Opinion ID: 2213719
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the state action

Text: In 1977, Juneau Square commenced a lawsuit in the circuit court for Milwaukee county, raising allegations under state law of conspiracy, unfair competition, fraud, tortious interference with business relations, defamation, conversion of trade secrets, and violation of a bank's duty to its customer. Marshall-Wisconsin, First Wisconsin National Bank of Milwaukee, First Wisconsin Development Corporation, First Wisconsin Corporation, and Marshall-Michigan were named as defendants. The allegations arose out of the same facts which had been litigated in federal court, but none of the state-law-based allegations had been raised in the federal action. After the seventh circuit affirmed the decision of the district court in the federal action, the First Wisconsin defendants moved for summary judgment in the state action. First Wisconsin argued that since the tort claims arose out of the same transactions and occurrences as were pled in the federal action, those claims should have been asserted in that action. Judge John E. McCormick granted the summary judgment motion based on res judicata principles. The court of appeals affirmed the trial court's grant of summary judgment, stating that, Because all of the subject claims arose out of the same basic factual situation as gave rise to a prior federal antitrust suit, and because Juneau Square did not assert the subject claims in the previous litigation, we hold that the doctrine of res judicata precludes this action. 122 Wis. 2d at 676. A petition for review to this court was denied on April 16, 1985.