T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T NE S T 2 6 GR OU P S , I NC . ; AL AN HO ; UI T O C HA U, P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l an t s, v. RA D ER, FI SH M A N & G RA U ER PLLC; M A R Y M A R G A R E T O ’ D O N N E L L , an i nd i vi du al and as a n agentof R ader , Fi s h ma n & G r au e rPLLC, D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees. N o. 10- 56950 D . C. N o . 2 : 1 0 - c v - 0 0 5 9 6 - D D P- RZ ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e C e n tr a l D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia D e a n D . P r e ge r s on, D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d M a y 10, 2012 ** P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: W A R D L A W , P A E Z , an d R A W L IN S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. 

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N es t 26 G roup s, Inc. (N es t ) app ea l s the di stri ctcourt ’ s gra ntof sum m ary j ud gm enti n favor of A pp el l ee s R ader , F i shm an & G rauer P L L C (R ader ) a nd M ary M ar gare tO ’ D on nel l (O ’ D on nel l ). N es tas se rt s thatR aderand O ’ D on nel l se rved as Ne s t ’ s l e g a l r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f o rth e r e g i s tr a t i o n a n d a s s i g n me n to f i t s PR ATTS tra dem ark. N es tcont ends thatthe di stri ctcourterre d w hen i tent er ed sum m ary j udgm e ntba s e d on N e s t ’ s f a i l ur e t o e s t abl i s h the r e qui s i t e a tt orne y - c l i e nt r e la tio n s h ip f

o rits b r e a c h o f

f id u c ia ry d u ty , f

r au d , a n d g r o s s n e g lig e n c e c la im s . N e s tf a i l e d t o p r e s e n ta n y e v i d e n c e i n s u p p o r to f i t s f i du c i a ry d u ty c l a i m, a nd the undi s put e d f

a c t s de m ons tr a t e tha tR a de ra nd O ’ D onne l l di d notr e pr e s e nt N e s t in r e g is te r in g o ra s s ig n in g th e tr a d e m a rk . See Zeni th Ins. C o. v. C ozen O ’ C onnor , 1 4 8 C a l.A p p .4 th 9 9 8 , 1 0 1 0 ( 2 0 0 7 ) ( “C a lif o rn iala w is s e ttle d th a t a cl i ent ’ s s ubj ec t i ve bel i ef thatan att orney- cl i entre l at i on shi p exi st s, st andi ng al on e, ca nn otcr ea t e s uch a rel at i on shi p, or a duty of c ar e ow ed by the att orney t o that pl a i nt i f f . T hi s i s be c aus e apl a i nt i f f c a nnotuni l a t e r a l l y e s t abl i s h a n a tt orne y - c l i e nt r e l a t i ons hi p, a nd i t s hi nds i ghtbe l i e f s tha ts uc h ar e l a t i ons hi p e xi s t e d a r e thus l egal l y i rr el evant . . . . ”) (c i t at i on s a nd i nt ernal qu ot at i on m arks om i tt ed). S u m m ary j u d g m en tw as al so w arran t ed o n N est ’ s frau d cl ai m b ecau se N est di d notr a i s e am a t e r i a l f a c tua l di s put e r e ga r di ng w he the ri tr e a s onabl y r e l i e d on any a dv i ce fr om O ’ D on nel l , or w hether O ’ D on nel l ’ s c on du ctprox i m at el y c ause dB ec ause N es tfa i l ed t o art i cul at e a ny am endm ent s thatw ou l d h ave c ured 1 the defi ci enci es i n i t s c om pl ai nt , the di stri ctcourtdi d n oterr i n g ra nt i ng sum m ary ju d g m e n t w ith o u t le a v e to a m e n d . See J oh nson v. L ucent

T ec hs. Inc. , 653 F . 3d 1 0 0 0 , 1 0 1 2 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 1 ) . 3 N e s t’s d a m a g e s . Se e Meg a L ife & H e a lth I n s . C o . v . Su

p e r io rC t. , 1 7 2 C a l.A p p .4 th 15 22 , 15 30 (200 9) (“ T he pl ai nt i ff m ustal l ege a nd prov e thathe ac tual l y r el i ed upon the m i s r e pr e s e nt a t i ons , a nd tha ti n the abs e nc e of f r aud, w oul d notha ve e n te r e d in to th e . . . tr a n s a c tio n .” ) ( c ita tio n o m itte d ) ; se e al so St ephenson v. A r gonaut I ns . C o. , 1 2 5 C al . A p p . 4 th 9 6 2 , 9 7 4 -7 5 (2 0 0 4 ) (“ W h at ev er fo rm i tt ak es, the i nj ury orda m a ge m us tnotonl y be di s t i nc t l y a l l e ge d buti t s c aus a l c onne c t i on w i th the r e l i a nc e on the r e pr e s e nt a t i on m us tbe s how n. D a m a ge t o be s ubj e c tt o a prop eraw ar d m ustbe such as fol l ow s the ac tcom pl ai ned o f a s al egal ce rt ai nty. ”) ( c ita tio n a n d in te rn a l q u o ta tio n m a rk s o m itte d ) . T h e d i stri ctco u rtp ro p erl y g ran t ed su m m ary j u d g m en to n N est ’ s g ro ss n e g lig e n c e c la im b e c au s e N e s t f a ile d to e s tab lis h th e r e q u is ite s ta tu to ry b a s is f o rits c la im . See E r i k

s s on v . N unni nk , 191 C a l . A pp. 4th 826, 856 n. 18 ( 2011) (“ C al i forni a does notre cogn i ze a di st i nctcause of a ct i on for gross negl i gence i nde pe nde ntof

as t a tut ory ba s i s . ” ) ( c i t a t i on a nd i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a rks om i tt ed). 1 AF F I RME D.