Matthew J. Letten One Rodney Square
Sidley Austin LLP 920 N. King Street
1501 K Street, N.W. Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Washington, D.C., 20005 [phone]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Attorneys for Defendant
IFC Asset Management Company, LLC
Case 1:17-cv-01494-VAC-SRF Document 35 Filed 02/16/18 Page 2 of 51 PageID #: 1032

TABLE OF CONTENTS
NATURE & STAGE OF THE PROCEEDINGS ............................................................................1
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT .......................................................................................................1
FACTUAL BACKGROUND ..........................................................................................................1
I. IFC AND IFC AMC ...........................................................................................................1
II. PLAINTIFFS’ ALLEGATIONS ........................................................................................2
III. IFC AND IFC AMC’S INVESTMENTS WITH DINANT AND BANCO
FICOHSA ...........................................................................................................................3
ARGUMENT ...................................................................................................................................4
I. THE COURT LACKS SUBJECT-MATTER JURISDICTION OVER
PLAINTIFFS’ CLAIMS BECAUSE IFC AMC IS IMMUNE FROM
SUIT ...................................................................................................................................4
A. IFC AMC shares in IFC’s immunities because it is a wholly-
owned subsidiary carrying out IFC’s operations ....................................................5
B. IFC AMC is immune under IFC’s Articles of Agreement and
neither IFC nor IFC AMC have waived that immunity .........................................7
C. IFC AMC is also immune under the IOIA and Plaintiffs have
failed to establish any applicable exception to IOIA immunity ...........................11
II. PLAINTIFFS LACK ARTICLE III STANDING ............................................................15
A. Plaintiff’s injuries are not fairly traceable to IFC and IFC AMC’s
conduct .................................................................................................................15
B. Plaintiffs failed to establish third party standing for the unjust
enrichment claim ..................................................................................................17
III. THIS COURT MUST DISMISS THE COMPLAINT FOR FAILURE TO
JOIN INDISPENSABLE THIRD PARTIES ...................................................................17
A. At least four necessary parties are absent from this case .....................................18
B. This court lacks jurisdiction to join the absent parties to this case ......................20
C. Dismissal is warranted ..........................................................................................21
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IV. PLAINTIFFS HAVE FAILED TO STATE ANY PLAUSIBLE CLAIM
FOR RELIEF ....................................................................................................................23
A. Plaintiffs have failed to state a claim for aiding and abetting
liability ..................................................................................................................24
B. Plaintiff’s claims related to IFC and IFC AMC’s alleged
negligence fail to sufficiently allege duty or causation ........................................27
C. IFC and IFC AMC are not liable for unjust enrichment ......................................29
V. PLAINTIFFS’ CLAIMS ARE BARRED BY THE STATUTE OF
LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................31
VI. THE COURT SHOULD DISMISS THE COMPLAINT UNDER THE
DOCTRINE OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS ..............................................................32
A. The Honduran courts provide and adequate, alternate forum ..............................32
B. Plaintiffs’ choice of forum is not entitled to deference, and the
balance of factors highly favors Honduras as an alternative forum .....................37
C. The private interest factors weight strongly in favor of dismissal .......................38
D. The public interest factors weigh strongly in favor of dismissal .........................39
CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................40

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TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Page(s)
Cases
Acierno v. Preit-Rubin, Inc.,
199 F.R.D. 157 (D. Del. 2001) ................................................................................................20
Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co. v. Leahey Constr. Co.,
219 F.3d 519 (6th Cir. 2000) ...................................................................................................26
Allegheny Gen. Hosp. v. Philip Morris, Inc.,
228 F.3d 429 (3d Cir. 2000).....................................................................................................16
Anderson v. Airco, Inc.,
No. CIV.A. 02C-12-091HDR, 2004 WL 2827887 (Del. Super. Ct. Nov. 30,
2004) ........................................................................................................................................26
Argentine Republic v. Amerada Hess Shipping Corp.,
488 U.S. 428 (1989) .................................................................................................................20
Ashford Int’l, Inc. v. World Bank Grp.,
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Banco de Seguros del Estado v. Int’l Fin. Corp.,
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98 F. App’x 47 (2d Cir. 2004) .................................................................................................36
Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,
550 U.S. 544 (2007) .................................................................................................................23
BFI Grp. Divino Corp. v. JSC Russian Aluminum,
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iii
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Boimah v. United Nations Gen. Assembly,
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279 F.R.D. 221 (S.D.N.Y. 2012) .............................................................................................31
Doe 30’s Mother v. Bradley,
58 A.3d 429 (Del. Super. Ct. 2012) .........................................................................................29
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EBS Litig. LLC v. Barclays Glob. Inv’rs, N.A.,
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iv
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El–Fadl v. Central Bank of Jordan,
75 F.3d 668 (D.C. Cir. 1996), abrogated by Samantar v. Yousuf, 560 U.S. 305
(2010) .......................................................................................................................................36
El Camino Res., LTD. v. Huntington Nat’l Bank,
722 F. Supp. 2d 875 (W.D. Mich. 2010), aff’d, 712 F.3d 917 (6th Cir. 2013) ..................26, 27
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Eurofins Pharma US Holdings v. BioAlliance Pharma SA,
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v
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Jam v. Int’l Fin. Corp.,
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543 U.S. 125 (2004) .................................................................................................................17
Lacey v. Cessna Aircraft Co.,
862 F.2d 38 (3d Cir. 1988).......................................................................................................40
Laker Airways, Inc. v. British Airways, PLC,
182 F.3d 843 (11th Cir. 1999) .................................................................................................19
Lempert v. Rice,
956 F. Supp. 2d 17 (D.D.C. 2013) .............................................................................................6
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459 F.3d 273 (2d Cir. 2006).....................................................................................................28
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Mendaro v. World Bank,
717 F.2d 610 (D.C. Cir. 1983) ...............................................................................................6, 9
vi
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MetCap Sec. LLC v. Pearl Senior Care, Inc.,
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Republic of Philippines v. Pimentel,
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vii