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KILPATRICK TOWNSEND STOCKTON LLP
JON MICHAELSON (SBN 83815)
BYRON CHIN (SBN 259846)
1080 Marsh Road
Menlo
Park,
CA 94025
Telephone:
650 326 24
Facsimile: 650 326 2422
Email: jmichaelson@kilpatri cktownsend.com
Attorneys for Plaintiff
HUNTERI-1EART
INC.
SUPERIOR COURT OF
THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA
FOR THE
COUNTY OF SANTA
CLARA
HUNTERHEART lNC., a Califomia corporation, Case No. 4 18 9 215 5
Plaintiff,
vs.
BIO-REFERENCE LABORATORIES, INC.,
a
New Jersey Corporation, and DOES 1 through
10
inclusive,
Defendants.
COMPLAINT FOH.:
(1) INTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE
WITH CONTRACTUAL
RELATIONS;
(2)
INTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE
WITH PROSPECTIVE
ECONOMIC
ADVANTAGE;
(3)
RREACH
OF CONTRACT;
(4) BREACH OF
THE
IMPLIED
COVENANT OF GOOD F AITH AND
FAIR
DEALING;
5)
VIOLATION OF
UNFAIR RlJSINESS
PRACTICES
ACT [CALIFORNIA
BUSINESS PROFESSIONS
CODE
17200, T SEQ.J;
(6) VIOLATION OF FALSE
ADVERTISING
LAWS
[CALIFORNIA
BUSINESS PROFESSIONS CODE
17500, T S Q];
(7) VIOLATION OF
CALIFORNIA
BUSINESS PROFESSIONS CODE
16600;
(8)
FRAUD;
(9) TRADEMARK I.NFRINGEMENT rts
u.s.c. ] 114];
(10) FALSE
MI.SLEADING
DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN
[15
U.S.C.
112S(a)(l)(A));
(11) FALSE ADVERTISING
UNDER THE
LANHAM
ACT
115
U.S.C.
1125(a)(l)(B)l;
(12) CONVERSION; AND
(13) UNJUST ENRICHMENT
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Plaintiff
HunterHeart
Inc. ("HunterHeart") files this
Complaint
against Bio-Reference
Laboratories, Inc. ( BRLI ) and
demands
a trial by jury.
HunterHeart pleads
as follows:
JURISDICTION ND
VENUE
1.
This
Comt
has
jurisdiction over these claims
because
a substantial
patt
of
the events or
5
1
omissions giving rise to this
case
occurred in California and/
or
their effects
were
felt in California by
6 HunterHeart, a resident of
Santa Clara
County.
7
8
9
1
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
2.
Venue
is
proper
in the Superior Court
of
the State
of
California
in
and
for
the County
of Santa Clara
because
a substantial
part
of the events or
omissions
giving rise to this case occurred
within the County
of Santa
Clara and/or their errects were
caused by BRU,
a corporation which
conducts a substantial
amount
of business in this County.
THE
P RTIES
3.
Plaintiff Hunterlleart
is, and at all
relevant
times was, a California corporation doing
husiness in
the
State
of
California ,
with
its principal place
of
business
currently located in Los Gatos,
Culifomia.
4.
Defendant BRLI
is, and at all relevant times was, a
New
Jersey cmvoration, doing
business
in the
State of California a
nd more
specifically within
Santa Clara
Cotmty, California.
5
Huntcriieart
is ignorant
of
lhe true
names
and capacities
of
the
defendants sued herein
18 as DOES
l-1 0, inclusive, and therefore sues these defendants
by
fictitious
names
pursuant to
19 California
Code
of Civil
Procedure
section 474.
Hunter
Heart will
amend
this Complaint to allege the
20 true identities of DOES through 10
once
they have been ascertained.
HunterHemt
is infom1ed and
21 believes that each of
the
defendant >
sued
as
DOES
1 tluough 10 is in
some manner
responsible for
22
the occurrences, injuries
and other damages
alleged in this Complaint. HunterHeart is informed and
23
believes that at
all
relevant times
each
DOE
defendant acted
as an agent
or
employee
of
or as a co-
24
conspirator with the
named defendant
in connection
with
the acts/or omissions alleged herein.
25 ST TEMENT OF F CTS
26
6
Prior to
August
7, 2013, ITunterHcart, which
was then known
as Hunter Laboratories,
27
nc., operated an
independent
clinical laboratory based
in
Campbell , Califomia.
On
August
7,
2013,
28
Hunter
Laboratories , Inc.
and
BRLI entered into a written
Asset Purchase Agreement
pursuant to
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which, among other things, certain operating assets and certain of the operating liabilities of Hunter
Laboratories, Inc., were transfened to
BRLT in
exchange for a specified purchase price (the
Agreement ). In the course
of
negotiating the Agreement, and prior to execution
of
that contract,
BRLI
representatives stated numerous times to Hunter Laboratories that
BRLI
had no interest in
acquiring that portion
of the
Hunter Laboratories business which involved testing and related services
for cardiovascular conditions and events and which had been operating successfully for more than six
(6) years, and that BRLI was not planning to expand the very limited offering it then had in that area.
Accordingly, the Agreement expressly excluded assets identified and defined therein as the
HuntcrHeart Enterprise. The HunterHeart Enterprise involved and eontinues to involve a set of
medical tests, testing protocols, and guidelines to aid physicians in the diagnosis
of
and
recommendation
of
treatment programs for cardiac and cardiovascular conditions and events. The
assets which Hunterl-leart thus retained pursuant lo the Agreement included intellectual property,
l
customer accounts,
equipment
, rights to
cuny
out certain laboratory tests, license agreements, and all
other things necessary to conduct the Ilunterl-Teart business. Pursuant to the Agreement, HunterHeart
and not BRLI would continue to own the HunterHeart Enterprise after August 7, 2013. See
Agreement, Exhibit 9.2).
HRLI
is in possession
of
an original counterpart
of
the Agreement, which
contains conlidcntiality provisions which could make inclusion in a public document such as this
Complaint inappropriate.
BRLI
is fully aware
of
all tenns and conditions included in the Agreement.
To the extent relevant, certain material tenns
of
the Agreement have
been
recited or accurately
mmmarized herein.
7. Under the Agreement, BRLI agreed, among other things, to provide HunterJ-Teart
testing, related services,
and
repmis on
Huntcrlka t
' s
behalf
during a servicing period
of
up to six (6)
months
after
August 7, 2013 (hereinafter the Servicing Period ). BRLI also agreed to
pay
Hunterlleart 40% of cash collections for such tests. See Agreement, Section 10.20(b), 'l csts, page
42). BRLI failed to meet these obligations. For example, BR LI failed to properly bill all tests, failed
t1
collect on what amounts i t did bill , failed to pay what it owed HunterHeru1 with respect to cash
collected from IlunterHeart clients, and refused to pay HunterHem1 any a111 unt from revenue
derived from HunterHeart customer located in Northern California.
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8
In addition, from and after approximately early November
2013,
BRLI failed and
refused to provide to HunterHeart information regarding the performance of and billing for
IlunterHeart testing,
as
well as information regarding amounts received
by
BRLl for the performance
of
such tests. As a result, HunterHeart has
been
unable to audit BRLT cash collections for its
perfom1ance
of
Hunteriieart tests during the Servicing Period. Notwithstanding these failures and
refusals by BRLI, which continue lo the date
or
filing of this Complaint, Hunter Heart
is
informed cmd
believes, and on that basis alleges, that BRLT has failed to pay UunterJ-Teart approximately $234,000
ts its (Hunterl-leart's) agreed share of cash collections received by BRLI thro ugh February 2014 for
testing performed outside Northern California and approximately $880,000
in
addition as
Hunted
Ieart' s agreed
t;hare of
cash
collections received by
B RLI
through February 2014 for testing
pt:rformed within Notthern California.
9 From and after approximately March 2014, BRLI refused to consent to the release to
I:IuntcrHeart
of
up
to
$4
million which had
been
set aside from the purchase price established by the
Agreement. BRLI refused to consent to the release n f these tunds held in escrow despite the fact that
r-IunterUeart
had
:satisfied all conditions
set
forth
in
the Agreement for such release.
10 BRLT agreed
as
an express and material term of the Agreement that it would take such
actions as reasonahly required to carry out the intent and purposes of the Agreement, including any
actions necessary to legally operate the parties' respective husinesses involved after the August 7,
2013 closing date.
See
Agreement, Section
10.15,
Further Assurances, page
40).
In reliance on
BRLI's agreement to this and other provisions, HunterHcart signed the Agreement. BRLJ, however,
has breached the Agreement as set f01ih in greater detail below by, among other things, interfering
with rather than supporting the
HuntcrHeatt
Enterprise.
A
Unlawful ctions Taken y BRLI Related to Northern California
11. Starting the very day after the close
of
the transaction contemplated hy the Agreement
(AugustS,
2013)
and continuing to lhe present, BRLI has unde1taken a purposeful campaign to
sabotage
HunterHeart's
client relationships and to steal the HunterHcart Enterprise business.
12 On the first day BRU began running tests on bchalfofHunterHeart, BRLI removed
the Hunterl-:Ieart name and mark from test result
repmt
forms and inserted its own name
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( Bio-Reference Laboratories ) in their place. Following multiple requests, afler several weeks
BRLI finally reinstated the HunterHcart name and mark on some but not all HunterJieart test report
forms it delivered thereafter. In doing so, however, BRLI implemented coding
which
corrupted
patient test result repmting. For example, patient test reports often did nol include all test results,
which omissions often including TOL cholesterol (which is a key component on which
cardiovascular
treatment is often based). Additionally, some patient reports failed to include results
for entire categories
of
testing (such as Metabolic Syndrome, Advanced Risk Markers, and
Int1ammation), other reports were formatted improperLy (making it difficult for physician clients to
read and use them), and yet others did not include Patient Risk Category classification and related
Treatment Goals (important and unique features of the HunterHeart product
ru d
services). Material
; omissions such as these adversely affected client relationships and caused irreparable damage o the
HunterHeart name, marks, reputation, and business.
Even more shocking, no one at BRLI regularly
reviewed coding changes before reporting results and, as a result, corrupted reports were sent to
physicians for the entire six (6) month servicing period following August 7, 2013.
On
repeated
occasions, HunterHemi requested that coding and other errors and omissions be corrected. BRLI
initially refused (despite knowing that it was continuing to deliver erroneous and/or incomplete
reports).
t was
not until five (5) months after
execution of
the Agreement that BRLT finally
addressed some of these issues and attempted (unsucccssf'ully) to fix them.
13. During the six (6) month period when BRLI was servicing the HunterHcart accounts,
BRLI s further misdeeds also included, but were not limited to, failures and refusals to competently
service HunterHeart accounts,
multiple
billing issues and mistakes, and gross lack of responsiveness
to
client concems.
Each
such material error
or
omission persisted despite repeated requests from
f-IunterHeart for corrective action. For example, prior to August 7, 2013, knowledgeable personnel
reviewed all patient test result reports in order to identify reporting issues and to monitor turnaround
time. Accuracy and speed of reporting were and arc critically irnportunt considerations for physician
clients. BRLI, however, discontinued this essential practice and failed to implement anything
comparable in its place.
BRLI failures to competently service
Hunter
Heart accounts resulted in loss
of
such accounts in Northern California, including its largest wellness program client, and the loss of
8/9/2019 Hunterheartvbrlicomplaint8 2014 140930092654 Phpapp01
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other accounts elsewhere. Damage to reputation and loss
of
revenue followed, and these acts and
2 omissions by
BRLI
also forced Hunted
Teart
to
i m ~ u r
substantial expenses in connection with its
3 subsequent efforts to minimize these and other damages.
4
14
As
the six (6) month Servicing Period was ending,
BRLl
engaged in further unlawful
5 efforts to misappropriate and/or destroy the HunterHeart Enterprise in Northern California (and
6 elsewhere) by making false and misleading statements. Specitically, in early February
2014, BRU
7 sent a mass communication to what appears to be HunterHeart's entire customer base. In at least one
8 of these messages, BRLI stated falsely that it would be offering
a
better way
to
assess heart health
9 through our Advanced Cardiovascular Testing (ACT) services. To add further insult to injury, after
10 BRLI sent the message containing this false comparison, its persotmel commenced a campaign
11 whereby sales representatives visited HunterHeart accounts, on some occasions multiple times during
12 .
ensuing weeks depending upon the size of the account, to further expound in person on the
13
misleading contents
of
the message. A true and cmTcct copy
of
the subject
BRLT
message
is
attached
14 hereto as Exhih.it A, and incorporated here by reference. Such untrue and misleading comparisons
15 with HunterHeati 's products and services and such intentional interference with Iltmterlleart's
16
~ u s t o m r
relationships have resulted in substanlial harm to HunlerHeart. Hunterlleart demanded that
7 BRLI correct its false statements and comparisons and take other
conectivc
action, hut BRLl refused.
18
15.
Also in connection with and following the false and misleading mass communication,
19
BRLI personnel directly informed some HunterH.eart customers and led others to believe that the
20 HunterHear t testing program would no longer be available from any source to physicians and groups
21 who had been using it successfully for more than six (6) years and that, as a result, those physicians
22
who wished to order a Huntcri ieart testing panel would need to replace it with BRLI's ACT panel.
23 For example, one
BRU
salesperson falsely told the largest HunterHeart client in Northern California
24 that Hw1terHcart had refused to sell or license its cardiovascular program to BRLI and also had
25 refused to allow BRT l to continue running I-TunterHeart panels. These statements were made in spite
26 of the fact that, as recently as early f ebruary 2014, HunterHcart had offered and encouraged BRLI to
27 make arrangements to continue to offer the H.untcriieart program in Nmthern California. And for
28 other customers who continued to insi st on access
to
the Hunteri -Ieart program in Northern California,
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1 BRLI sales personnel promised to them and provided results
of
the same tests included in the
2 HuntcrHeart program
but
reported those results
on
the second and later pages
of
a BRLI ACT report
3 fom1. And on at least one occasion, a
BRLI
sales manager went so far as to instruct RRLI patient
4
1
service center personnel to replace HuntcrHeart tests with the
ACT
panel on a requisition form
5 because
they
are the same thing. This BRLI sales rnanager also told at least one Tiw1terHeart client
6 that ACT is replacing the HunterHeart panel as it is the same thing. And in much the same manner
7 as its sales staff diverted business from and debased HunteriTeart in these ways, BRLI customer
8 service personnel were instructed to and did contact physicians and physician offices which had
9 ordered Hunterlleatt panels to in form them that the Hunterf-Teart program was no longer available
I
0 and hau been replaced by ACT. Th
is
occuncd despite the fact that BRLI (like all other participants
in the medical testing industry) routinely collects specimens for specific tests requested by physicians
12
which are not performed by
BRLI
and sends those to a laboratory which
can
(and does) perform
13
those pmticular tests.
14 16. Further still, at and around the end of the six (6) month Servicing Period BRLI refused
15
to turn over to HunterHeart various HunterHeart Enterprise assets and refused to pay HunterHeart
16 any amount from revenue which
it
(BRl ,I had derived from HunterHeart customers located in
17
Northern California. The HunterHcart Enterprise assets were
essential
for HunterHeart to transition
18 HunterHeart accounts to a n
ew
laboratory provider after the Servicing Period ended. These assets
9
included but were not limited to customer contact information, set up sheets, and physician
20 authorization fom1s. BRLI similarly delayed turning over
to
Hunted leart essential assets owned hy
21 HunterHcart in the form
of
information and material necessary for the new laboratory which
22 HunterHea1t had engaged to perfom1 HDL2b testing (a unique element of the HunterHeart basic test
23 par1el). As a result, HunterHeart was prevented from contacting, setting up, or providing services to
24 many Northern California customers and impaired
in
its ability to perform the
HDL2b
assay and to
25 provide to customers a complete testing program.
26
17.
BRLI 's retention
of
and/
or
delays
in
transferring various IIunteriiear t Enterprise
27 assets violate the Agreement.
See
Agreement, Exhibit 9.2). Pursuant to the Agreement,
28 HunterHeart continued to own all such assets. BRLl's unlawful conversion and manipulation
of
8/9/2019 Hunterheartvbrlicomplaint8 2014 140930092654 Phpapp01
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HunterHcart
property was
and is unauthorized and intentional
and
caused substantial harm to
2 HunterHeart.
3
18.
HunterHeart
is informed and believes, and
on
that basis alleges, that BRLI continues
4 to
purport
to offer the Hunter
Heart
test panel to
Northern
Cali rornia physicians and possibly
5
physicians
elsewhere
and to do so under its
own name
rather than that
ofHunterHeart. BRLI's
6 actions in this regard interfere with existing relationships
between HunterHeart and
its customers and
7 are
in
further violation of the Agreement. See Agreement, Section 9.2(a),
Noncompetition and
8 Non-Solicitation, page 30.)
These
actions also violate other of .HunterHeart's legal rights.
9 19. BRLI
engaged in
further unlawful efforts to misappropriate
and/or
destroy the
10 HunterHeart
Enterprise
in
Northern California by taking other
improper
steps l.o prevent
IlunterHeart
11
accounts
from being
properly maintained and serviced. Specifically, in
early
March
2014,
BRTJ
12 contacted
past employees
(phlebotomists)
of BRLI
located in Cal ifornia
who had
expressed interest
13
in
becoming
employed
by HunterHcart's new
testing
provider- West Pacific
Medical
Lab
14 ( WPML ) . BRLI stated in writing to
one
or
more such
former
employees that
they were barred
5 fiom working for WPML and from
providing
services for
any
other
company
to any BRLI customer
16
with
which the employee had
had contact during his or her tenure
with BRLI.
This included
17 Hunterl-leart customers. A true and correct
copy of
this letter sent on behalf of BRLI
is
attached
18
hereto as
Exhibit 13
and incorporated here by reference.
Not
surprisingly, and as
a
result
of BRU's
9 legally unjustified statements,
WPML has been
delayed
in or
prevented from hiring competent
20 personnel
necessary
to fully perform testing services
for
HunterHcart. DRLI's lawless intimidation
21 thus
prevented HunterHeart
from maintaining and servicing its accounts in
Northern
California,
22
:arming
HtmtcrHeart
yet
futther.
23
24
B
20
.
Unlawful ctions Taken y BRLI Outside OfNorthern California
In addition to the
un
lawful actions it carried out to interfere with, misappropriate,
25
and
/or destroy the
HunterHcart
Enterprise in Nmihern California, BRLI undertook a campaign to
26
damage HunterHeart's
business in other locations as well.
For
example,
BRLI
printed reports
on
27 non-HunterHeart forms and charged incorrect
amounts
to clients for tests
performed
for physicians
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such
refusal could or would
harm HunterHeart s ongoing
relationship with
the
client involved.
2
Among other
damages, these actions resulted in
the
loss of Hunterl-
feart s
largest
non-Califomia
3 client
which
accounted for approximately 600,000 in annual revenue.
BRLI
likewise failed to
4
collect
on
billings to third party insurance companies, and failed
to
report and
pay
for revenues
5
received for
all HunterHeart
testing
performed
for clients outside
Northern
California.
6 21.
BRLI
also printed test result s delivered to
HunterHcart
customers outside Northern
7
California
on OBGYN
formatted reports.
This
is inexplicable
at
best, considering that
the
R
HunterHcart
program involves medical tests and
programs
to aid physicians
in
the diagnosis of and
9
recommendation
of
treatment programs for cardiovascular disease,
not
anatomic pathology and
10 sexually transmitted diseases. Not surprisingly, delivery
of such
inappropriate repmts to physician
clients resulted in substantial
harm
to
Hunterl
leart.
12 FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
3
Intentional Interference with Contractual Relations)
4
22.
Hunterlleart
repeats
and
re-allcges paragraphs
l-21,
inclusive, as if fully set forth
15
herein.
6 23.
At all relevant times,
BRLI
knew
of
the existence
of
the
Agreement
and
its own
7
8
19
20
2
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
obligations pursuant to the
Agreement
and
was
aware of the contraetmtl relations between
HunterHeart
and
HunterHcart cust
omers.
24. RRLI agreed as
an express
and material term
of
the
Agreement
that
it
would take such
actions as reasonably required to carry out the intent
and
purposes
of
the Agreement, including any
actions necessary to continue to properly operate the parties' respective businesses involved after the
August
7, 2013 c losing date.
Statt
ing the very first day after
the
close
of
the
transaction
contemplated by the
Agreement (August
R 2013) and continuing to the
present
, BRLI undertook a
purposeful
campaign
to sabotage
HunterHeart s
client relationshjps and to steal the
HunterHeatt
Enterprise business.
25.
BRLI
intentionally disrupted the HunterHeart Enterprise and knowingly engaged in
wrongful
conduct which
adversely affected I-lunterHeart's contractual relationships. Among other
things,
BRU
(i) failed to take
such
actions as reasonably required to carry
out
the
intent and purposes
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1
of the Agreement, including actions necessary to continue to properly operate the parties respective
2 businesses after the August 7, 2013
dosing
date; (ii) failed to provide HunterHeart testing, related
3 services, and reports
on
I-hmterHeart s behalf with minimum competency for a period of
up
to six (6)
4
months after August
7
2013; (iii)
removed the HunterHeart name from test result rep01t forms;
5 (iv) made false and misleading comparative statements, including the
mass
communication to
6 HunterHeart s customers; (v) commenced a campaign whereby 13RLI personnel visited HunterHeatt
7 accounts to expound in person on the misleading contents
of
the mass communication; (vi) falsely
8 disseminated information to
Hunt
crHcart customers that the HunterHeart testing
program
would no
9
longer be available from any source to physicians and groups who had been using
it
successfully for
10
more
than six
(6)
years; and (vii) retained, delayed , and in
some
instances refused to transfer to
11
IlunterHeart
contact information, setup sheets, physician authorization forms, and other things which
12 were HuntcrHemt Enterprise assets and necessary for Hunterlleart to transition the Hunterlleart
13
accounts to a
new
laboratory provider following the servicing period.
14 26. As
a result of
the
conduct of BRLI
as
alleged herein, HunterHemt has been damaged
15
i.n an amount
to
be proven at trial. HunterHca1t
s
damages exceed the jurisdictional minimum of this
16 Court.
17
27.
BRLI s conduct was purpostful and intentional and done
in
conscious disregard for
8 TTunterHem1 s rights, thereby warranting the assessment
of
exemplary and punitive damages.
19 WHEREFORE,
HunterHeart prays for relief as set fotth below.
20 SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION
21 Intentional Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage)
22 28.
IlunterHemi
repeats and rc-alleges paragraphs 1-21, inclusive, as
if
fully set forth
23
herein.
24 29. BRLI engaged in the conduct alleged herein with the intent to interfere with and/or
25 destroy the economically advantageous relationships between HunterJieart and HunterHeart
26 customers and to make those relationships less :financially beneficial for HunterHcart.
27
28
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2
3
4
5
6
7
R
9
30. As a result
of
the
conduct of
BRLJ as alleged herein,
HunterHeart
has been damaged
in an
amount
to be proven
at
trial. Hunterl-
leart s
damages
exceed
the jurisdictional minimum of this
Court.
31.
BRLI s conduct was
purposeful and intentional
and done in
conscious disregard for
HunterHeatt s
rights, thereby warranting the assessment
of exemplary
and punitive damages.
WHEREFORE,
HunterHeart
prays for
relief
as set forth below.
32.
THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION
Breach
o
Contract)
HunterHeart
repeats and re-a leges paragraphs 1-21 , inclusive, as
if
fully set forth
lO
herein.
11
33.
llunterHcart has perfonned all
of
its obligations under the Agreement.
12
13
14
15
6
7
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
34. From and after August
8,
2013, RRLI t ~ i l c d to
meet
its obligations under the
Agreement by,
among other
things: (i) failing to take such actions as reasonably required to
cany
out
the intent and purposes of
the
Agreement, induding actions necessary to continue to properly operate
the
parties
respective businesses after
the August
7, 2013 closing date; (ii) failing to pay
all
amounts
due to Hunteriieart
under
the Agreement; (iii) failing to provide HunterHeart testing, related services,
and reports
on HunterHeart s behalf
with
minimum
competency
for
a period
of up to six (6) months
after
August
7,
201 3;
(iv) retaining and/
or
delaying the transfer
of various
HunterHeart Enterprise
assets necessary to
conduct
the HunterHeart husiness; (v) consistently
engaging
in willful and
malicious conduct with
the
intent to interfere with and/or
~ s t r o y
the economica.lly-advantageous
relationships betwe::en
HunterHeart
and HunterHeart customers;
and
(vi) failing and refusing to
release to
IlunterHcart
a large porti
on
of
th e purchase price
under
the Agreement.
35. As a result ofBRLI ' s breaches
of the
Agreement, Hunteriieart has been damaged in
an
amount
to he proven at trial. HunterHcart s dm11ages exceed
the
jurisdictional minimum
of
this
25 Court.
26 WHEREFORE,
HunteriTeart prays for
relief
as set forth below.
27
28
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2
3
36
FOURTH
CAUSE OF
ACTION
(Breach
of
The
Implied
Covenant Of Good Faith And Fair
Dealing)
HunterHeati repeats and re-alleges paragraphs 1-21, inclusive, as if fully set forth
4 herein.
5
6
7
8
9
10
2
13
4
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
4
25
26
37.
3S
HunterHeart performed all
of
its obligations under the Agreement.
Every contract imposes upon each party to a contract a duty of good faith and fair
dealing in performance and enforcement
of
their agreement. This implied covenant
of
good faith and
fair dealing requires that no party
will
do anything that will have the effect of impairing, destroying,
or injuring the rights of the other party to receive the benefits of their agreement. The covenant also
implies that
in
all contracts each party will do all things reasonably contemplated by the terms of the
contract to accomplish its purpose. This covenant protects the benefits
of
the Agreement that
HunterHcart and BRLI reasonably contemplated when they entered into the Agreement.
As alleged
herein,
B RLI
failed to properly perform all
of
its obligations under the Agreement and otherwise
violated the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
39. BRLI interfered with llunterHeart s right to receive the benefits
ofthe
Agreement by,
among other things: (i) failing to take such actions as reasonably required to carry out the intent and
purposes of the Agreement, including actions necessary to continue
to
properly operate the parties
respective businesses after the August 7,
2013
closing date:; (ii) tailing to pay all amounts due to
HunterHeart under the Agreement; (iii) failing
to
provide IlunterHcarl testing, related services, and
reports un Hunterlleart s
behalf
wi h minimum competency fur a period
of up
to six (o) months after
August 7, 2013 ; (iv) retaining and/or delaying the transfer of various IlunterHeart assets necessary to
conduct the HunterHeart business; (v) consistently engaging in willful and malicious conduct with
the intent to interfere with and/or destroy the economically-advantageous relationships between
HunterHeart and HunterHeart customers; and (vi) i l i n g and refusing to release to HunterHeart a
large portion of the purchase price under the Agreement.
40
As a result of
BRLI s
breaches of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing,
27 HunterHeart has been damaged in an amount to be proven at trial. HunterHemi s damages exceed
28 the jurisdictional minimwn of thi s Court.
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2
3
4
5
6
herein.
7
WHEREFORE, HunterHeart prays for relief as set forth below.
FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Violation Of California Business Professions
ode Sections 17200,
et seq -
Unfair Business Practices Act)
41 Hunter
Heart repeats and re-alleges paragraphs 1-21, inclusive, as if fully set forth
42.
The Unfair Business Practices Act defines unfair business competition to include any
8 "unfair," unlawful,"
or
fraudulc.nt business act or practice including any unfair, deceptive, untrue or
9 misleading advertising.
1
43 .
BRLI
's unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business acts and practices are described
l throughout this Complaint. These include but are not limited to the following: (i) BRLI 's removal
of
12 the Hunter Icart name and mark from lest result report fnnns; (ii) BRLI's false and misleading
13 comparative statements, including the mass communication to H.untcrHeart's customer base; (iii) the
14 commencement of a campaign whereby RRT J persorU1el visitt:d HunterHcart accounts to expound in
15 person
on th
e misleading contents of the mass communication; (iv) BRLI's false dissemination of
16 infon:nation to IIunteriieart customers that the HuntcrHcari testing program would no longer be
7
available from any
source
to physicians and groups who had been using it successfully for more than
18 six (6) years; (v)
BRLI
' s delay and
in
some in stances refusal to transfer to HunterHeatt contact
19 information, setup sheets, physician authorization fom1s, and other things which were Hunte.rHeart
20 Enterprise assets and essential for HunterHeart to transition IIunterHeart accounts to a new laboratory
21 provider; (vi) BRLl's refusal to pay HunterHcart any amount
from
revenue derived from llunterJiearl
22 customers located
in
Nm1hern California; and (vii)
RRLI's
unlawful efforts to misappropriate and/or
23 destroy the
llunterlleart
Enterprise by preventing HuntcrHeart and/
or
its new laboratory provider
24 from maintaining and servicing the HunterHear t accounts; and (viii) threatening to commence legal
25 action against past employees (phlebotomists) ofBRLl who had expressed interest in becoming
26 employed by HunterHeart's new testing provider.
27
44.
BRLI has been unjustly enriched as a result
of
its wrongful conduct and by its unfair
2R comoetition. HunterHeart is accordinP:lv entitled to e ui table
relief
includin restitution and/or
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disgorgement of all revenues, earnings, protits, compensation, and benefits obtained by BRTJ as a
2 result
of
such improper business practices.
3
45. BRLI s conduct was purposeful and intentional and done in conscious disregard for
4
HunterHeart s rights, thereby warranting the assessment
of
exemplary and punitive damages.
5
WHEREFORE, HunterHeart prays for relief as set forth below.
6
7
8
9
10 herein.
46 .
47.
SIXTH CAUSE OF
ACTION
(Violation Of California Business Professi.ons
Code Sections 17500, et seq.- False Advertising Laws)
HunterHeart repeats and re-alleges paragraphs 1-21, inclusive, as if fully set forth
BRLT s unfair, deceptive, untrue and/or misleading advertising are described
12 throughout this Complaint and include but are not limited to the following: (i) BRLl s false and
3
misleading comparative statements and specifically the mass communication to HunterHcart s entire
14 customer base; (ii) the commencement of a sales campaign whereby BR.LI personnel visited
5 HunlerHcart accounts to expound in person on the misleading contents ofthe mass communication;
6 (iii) BRLI
personnel s
false dissemination of information to HunterHcart customers that the
7 I-IunterHeart testing program would no longer be available from any source to physicians and groups
8 who had been using it successrully for more than six (o) years; and (iv) misrepresenting the origins of
9
llunterHeart tests and llunterHeart test results by removing the I-ItmterHeart name and trademark
20 from test result report forms and by rcpo1iing the results of Hunted-
Teart
tests on report forms bearing
2
the
BRT
J name and/or reference to the BRLI
ACT
testing program.
22
4 :1.
BRLT s dissemination
or
ralse and materially misleading and deceptive information
23 and the omission
of
material information, as discussed above and throughout this Complaint, for
24 purposes of inducing existing HunterHeart customers to request BRLI s
ACT
testing panel and cause
25 substantial financial hann to HunterHeart violates California Business and Professions Code Section
26
17500 etseq.
27
28
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1
49
BRLI has
been
unjustly enriched as a result
of
its wrongful conduct. HunterHeart is
2 accordingly entitled to equitable relief including restitution and/or disgorgement
of
all revenues,
3 earnings, profits, compensation, and benefits obtained by BRLl as a result
of
such business practices.
4
50
BRLI's
conduct
was purposeful and intentional and done
in
conscious disregard for
5
6
HunterHeart 's rights, thereby warranting the assessment of exemplary and punitive damages.
WHEREFORE
, HunterHeart prays for
relief
as set forth below.
7
8
9
1
11
herein.
12
51
52
SF:VENTH C USE OF CTION
(Violation of California Business Professions
Code Section 16600)
Tiun.terHeart repeats and rc-alleges paragraphs l-21 , inclusive, as
iffully
set forth
BRLI's conduct violates California Business and Professions Code Section 16600,
13
which prohibits
eve
ry contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession,
14 trade,
or business .
15
53.
Spccitically, in early March 2014, BRLI contacted past employees (phlebotomists) of
16 13RLI located in
California
who had expressed interest in
becoming employed by
HuntcrHeart's
new
17 testing provider- WPML. BRLI slated in writing to one or more such former employees that they
18 were barred flom working for
WPML
and from providing services
on behalf of
any other company to
19 any BRLI customer with which that employee had had contact during his or her employment with
20 BRLL This included HuntcrHeart customers. BRLI's legally unjustified statements and threats were
21 based on Paragraph 5(A) of the Ph lebotomist Non-Solicitation Agreement signed by former BRLI
22 employees.
23
54
Pursuant to California Business and Professions Code Section 16600 the Phlebotomist
24 Non-Solicitation Agreement is void because it expressly restrains former BRLI employees from
25 engagi
ng
in a lawful proicssion, trade, or business.
26
55.
As a result
of
I3RLI' s legally unjustified statements,
WPML
has been delayed in
or
27 prevented from hiring competent personnel necessary to fully perform testing services for
28
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1 HuntcrHcart.
BRU s
lawless intimidation has prevented
HunterHeart
from maintaining and
2 servicing accounts
in
Northern California,
harming
llunterHeart yet further.
3
56.
As a result ofRRLI s unlawful conduct as alleged herein, Hunterl-Ierui has been
4
1
damaged in an amount to be proven at trial.
HunterHeart s damages exceed the
jurisdictional
5 minimum of
this
Comt.
6 WHEREFORE,
HunterHeart
prays for
relief
as set forth
below
.
7 EIGHTH CAUSE OF ACTION
8 Fraud)
9 57.
HunterHeart
repeats and re-alleges paragraphs
1-21,
inclusive, as
if
full y set forth
10
herein.
11
58.
At
the times BRLl
represented to
HunterHeart
that t (RRLI)
had
no interest in
12
acquiring
the
HunterH.erut Enterprise business and that BRLJ was not
plann
i
ng
to
expand
the very
13
limited offering it then
had in
that area, these statements were false.
IlunterHcart is
informed and
14 believes, and on that basis
alkges,
that BRLI s true intent
was
to acquire the HunterHeart Enterprise
15
business by failing to properly support the
same
during the Servicing Period, by interfering
with
16
relationships
between Hunteriiearl
and its clients,
by engaging in
various acts
ofunfair
competition,
17 an
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
2
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
herein.
62
NINTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Trademark Infringement
15
U.S.C.
1 114)
H untcrHeart repeats and re-alleges paragraphs 1-21, inclusive, as i fully set forth
63. The HunterHcart Enterprise was and is based in substantial
patton
the existence and
use of
certain
intellectual property assets. HtmterHcart was the developer of a highly successful set
of medical tests, testing programs, and guidelines to aid physicians in the assessm.ent
of
risk
of
heart
disease and stroke and in the recommendation
of
treatment regimens for cardiovascular conditions
and events. Key to this HUNTERHEJ\.RT Program is the
HUNTERHEART
Panel, which provides
lab results to facilitate assessment
of
risks beyond what
is
possible using
r ~ m l t s of
common heart
disease and stroke markers such as total, I .DL, and IIDL cholesterol, which are the tocus of the
traditional lipid panel. The IIUNTERHE.ART Panel employs the traditional lipid profile but also
includes results of a number oCnewcr tests that include intlammatory and genetic markers. By using
the HUNTERHEART Panel and resulting HUNTERHF.AKT Report, physicians can uncover hidden
factors that may indicate a high risk
of
heart attack
or
stroke
i
untreated. An exemplar
of
the
HUNTERilEART
Report is included at Exhibit
C
64. Since at least as early as May 2009, Hunterl-learl extensively used the
HUNTERH.EART word mark as well as the HUNTElu-IEART Hearl Design Mark (the
HUNTERHEART Marks ) in commerce in connection with its medical diagnostic testing services.
The HUNTERHEART Program has been and is used by physicians and hospitals throughout the
United States. Over
35,000
HlJNTERHEART Panel analyses have been conducted on individual
patients since the
HUNTI,RHEART Program was first introduced. IIUNTERJ-
IEART
Reports
reviewed and used by hospitals and physicians relative to individual patients each prominent display
one or both of the H UNTERHEAR T Marks.
65. As a result of this use and promotion, the HUNTERHEART marks have come
to
be
associated with HunterHeart and with the consistently high level of quality and service provided by
HunterHeart to its clients.
16
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66. Hunterl-feart is the
owner
of the U .S. trademark registrations for the
HUNTERIIEART
2 Marks as shown below:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
7
Mark
HlJNTERHEAR1 '
- ---c----
-
--
- - ,
Registration No.
3,
731
,206
3,731,207
escription
Medical
diagnostic testing, monitoring and
reporting services; Medical clinical
reference laboratory testing services; health
care services, namely, wellness programs;
medical consulting services in the field of
cardiology, consulting services in the field
of diagnostic medical testing; medical
information,
namely
, consumer-authorized
clinical laboratory testing services that
report results directly to
the
physician and
atient.
Medicul diagnostic testing, monitoring
and
reporting services;
Medical
clinical
reference laboratory testing services; health
care services ,
namely, wellncss
programs;
rnedic.al consulting services in the field
of
cardiology, consulting services in the tlcld
of diagnostic medical testing; rnedical
infonnution, name y, consumer-authorized
clinical laboratory testing services that
report results directly to the physician and
patient.
18
(Hereinafter
the
"
HUNTERHFART
Registrations "). Attached hereto as
Exhibit
Dare
true
and
19 correct copies of the certificates of registration for the 1-HJNTERHEART Registrations.
20
67.
The
HUNTERHEART Registrations are valid, subsisting, and conclusive evidence of
21
the validity of
each
of the subject marks, HuntcrHeart s
ownership
of the marks, and HunterHeart s
22 exclusive right to use
each
of the HUNTER HEART Marks in
commerce
or in connection with the
23 services specified in the HUNTERHEART Registrations.
24
68
BRLI has infringed and continues to infringe Hunted-Teart's federal registrations by
25
the selling, o1Tering for sale, distributing, and advertising medical diagnostic testing services under
26 the exact marks found in the HUNTERIIEART Registrations .
27
69.
BRLI' s
use
of
the HUNTRRHEART
Word Mark
and
tlw
TIUNTERHEART
Design
28 Mark in connection with medical diagnostic testing services without
HunterHeart s
explicit or
7
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2
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
2
3
4
15
16
17
8
9
20
2
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
impLicit consent is intended and is likely to cause confusion,
to
cause mistake, and to deceive, and
has, upon information and belief, in fact caused confusion and mistake and deceived consumers and
potential consumers of such services.
70.
BRLT
will continue
to
infringe HunterHeart ' s HUNTERHEART Registrations and
cause irreparable harm unless enjoined
by
this Court.
71. BRLI's activities result in vio lation of Section 32 of the Lanham Act, and, upon
information and belief,
BRLI's
violation is and has been willful, intentional , and in conscious
disregard ofHunterlleart's rights.
72. As a direct result ofBRU's unlawful conduct, HunterHeart has been and will continue
to
he
irreparably and subs tantially harmed and injured.
Tf
BRU's infringement is permitted to
continue, Hunt.cri-Ieart will sustain fmtber loss, damage and irreparable injury. HunterfTeart is further
entitled to all other remedies set
fo
r
th
in Sections 34, 35 and 36 of the Lanham Act,
15
U.S.C.
1116, 7 and 11 18.
WHEREFORE, HunterHeart prays for relief as set forth below.
TENTH CAUSE OF ACTION
False Misleading Designation
of
Origin -
1 5
lJ.S.C.
ll25 a) l) A))
73.
Hunterl-Ieart repeats and re-alleges paragraphs
1-
21 inclusive, and 63-71, inclusive, as
if
fully
set
forth herein.
74. BRLI's use
o t h ~
HUNTERHEART Marks in connection with its rnedical diagnostic
testing services constitutes a false designation
of
origin, a false description ofBR
LI'
s se rvices, and a
false representation that BRLI's services are sponsored, endorsed, licensed, authorized
by
affiliated
with, or connected to HunterHcart.
75. As alleged herein, BRLT engaged in unlawful conduct to enhance the commercial
value of its own goods and services and this conduct directly infringed upon tJ1e I-HINTER HEART
marks. For example, among other things, BRLI misrepresented the origins
of
HunterHeart tests and
IIunterHeart test results by removing the HunterHeart name and trademark from test result repmt
f,)nns and by reporting the results
ofiiunterHeart
tests on report forms bearing the BRLI name
and/or reference to the BRLI ACT testing program. BRLI's actions and its passing
oil
of
1
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HunterHeart test results as its own resulted in confusion, deception, and mistake among Hunter I-Jeart
2 customers.
BRLI's
conduct has caused a likelihood of confusion and deceived IlunterHeart
3 customers and, additionally, caused impairment of HunterHeart's goodwill and reputation as
4 symbolized by the
HUNTERHE
ART Marks.
5 76. RR.U's has used a copy, variation, simulation or colorable imitation of the
6 HUNTERITEART Marks with full knowledge
of
the long and extensive prior use
by
HunterHeart.
7
8
77.
78.
BRLI will continue to cause irreparable harm unless enjoined by this Court.
BRU s activities result in violation
of
Section 43
of
the Lanham Act and, upon
9
information and
b e l i e ~
BRLL s
violation is and has been willful, intentional, and in conscious
10 disregard of HuntcrHcart's right s .
79. As a direct result
ofBlUJ s
unlawful conduct, Hunteriieart has been and will continue
12 to be irreparably and substantially harmed and injured.
lfBRLI s
infringement is permitted to
13 continue, I-hmterlleart
will
sustain futther loss, damage and itTeparable injury. HunterHeart
is
further
14
I
entitled to all other remedies set forth in Sections 34,
35
and 36 ofthe Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C.
15 1116,1117andlll8.
16
WHEREFORE
, Hunter Ieart prays for relief as set forth below.
17 ELEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION
18
False Advertising under the Lanham
ct
15
U.S.C.
1125 a) l) B))
19 80. HunterHeart repeats and re-allegcs paragraphs 1-21, inclusive, and
63
- 71, inclusive,
20 as if fully set forth herein.
21 81. BRU s use of the
HUNTERHEART
Marks in commercial advertising and promotions
22 misrepresents the nature, characteristics, qualities, or geographic origin
of
l3RLI's goods, services or
23 commercial activities.
24
82. BRLI s false and misleading advertising is described throughout this Complaint and
25 includes but is not limited to the following : (i) BRLI s false and misleading comparative statements
26 and specifically the mass communication to HunterHcart's entire customer base; (ii) the
27 conm1encement
of
a sales campaign whereby BRLI personnel visited HunterHeart accounts to
28 expound in person on the misleading contents of the mass communication; (iii) the actions of BRLI
19
customer
service personnel
who
were instructed to and did contact physicians
and
physician of tices
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2
which had
ordered
the HunterHe
art panels to
inform
them that the
HunterHeatt program
was no
3 longer available and had been replaced by
ACT;
and (iv) misrepresenting
the
origins
ofHunterHeart
4 tests
and
HunterHeart test results by
removing
the IJunterHeart
name
and trademark from test result
5 report
fonns
and
by
reporting the results
of
HuntcrHeart tests on forms bearing the
BRLI name
6 and /or reference to the BRLI
ACT
testing program.
7
83.
These
acts by
BRLI
constituted false advertising in violation
of 15
U.S.C. section
8 1125(a)(l)(B).
9
84.
BRLI
s infringements
of
HunterHeart
s rights were willful and intended to reap the
10 benefit of the goodwill owned by Hw1terHeart.
85.
As a result
of the conduct
of BRLI as alleged herein, HunterHeati is entitled to
12 injunctive and
monetary
relief.
3
86.
As
a result ofl3RLT's conduct, IIunterHeart has suffered and will continue to su-tler
4 irreparable injury to its business reputation and goodwill.
HunlerHeart
is entitled to injunctive and
5
monetary relief as a result.
16 WI IEREfORE, 1
IunterHearl prays fur
relief
as set
f 1ih
below.
17
TWELFTH CAUSE OF ACTION
8
Conversion)
19
87 . HunterHeart
repeats and rc-allcgcs paragraphs 1-21, inclusive, as
if
fully set forth
20 herein.
21
88. The
Agreement
excluded certain assets identified and defined as the HunterTTcart
22
Enterprise.
The Hunterl
-Icart Enterprise
involved
and continues to involve a set of medical tests,
23 testing protocols, and guidelines to aid physicians in the diagnosis
of
and recommendation
of
24
treatment
programs
for cardiac
and
cardiovascular conditions and events.
The
HunterHcart
25 Enterprise assets
which HunterHeart
retained
pursuant
to the
Agreement
included all intellectual
26 properly, customer accounts,
equipment
, laboratory tests , license agreements, rights, and other things
27
necessary to conduct
the
HuntcrHcart business. Pursuant to the Agreement, HunterHeart and not
28 BRLI
would
continue to
own
and operate the HuntcrHcart Enterprise after August 7, 2013 .
2
COMPL INT
1
89
Despite these material terms ofthe Agreement and HunterHcart s explicit continuing
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
4
15
16
7
8
9
20
21
22
23
24
legal ownership of certain assets, as identified above, BRLT wrongfully misappropriated HunterHeart
Enterprise assets for its own benefit and to HunterHeart s detriment in violation
of
HunterHcart s
property rights.
90. More specifically, at and around the end
of
the six (6) month Servicing Period, BRLI
delayed and in some instances refused to transfer to Hunterlleart contact information, set up sheets,
physician authorization forms,
and
other things which were HunterHeart assets and essential for
HunterHeart to transition HunterHeart accounts to a new laboratory provider. BRLI similarly
delayed turning over to HunterHeart essential assets owned by HunterHeart
in
the form
of
certain
infonnation and material necessary
fm
the new laboratory which HunterHeati had engaged to
perform
HDL2b
testing (an essential unique element
of
the HunterHeart basic test panel). As a
result, HunterHeart was prevented from contacting, setting up, or providing services to many
customers and impaired in its ability to perform the HDL2b assay and to provide to customers a
complete testing program.
91. BRLI s unlawful conversion and manipulation of HunterHcrui propetiy was and is
unauthorized and intentional
and
caused substantial harm to Huntcri-Ieart
92. As a result of
BRLI s
acts
of
conversion, HuntcrHeati has been deprived
of
its
1
property rights and suffered drunages in an amount to be proven at trial. HunterHeart s damages
exceed the jurisdictional minimum of this Comt.
93.
BRLI s
conduct was willful, wanton, malicious , and oppressive and was untaken with
the intent to defraud, thereby warranting the assessment of exemplary and punitive damages.
WHEREFORE, HunterHeart prays for relief as set forth below.
THIRTEENTH CAUSE OF ACTION
Unjust Enrichment)
25 94.
HuntcrHcart repeats and re-alleges paragraphs 1-93, inclusive, as
if
fully set forth
26 herein.
27
28
2
95. Hunterl-leart
conferred
upon BRLI an
economic
bene it
when
it entered into the
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Agreement
transfening substantially all
of
the operating assets and certain
of
the operating liabilities
of Hunter
Laboratories, Inc. to ORLI.
96 . BRLI
agreed
as
an
express and material
term ofthe
Agreement
that it would take such
actions as reasonably required
to
carry out the intent and puqJoses of the Agreement, including any
actions necessary to continue to properly operate the
parties
respective businesses after
the
August 7
2013 closing date.
In
reliance on BRT J s agreement to this
and other
provisions, HunterHeart signed
the
Agreement. HRLl, however, breached the
Agreement
in
numerous
respects, as discussed herein,
and
received an
economic
benefit as a result.
97
BRLI s financial benefits resulting from its unlawful
and
inequitable conduct are
11 economically traceable to,
among
other things: (i) BRU s material Cailures under
the
Agreement as
12 discussed herein; (ii) BRLI s
refu
s
al
to pay HunterHeaJi
any amount
from revenue derived from
13
HunterHca1i customers
located
in
Northern
California; (iii) BRLI s removal
of
the HunterHeart name
14 and mark from test
result
rcp01t fom1s and insertion
of
its own name (8RLl) in its place; (iv) BRLI s
J
5
false advertising and
dissemination of
false and materially
misleading
and deceptive information
16 regarding
HunterHeart s
test panel for purposes
of
inducing
existing
TiunterHearl customers to
17
request
BRLI ' s ACT
testing panel; (v) l3RLI's direction to
its
phlebotomists
to replace test
8 requisitions they received from physicians containing requests for TlunterHeart panels with a new
19 request form for BRLI s different ACT testing; (vi) BRLI s interference
with
existing agreements
20 between HunterHeart and its customers; (vii) BRLI s offerin g
of
the
HunterHeart
test panel under the
21 RRLT
and/or
ACT name
to
Northern
California physicians and possible physicians elsewhere; and
22 (viii) BRLI s failure to
report and pay
for revenuet> received for all
HunterHeart
clients outside
23
Northcm
California.
24
98.
The
economic
benefit from the above actions, among
other
actions by BRLI described
25 herein, arose trom BRLI s unlawful practices and conduct.
26
99.
t would be
inequitable
and
unjust for
BRLl
to
be
permitted
to
retain any
of
the
27
unlawful proceeds resulting
from
i ls fraudulent, illegal, and inequitable conduct.
28
1
100. BRLI has been unjust
ly
enriched
as
a re
su
lt of its wrongful conduct. HunterHemt is
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1l
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13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
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accordingly
en
titled to equitable relief including restitution and
/o
r disgorgemcnt
of
all revenues,
earnings, profits , compensation, a
nd
benefits obtained
by I3RLI as a
result
of
such misdeeds.
WHEREFORE, HunterH
em
t prays for relief as follows.
PR YER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, PlaintitTrequests entry of judgment by this Court:
A Adjudging and ecreeing that BRLI has engaged in conduct alleged herein ;
B. Directing an accounting to be had
ofBRLI s
sales and profits derived
from
its
unlawful activities;
C.
D.
E
F.
G
II.
L
J.
For damages in an amount to he proven at trial;
For attorneys fees
as
and lo the extent permitted by the Agreement;
For both pre- ancl post-judgment interest at the maximum allowable
rate
on amounts
awarded;
For exemplary and punitive damages against
BRLT
according
lo
proof;
Awarding Hunterlleart treble damages and costs sustained by reason
ofHRLl s
infringement
of
the HUNTEKilEART Marks;
for costs of suit, including reasonable attorneys fees as and to the extent permitted by
law, including but not limited
to it
s reasonable attorneys fees under 15
U.S.C.
1117;
For preliminary and permanent injunctions barring BRLI its agents, servants,
licensees, partners affiliates employees
and
assigns, and all those acting under the
authority
of
or
in
privity with it from infringing the HUNTERHRART Registrations
and/or in any way using the
llUNT
ERIIEART Marks in connection with selling,
offering for sale,
di
stributing, advertising medical diagnostic testing services or
engaging
in
unfai r competition;
Ordering BRLI to destroy or otherwise render innocuous all sales and promotional
materials bearing the
HUNTERHEART
Marks, including but not limited to report
forms, catalogs, marketing materials, webpages , internet addresses, brochures,
advertisements and bu siness cards;
23
1
K.
Directing I3RLI, within thirty 30) days after
having
been
served
with notice of entry
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2
3
4
5
L.
of
udgment
to file with this Court and to serve upon
Hunter
Heart a written report,
under
oath,
se
tting in fo rth in detail the manner in which BRLI has complied with
Paragraphs
J J above, inclusive; and
For
such other
and
further
relief
as
this
Court
deems just
and proper.
6 DEM ND FOR JURY TRI L
7
Plaintiff HunterHeart demands
a
jury
trial on a
ll
claims
so triable
in
this matter.
8
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
24
25
26
27
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Dated:
Au
gust 12,
2014
\
KILPATRICK
\
\OWNSEND STOCKTON LLP
By:
I ,
//_
. , . ,
.;;
Jon Michaelson
Byron Chin
i '
Atto
rneys
fur
P l a i n t i ~
\
.
HUNTERHEART
INC.
24
COMPL INT