Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that thi s opinion should not * be publishe d and is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNITED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 30453 Su m m ar y Cal endar

M A IS T E R A S S O C IA T E S , P l a i n tiff - A p p ell a n t v. S TA TE FARM F I RE & CA S UALTY C OM PA NY , D efen da n t- A pp el l ee

Appe alf

r o m t he U ni t e d St at e s D i s t r i c tCour tf o rt he Eas t e r n Di s t r i c to f

Lo ui s i ana U SD C N o. 2: 06- C V

- 589

B ef ore R E AV L E Y , JO L LY , an d O W E N , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * A p p e ll a n tM a is t e rA s s o c ia t e s (" M a is t e r " ) a p p e a ls th e d is t r ic tc o u r t 's
sum m ary j u dg m en tdi sm i ssi n g M ai st er' s c l ai m s agai n stA pp el l ee State F arm F i r e & C a s u a l t yC o mp a n y( " S t a t e F a r m" )

. F o rth e r e a s o n s s e tf o r t h b e l o w, we A F F I R M. W e r e vi e w adi s t r i c tco ur t ' s g r anto f s um m ar y j udg m e ntdeno vo , us i ng t he
s a m e s ta n d a r da s th e d is tr ic t c o u r t. Ikoss i

-A n ast asi ou v. B d
. of S u pervi sorsof United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D October 28, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 09- 30453

2 La
. St at eUni v. , 579 F
. 3d546 , 549 ( 5th C i r. 200 9) (cit ati on om i t t ed). Su m m ary j udgm enti s appro pri at e o nl y w hen " t her e i s no genui ne i ss ue as t o any m at er i al fact an d
. . . th e m ov a n t i s en titl edto j u d gm en t as am a tter of l a w . " F ED . R. C IV . P
. 5 6 (c). M ai st er argu es t h at iti s entit l ed to da m ages f or l ostrentali n com e un der t he in sur ance poli c y i ss ued by St at e Far m . M ai st ers t at es t hatt he l os tr ent al in c o m e s te m s fr o m its co o p e r a tio n w ith S ta te F a r m ' s a lle g e dre q u e s t t o re fr a in f r o m m ak i ng c e r t ai n rep ai rs t o it s a pa r t m e nt s dur i ng t he pe nde nc y o f t he und er l yi ng l i t i gat i on. M ai st eral soar gues t hatby c om pell i ng M ai st ert o de l ay r epa i rs, St at e Far m br eac hed it s f i duci ar y dut y and dut y o f go od fai t h by
s ubo r di nat i ng M ai s t e r ' s i nt e r e s tt o it s o w n i n t he de fe ns e o f t he und erlyi ng c la im s . B o th o f M a is te r ' s a r g u m e n ts fa il. T h e un controver t ed evi den ce sh ow s that i tw as M ai st er' s ow n l aw yer, not St at e Far m , w ho r e c o m m e nde d ade l ay i n m ak i ng c e r t ai n r e pa i r s t o t he ap ar tm en t s t o preven tspol i ati on of evi den ce. W h i l e State F arm paid f or M ai st er ' s l aw yer , M ai st erc hos e the l aw yer St at e Far m em pl oye d. M ai st erhas p r e s e n t e d n o e v id e n c e th a tS t a t e F a r m e v e rc o n t r o ll e dth e a c t io n s o f M a is t e r 's l aw yer, nor ha s M ai st er p oi n t ed t o a n y evi den ce s h ow i n g M ai st er' s l aw yer act ed t o represent S t ate Fa rm ' s i n t erest s. I n addi t i on, t he m agi st r at e j udge co rre c t l y c onc l uded t hatM ai st erhas fa i l e dt o d e mo n s t r a t e a n " i d e n t i t y o f i n t e r e s t " b e t w e e n Ma i s t e ra n dS t a t e F a r m. S tate F a rm i ssu edM a i ster th ree l etters ex p ress i n g a rese rv a ti o n o f ri gh ts regardi n g M ai st er' s c overage. Th eref ore , ac o nf

l i ctof i n t erestpotenti al l y exi st ed be t w e e nth ep a rti e s , m ak i ng St at e Far m ' s c ho i c e t o pr o vi de M ai s t e ri nde pe nde nt
c o u n s e l p r o p e r . S ee , e.g ., S m ith v . R elia n ce In s. Co . of Ill

. , 807 So. 2d 101 0, 1022 (L a. A pp . 200 2) (h ol di n g t h at w h en an i n surer den i es c overage, t h ere i s a c on f l i ct of i n teres t betw ee n the i n su redan di n su r e r , e n titli n g th e insu redto select i ts
ow n i ndep en dentc ounse l) (c i t i ng B elanger v. G ab ri elCh em s. , I n c. , 787 So. 2dN o. 09- 30453

3 5 5 9 , 5 6 3 , 5 6 6 (L a . A p p . 2 0 0 1 )); Nat'lUn i on Fi re Ins. Co. v. C i rcle, I n c. , 915 F. 2d 98 6, 9 91 ( 5t h Ci r . 199 0) ( " An i ns ur e rt hate l e c t s t o r e s e rvei t s r i ght s t o de ny cov era ge m a y n ev erth eless d i sch a rg e it s con tractu a lob l i ga ti on to de fen dits in s u r e db ye n g a g in gs e p a r a te co u n s e l to re p r e s e n tt h e i n s u r e d
. . . ."). E v e n if
no c o nf l i c to f i nt e r e s te xi s t e d, M ai s t e rha s poi n t ed t o no a ut ho r i t y o bli ga t i ng S t ate Fa rm t o em pl oy t h e sam e l aw yers i n t h e defen se of both parti es. I n co ncl usi on, t her e i s no evi denc e t hat St at e Farm ac t ed i n bad fai t h by
e m pl o yi ng t he ve r y l awye rM ai s t e rse l e c t e d t o def e nd M ai s t e ri n t he und e r l yi ng ac t i o n. M o r e o ve r , M ai s t e r has fail e d t o de m o ns t r at e t hatt he a l l e ge dly ne gli ge nt ad vi ce of

it s l aw yer can be i m pu t ed to S t ate Fa rm , such tha tan y al l egedha rm st em m i ng f

r om t he advi c e b ec am e St at e Far m ' s r es ponsibi l i t y undert he poli c y. Ac c o r d i n g l y , t h e d i s t r i c tc o u r t ' s r u l i n gi s A F F I RMED.