Opinion ID: 3015187
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Claims Disposed of at Summary Judgment

Text: Gordon challenges the grant of summary judgment in favor of the Hospital on those of Gordon’s antitrust claims that require concerted action or conspiracy, concluding that there was no genuine issue of material fact regarding the concerted action. These include claims brought under Section 1 of the Sherman Act (Count IV (reciprocal dealing), Count V (group boycott), Count VI (exclusive dealing)) and claims brought under Section 2 of the Sherman Act (Counts VII and VIII (conspiracy to monopolize markets)). Gordon argues that the District Court erred given that the existence of concerted action is a fact-intensive inquiry not appropriate for summary judgment. Our review of a grant of summary judgment is plenary. Mathews, 87 F.3d at 639. Summary judgment must be granted where no genuine issue of material fact exists for resolution at trial and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Id. citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). The moving party bears the burden of showing the absence of any genuine issues of material fact. See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317 (1986). A non-movant’s burden in defending against summary judgment in an antitrust case is no different than in any other case. In re Flat Glass Antitrust Litigation, 385 F.3d 350, 357-58 (3d Cir. 2004); Petruzzi’s, 998 F.2d at 1230 (citing Big Apple BMW, 974 F.2d at 1263). When the question involves concerted action, the non-movant may rely solely on circumstantial evidence and the reasonable inferences drawn therefrom to withstand summary judgment. Id. But 34 this requires more than mere complaints of concerted action. There must be evidence that tends to exclude the possibility of independent action, meaning that the evidence reasonably tends to prove that the alleged conspirators had a conscious commitment to a common scheme designed to achieve an unlawful objective. See Big Apple BMW, 974 F.2d at 1364, citing Monsanto Co. v. Spray-Rite Serv. Corp, 465 U.S. 752, 764 (1984); Alvord-Polk, 37 F.3d at 1001. This is because mistaken inferences in this context may serve to chill the very conduct that the antitrust laws are designed to protect. AlvordPolk, 37 F.3d at 1001 (citing Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 594 (1986); Monsanto, 465 U.S. at 763-64). If such a showing is made, the movant bears the burden of proving that drawing an inference of unlawful behavior is unreasonable. Id. Evidence of conduct that is as consistent with permissible competition as with illegal conspiracy, without more, will not support an inference of conspiracy. Alvord-Polk, 37 F.3d at 1001. See also Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574 (1986). Gordon takes exception to the District Court’s conclusion that the Hospital’s progressive discipline towards Gordon, which ultimately led to the 1996 suspension and 1997 revocation of his Medical-Dental Staff privileges, was unrelated to pressure from Geisinger. Gordon contends that there was ample evidence that Geisinger pressured the Hospital to muzzle his criticism of Nancollas, and that the Hospital did so without any independent permissible basis. He points to the Hospital’s 1989 refusal to discipline him for the comments he made about Nancollas to a nursing home patient as compared to the actions undertaken in 1996-97 when the Hospital was concerned regarding Geisinger’s renewal of its lease. According to Gordon, it follows that the Hospital strayed from its prior position of ignoring his conduct outside the Hospital and succumbed to pressure from Geisinger to muzzle Gordon by first suspending and then revoking his Medical-Dental Staff privileges.17 17 In addition to being the Chairman of the Hospital Board of Trustees, Postal also was the Chairman of the Mifflin County Industrial Development Authority, which was involved in advancing 35 We conclude, however, that the record evidence supports the District Court’s conclusion. The whole of the evidence simply does not exclude the possibility that the Hospital acted independently in undertaking its professional review actions. See Big Apple BMW, 974 F.2d at 1365. No evidence of record exists to permit even an inference of a causal connection between Geisinger and the professional review actions resulting in the suspension and revocation of Gordon’s privileges. Id. at 1364 (“A jury may not be permitted to speculate as to cause . . .; the plaintiff must demonstrate . . . ‘a unity of purpose or a common design and understanding, or a meeting of the minds.’”). Gordon relies on the Hospital’s “shift” in its response to Gordon’s conduct, asserting that discipline only was undertaken in 1995 and 1996 given pressure from Geisinger, on which the Hospital was economically dependent. Big Apple BMW, 974 F.2d at 1365 (evidence of concerted action spanning several years existed including meetings among dealers indicating their opposition to new franchisees); Arnold Pontiac-GMC, Inc. v. General Motors Corp., 786 F.2d 564 (3d Cir. 1986) (evidence of concerted action where after meeting with a competitor of plaintiff, dealer denied plaintiff’s franchise application despite previous affirmative steps taken toward granting the franchise). But there is no evidence of Geisinger’s involvement in the professional review action that resulted in the revocation of Gordon’s Medical-Dental Staff privileges. A review of Gordon’s tenure as a member of the Hospital’s Medical-Dental Staff reveals a consistent pattern of disruptive and unprofessional conduct. The independence of the Hospital’s actions in 1996 is not trumped simply because the Hospital’s discipline of Gordon became increasingly severe over time. As we recognized in Mathews, “[s]imply making a peer review recommendation does not prove the existence of a conspiracy [among the hospital and its staff]; there must be something more such as a conscious commitment by medical the financing for the Hospital Medical Arts Building in which Geisinger leased space. In light of this, Gordon attempts to link Postal’s involvement in effecting Gordon’s agreement to the Conditions (which he alleges “gagged” him from conveying information regarding Nancollas) to his interest in renewing the Geisinger lease. 36 staff to coerce the hospital into accepting its recommendation.” Mathews, 87 F.3d at 639-640. Moreover, peer review actions, when properly conducted, generally enhance competition and improve the quality of medical care. Id. at 640 (citing Weiss v. York Hosp., 745 F.2d 786, 821 n.60 (3d Cir. 1984). Although theoretically the lease could support an inference that Geisinger’s economic power may have had some influence on the Board’s decision, Gordon has not produced any evidence of any communication between the Hospital and Geisinger regarding the revocation of Gordon’s Medical-Dental privileges. Gordon also has not raised a genuine issue of material fact that Geisinger coerced the Hospital into revoking Gordon’s MedicalDental Staff privileges. There is as well no evidence to exclude the possibility that the Hospital acted independently in undertaking progressive peer review of Gordon. This precludes an inference of antitrust conspiracy. Mathews, 87 F.3d at 640-41. Accordingly, we will affirm the grant of summary judgment to the Hospital as to Counts IV (reciprocal dealing), V (group boycott), VI (exclusive dealing), VII and VIII (conspiracy to monopolize markets).