MODL Quarterly Report A Publication of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers Spring, 2013 2012-2013 MODL Board of Directors MODL President’s Message President Robert J. Buckley s Columbia, MO Vice President Steven F. Coronado s Kansas City, MO Secretary John S. Farmer s St. Louis, MO Treasurer Scott E. Bellm s Springfield, MO Board of Directors Jennifer A. Baumann s St. Louis, MO Kenneth W. Bean s St. Louis, MO Jeffrey H. Blaylock s Columbia, MO Jenny Brown s Kansas City, MO Stephen M. Buckley s St. Louis, MO Wm. Clayton (Clay) Crawford s KC, MO Mariam W. Decker s Columbia, MO S. Jay Dobbs s St. Louis, MO Mimi Elizabeth Doherty s Kansas City, MO David P. Ellington s St. Louis, MO Dana Frese s Jefferson City, MO Kurt Hentz s St. Louis, MO Tiffany D. Hogan s Kansas City, MO Timothy Lavin s Kansas City, MO Louis (Lou) J. Leonatti s Mexico, MO Emily Little s Columbia, MO Michael D. Murphy s Cape Girardeau, MO Donald O’Keefe s St. Louis, MO Theresa Otto s Kansas City, MO Elizabeth Raines s Kansas City, MO Jason Scott s Kansas City, MO Elizabeth H. Weber s Columbia, MO Gary J. Willnauer s Kansas City, MO Richard (Rick) Wuestling s St. Louis, MO Tracy L. Zuckett s St. Louis, MO DRI Representative Gay L. Tedder s Kansas City, MO Executive Director Randy J. Scherr 101 East High St.- Ste. 200 P.O. Box 1072 Jefferson City, MO 65102 573-636-6100 FAX 573-636-9749 [email protected] Robert J. Buckley, MODL President Oliver Walker Wilson LLC s Columbia, MO In the early 1980s, a handful of civil defense attorneys from across Missouri joined in an effort to create a statewide organization whose purpose would be to support and work for the improvement of the civil adversary system of jurisprudence and to promote the interests of defendants in civil litigation. At the time, the plaintiffs’ bar had been formally organized for more than 30 years and had been exercising considerable influence in both the legislative and judicial branches of our state government. The efforts of these defense attorneys resulted in the formation of this great Organization. And for the past three decades, MODL has tirelessly worked to carry out the mission of its founders, and may I add with great success. As the Missouri legislature currently convenes in Jefferson City, MODL is not only monitoring but actively working to support legislation that promotes our mission. Throughout the legislative session, MODL’s Executive Director and Chief Lobbyist Randy Scherr will be continuously updating MODL’s Legislative Committee on the progression of bills filed, as well as garnering support for legislation supported by the Organization. In this edition of the Quarterly Report, MODL Legislative Chair Mimi Doherty highlights some of the proposed legislation that has already been filed. If you have particular interest in any specific legislation, please let your voice be heard and contact the legislative committee. Moreover, if you would be interested in testifying with respect to any particular pending legislation, please let the committee know. Coming up during the first week in March, MODL will once again be teaming up with MATA to host the Advanced Trial Skills Seminar for Missouri trial judges. This two-day seminar, held at the Lake of the Ozarks, will cover all aspects of trial practice, and each topic will be presented by both a MODL and MATA representative. The seminar also includes a reception for the judges hosted jointly by the Organizations. Obviously, the importance of having a voice and perspective from the civil defense bar at such an event cannot be understated. “President’s Message” >p2 President’s Message (from page 1) During the last week in March, MODL will once again host the John L. Oliver Trial Academy at the University of Missouri School of Law. Although space is very limited, I strongly encourage all of younger members to consider attending. Former MODL Presidents Karl Blanchard and Lou Leonatti have put together a faculty comprised of some of the top trial attorneys in the state, including several members of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The three-day trial college provides a tremendous foundation for one’s legal career. Registration is capped to maintain a low “student/faculty” ratio, so if you are interested in attending, or if you have a blossoming attorney in your firm who would benefit from attending, enroll now! The registration form can be found at www.modllaw.com. Lastly, as MODL Vice-President Steve Coronado details in his enclosed article, this year’s MODL Annual Meeting in Branson promises to be one of the biggest and best ever! This annual event brings together lawyers and judges from across our State to celebrate the great works of the Organization while providing the membership with a first-class CLE program. With activities and events for all ages, you and your family will not want to miss it. Mark your calendar for June 6-8 and watch for the registration brochure which will be sent in the next few weeks. I hope to see you there! Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers (MODL) 101 East High St.- Ste. 200 P.O. Box 1072 s Jefferson City, MO 65102 573-636-6100 FAX 573-636-9749 Web: www.MODLLAW.com 2013 Legislative Update by Mimi Elizabeth Doherty; Deacy & Deacy, LLP; Kansas City, MO The MODL Legislative Committee met in late January to discuss pending legislation that is of interest to MODL members. To date, there have only been a handful of bills proposed which directly affect the practices of MODL members. Interestingly, for the first time in 40 years the chairman and vice-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee are non-lawyers. Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) and Whistleblowers Act The House is considering two bills which would directly affect employers. HB 319 would establish the Whistleblower’s Protection Act (as part of Mo. Rev. Stat. § 285) to codify existing common law exceptions to the at-will employment doctrine, making it unlawful for an employer to terminate a person who qualifies as a whistleblower. HB 320 would establish a Whistleblower’s Protection Act (as part of Mo. Rev. Stat. § 213) and would also make changes to the section of the Missouri Human Rights Act which relates to unlawful discriminatory employment practices. The bill would change the standard used to determine whether an employer’s practices are unlawful. The current standard provides that a practice is unlawful when the protected trait is a “contributing factor” in the employer’s decisions or actions. This bill would require that the protected trait be a “motivating factor” in the employer’s action or decision. All 501(c) non-profit groups would be exempt from the definition of “employer.” The bill also proposes to change the damage provisions of the MHRA, so as to mirror the damage provisions of the federal discrimination statutes. The maximum amount of damages that can be assessed against an employer who unlawfully discriminates would depend on the employer’s size. Similar legislation passed last year, but was vetoed by Gov. Jay Nixon. The Legislature failed to override the Governor’s veto. MODL supports passage of these bills. “Legislative Update” >p3 ~2~ Legislative Update (from page 2) HB 318 - This bill would authorize any court in a civil Workers’ Compensation/Second Injury Fund case to order that jury costs (including compensation, mileage, meals and lodging) be paid by the party against whom a judgment is made. Senate Bill No. 1 proposes to modify the laws relating both to the Second Injury Fund and to occupational diseases within the Worker’s Compensation system. The bill provides that occupational disease is exclusively covered under Worker’s Compensation laws. The bill proposes new criteria for establishing claims against the Second Injury Fund for permanent total disability (PTD). The bill would eliminate claims for permanent partial disability (PPD) against the Second Injury Fund. The bill would limit the amount of any settlement the State Treasurer can agree to without obtaining the authorization of a majority of the Second Injury Fund commission. SB 12 - This bill would amend Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537 to add a section providing immunity from civil liability, including malpractice claims, for attorneys who are appointed by courts to represent indigent parties. The act would provide that court appointed attorneys may be liable for conduct that is willfully wrong or with malice or corruption. SB 21 - This bill would allow the Missouri Supreme Court to transfer circuit and associate circuit judge positions from one circuit to another as the administration of justice requires. The Supreme Court would be authorized to transfer a judicial position only when a vacancy occurs and would be required to consider certain criteria before determining whether to transfer a position to a different circuit. The MODL legislative committee has requested that the MODL worker’s compensation committee review this bill and provide input as to what position MODL should take regarding this bill. Medical Malpractice Both the House (HB 112) and Senate (SB 105) have proposed legislation that would establish a statutory cause of action, replacing the common law action, for damages against a health care provider for personal injury arising out of the rendering of or failure to render health care services. SB 22 - This act would allow the Missouri Supreme Court to redraw the circuit and appellate districts every 10 years, beginning in 2015. The Supreme Court would have to follow certain criteria when redrawing the judicial boundaries. House Joint Resolution No. 6 proposes an amendment to the Missouri Constitution which would limit the liability for noneconomic damages in medical malpractice actions and other cases to $350,000. This amendment would appear on the ballot in 2014. SB 62 - This bill would increase the fine for a seatbelt violation from $10 to $50. SB 64 - This bill would change the evidentiary standard for noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases to “clear and convincing” from the current “by a preponderance of the evidence” standard. MODL supports passage of these bills and the joint resolution. MODL will monitor the above bills. Other Bills That Have Been Proposed Are: Judicial Selection Process HB 90 - This bill would give an insurer the right to intervene in a civil action in which it may be contractually obligated to pay the cost of defending a civil lawsuit or a portion of any judgment that may be rendered in the lawsuit. Unlike last year, there have been no bills proposed to date this year which would modify or eliminate the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan. Conclusion HB 190 - This bill would establish the Volunteer Health It is unknown which of the above bills will be passed by the House and Senate and sent to Gov. Nixon. Both the House and Senate have veto-proof majorities, so it is likely that any bill vetoed by the Governor would be overridden. Additional information about these bills, as well as other pending bills, can be found on the websites of both the Missouri House and Senate. Services Act, which would allow certain licensed health professionals to volunteer their services to certain organizations such as school sports teams. The volunteer would not be liable for any civil damages for any act or omission resulting from his services, so long as he exercised ordinary care when performing the services. ~3~ MODL Annual Meeting: Relax, Reflect and Re-Energize by Steven F. Coronado; Coronado Katz LLC; Kansas City, MO vendors and to take advantage of the gifts they offer. Be sure to provide your card for a chance to win a door prize! Relax, Reflect and Re-energize is the theme for this year’s Annual Meeting of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers. The venue is the Hilton at Branson Landing, an upto-date facility that offers great access to Lake Tanneycomo as well as shopping, numerous family activities and eating establishments. It is a great place to relax with family and friends. The overall program this year will offer a few new twists and will build on the successes of the programs of recent years, with plenty of opportunity to obtain critical CLE hours as attendees reflect on and re-energize their defense practices. Please join your MODL colleagues June 6th through the 8th at the Hilton in wonderful Branson Missouri where you can relax, reflect and re-energize. We look forward to seeing you there. Like previous Annual Meetings pictured here, the 2013 Annual Meeting will be a great chance to spend some time with the family, catch up with some old friends, make some new ones, share some laughs, and maybe even learn a thing or two! As in years past, there will be a number of MODL social events to give everyone a chance to see and speak with friends and to make new friends. Of course, it wouldn’t be the same without the MODL golf tournament. There will be plenty of time for golf, and for those who enjoy other forms of relaxation, there will be additional activities available. When not engaged in social activities offered during this year’s Annual Meeting, attendees will have the opportunity to hear presentations by Judge William Francis and Judge Jeffery Bates of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, on the topic of summary judgment. This year’s ethics presentation will be provided by Gary Myers, Dean from the University Of Missouri School of Law, with the assistance of former MODL President Lou Leonatti. Judge Gary Oxenhandler will share his insight on jury selection. Greg Aubuchon will provide helpful pointers for cross-examination of a plaintiff’s economist. Finally, a panel of Missouri’s bestregarded mediators will share their views on strategies for a successful mediation. We are exceptionally thankful to have Dean Myers and so many current and former Judges willing to help us out this year. Before and after each session and during the breaks, attendees will have the opportunity to spend time with the various vendors who help make this event possible. We encourage all who attend to spend time with the various ~4~ The Young Lawyers Committee: Activities Around the State Encourage MODL Membership by Tracy L. Zuckett; Brown & James P.C.; St. Louis, MO The goal of the Young Lawyer's Committee is to encourage attorneys who are age 36 or younger, or have been practicing law for five years or less, to join MODL and to participate in MODL's Trial Academy, Judicial Luncheons, Annual Meeting, and various other networking events. participants and faculty. And, do not forget the activities in the works during this year’s Annual Meeting, June 6-8, 2013, at the Hilton Branson Convention Center. The networking and social events during the Annual Meeting are always a good time. Each of the above events promotes the benefits of MODL membership for both current and potential young lawyer members. Please encourage your young lawyer colleagues to attend and to join MODL. To join the Young Lawyers’ Committee, or to suggest future networking events, please e-mail: One such networking event recently took place in Kansas City, and several more are coming up. In December, a group of twenty or so “young lawyers” from the KC metro bar gathered in the heart of what was once dubbed “the lawyer’s ghetto” to celebrate MODL’s annual Holiday Happy Hour at Charlie Hooper’s in Brookside. Those in attendance had a great time socializing, swapping war stories and simply blowing off steam as the 2012 billables came to a close. On March 1, 2013, St. Louis metro young lawyers (along with several not-so-young lawyers) met for a happy hour at Franco’s, next to the Soulard Market. The next networking opportunity is planned for 6:00pm at the Grand Cru (2600 S. Providence Rd.) in Columbia on March 28, 2013, during this year’s Trial Academy for Committee Chair: Emily Little ([email protected]) Committee Vice Chairs: Jason Scott ([email protected]) Tiffany Hogan (tiff[email protected]) Matt Noce ([email protected]) Tracy Zuckett ([email protected]) 2013 MODL Judicial/Legislative Reception MODL Board Members visit with The Honorable George Draper, The Honorable Patricia Breckenridge, Supreme Court Clerk Bill Thompson and State Representatives Bill White and Chris Kelly during the MODL Reception held on January 28th. ~5~ Requiring an Independent Tort Duty in Alarm Services Lawsuits by Jason Scott; Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.; Kansas City, MO at Jeannie’s store resulted in ADT assuming a common-law duty to provide those services. Id. I serve as national counsel for ADT Security Services, Inc. In doing so, I frequently face the same question: Is an alarm company responsible in tort for damages caused by theft if the company fails to properly install or monitor an alarm system? The answer is no, but not for the reason you may think. Traditionally, alarm service companies like ADT relied heavily on the exculpatory and limitation provisions in their contracts. But recently, plaintiffs started to creatively plead around these limitations by suing under various tort theories. This novel argument posed a serious risk to ADT. First, because of the type of services ADT offered, § 323 would always create an independent duty, thereby rendering the parties’ contract and the contract’s limitations meaningless. Second, because ADT’s monthly charges were based on the services it provided, and not on any underwritten risk of loss, Jeannie’s § 323 argument threatened to undermine ADT’s continued ability to provide alarm monitoring services at reasonable prices. Fortunately, I was able to draw on a previous success in the District of New Jersey to defeat Jeannie’s argument. See Lala v. ADT Sec. Servs., Inc., 2010 WL 4923452 at *4 (D.N.J. Nov. 29, 2010) (dismissing plaintiff’s § 323 argument, holding “if a relation exists which would give rise to a legal duty without enforcing the contract promise itself, the tort action will lie, otherwise not”) (quoting Pfenninger v. Hunterdon Cent. Reg. High Sch., 167 N.J. 230, 241 (N.J. 2001)). Using Lala’s holding, I argued that § 323’s purpose was to provide a remedy to injured parties where a duty may not otherwise exist; it was not meant to upend parties’ bargained-for obligations. Id. The Eastern District of Virginia agreed, dismissed Jeannie’s negligence claims with prejudice, and limited Jeannie’s remaining claim for breach of contract to the contractually agreed-upon amount. Id. at *4. I recently faced a new twist on this issue in arguing a motion to dismiss in the Eastern District of Virginia. Jeannie’s Jewelers, Inc. v. ADT Sec. Servs., Inc., 2012 WL 1869319 (E.D. Va. May 22, 2012). There, Jeannie’s Jewelers sued ADT for breach of contract, negligence, and gross negligence, alleging that the ADT alarm system failed to activate during a burglary at Jeannie’s jewelry store. Id. at *1-2. Before the burglary, Jeannie’s contracted with ADT to takeover monitoring of the existing alarm system and add additional components. Id. Jeannie’s alleged that ADT failed to properly connect the existing system’s phone line anti-tampering feature to the new system. Id. As a result, the system did not generate an alarm signal when burglars cut the phone line to the store, allowing them ample time to break into safes and escape with millions in jewelry. Id. I moved to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim, arguing (1) that ADT’s failure to properly install and monitor Jeannie’s alarm system could not support Jeannie’s negligence and gross negligence claims because these were contractual (and not common-law) duties; and (2) the parties’ contract limited Jeannie’s damages for its breach of contract claim. Id. In response, Jeannie’s argued that, under Restatement (Second) of Torts § 323 1, ADT’s assumption of its contractual duty to install and monitor security equipment So, to answer my own question, ADT routinely defeats tort claims because it has no common-law duty to install and monitor alarm systems; as a result, tort claims premised on ADT’s failure to adequately perform its contractual duties fail as a matter of law. But just like Jeannie’s, plaintiffs will continue to manufacture new claims and new arguments aimed at avoiding the contract’s limitations. Luckily, “Tort Duty” >p7 1 Restatement § 323 states: reasonable care to perform his undertaking if One who undertakes, gratuitously or for consideration, to render services to another which he should recognize as necessary for the protection of the other’s person or things, is subject to liability to the other for physical harm resulting from his failure to exercise (a) his failure to exercise such care increases the risk of such harm, or (b) the harm is suffered because of the other’s reliance upon the undertaking. ~6~ Tort Duty (from page 6) Jeannie’s represents a recent trend of courts looking past creative pleading to get at the heart of a plaintiff’s claims – the source of the duty. See Valenzuela v. ADT Sec. Servs., Inc., 475 F. App’x 115, 117 (9th Cir. 2012) (upholding district court’s dismissal of plaintiffs’ negligence and gross negligence claims because ADT’s obligation to properly install an alarm system and notify plaintiffs of an alarm signal “arose solely from its contractual relationship with [plaintiffs], not from any duty independent of the parties’ contract”); Spengler v. ADT Sec. Servs., Inc., 505 F.3d 456 (6th Cir. 2007) (holding that an alarm company’s failure to perform its contracted for obligations would not support tort claims); Ram Int’., Inc., v. ADT Sec. Servs., Inc., No. 11-10259, 2011 WL 5244936 (E.D. Mich. Nov. 3, 2011) (clarifying holding in Spengler to apply to claims for gross negligence). S.W.2d 134 (Mo. En Banc 1987) (dismissing plaintiff’s tort claim “because the mere failure to perform a contract cannot serve as the basis for tort liability for negligence); Grus v. Patton, 790 S.W.2d 936 (Mo. App. E.D. 1990) (analyzing contract/tort distinction in context of statute of limitations for tractor repair services); Preferred Physicians Mut. Mgmt. Group v. Preferred Physicians Mut. Risk Retention, 918 S.W.2d 805 (Mo. App. W.D. 1996) (discussing at length the separation of contract and tort, and holding that nonperformance of an oral contract will not support a tort claim absent misfeasance). Although my success is limited to the alarm services industry, the principles underlying these opinions apply to a wide range of service-based industries, such as automotive repair, pest control, HVAC repair, commercial and residential sprinkler systems, and home inspections. Unfortunately, Missouri courts have yet to address the requirement of an independent tort duty in an alarm services case, and the cases discussing and applying the contract/tort distinction are dated. See William Ranni Assoc., Inc. v. Hartenbach, 742 Today, tort has a tendency to engulf contract. But, as under the common law, limitations on the remedy of tort should be imposed; otherwise tort will engulf contract. The two remedies, while related, are not identical. The circumstances of this case show that each of the remedies should be kept within their proper bound. Otherwise all remedies could be maintained under a tort theory. As plaintiffs continue to develop new arguments to circumvent contract remedies, it will be interesting to see how Missouri courts respond. To echo the concerns of the Eastern District: Grus, 790 S.W.2d at 944. J L 2013 John L. Oliver, Jr. Trial Academy March 27-29, 2013 University of Missouri School of Law Columbia, MO O To register: www.MODLLAW.com ~7~
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