Opinion ID: 2402302
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Denial of summary judgment on the civil conspiracy claim.

Text: The Bank argues that the trial court erred in denying its motion for summary judgment on the conspiracy claim. The Bank says that there was no acceptable [13] evidence of: (1) an agreement between Armistead and Ocasio to transfer the Bank's accounts to DBA; or (2) the Bank's alleged knowledge that Ocasio was going to use stolen business records to service the Bank's accounts. Accordingly, no issue of fact existed and the Bank was entitled to judgment in its favor. We review the trial court's denial of a motion for summary judgment for abuse of discretion. There is no `right' to a summary judgment. A trial court's denial of summary judgment is entitled to a high level of deference and is, therefore, rarely disturbed. [14] The trial court found it troubling that: (1) Armstead and Ocasio had a meeting; (2) shortly thereafter the Bank recalled all of its accounts from Empire; and (3) after Ocasio left Empire he provided the Bank with information about attorneys that apparently came from Empire's stolen records. The trial court concluded that the conspiracy claim will turn on what inferences the jury draws from these and other circumstances. [15] The Bank argues that Ocasio's testimony shows that there was no enforceable agreement between the alleged conspirators. To prove a conspiracy, however, it is not necessary that there be an express agreement. [16] What is necessary is evidence of a combination between two or more persons, followed by an unlawful act carried out in furtherance of such combination, and damages. [17] The record evidence was more than sufficient to create a triable issue of fact on the elements of a claim of conspiracy. At their luncheon meeting, Ocasio and Armstead discussed Ocasio's intention to leave Empire. Armistead indicated that he was interested in continuing to work with Ocasio, and both men knew that Empire's business records were necessary to continue servicing the accounts effectively. Moreover, even before they met, Ocasio had printed out Empire's account information. The trial court acted well within its discretion in concluding that the conspiracy claim should not be resolved on summary judgment.