Opinion ID: 758495
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: MacDraw's Motion to Amend the Complaint

Text: 24 MacDraw next challenges Judge Chin's denial of its motion for leave to amend the complaint to add a claim for negligent misrepresentation. We review a denial of leave to amend for abuse of discretion. See Salahuddin v. Cuomo, 861 F.2d 40, 42 (2d Cir.1988). Although permission to amend should be freely granted, see Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a); Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182, 83 S.Ct. 227, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962), the district court plainly has discretion to deny leave to amend where the motion is made after an inordinate delay, no satisfactory explanation is made for the delay, and the amendment would prejudice the defendant. Cresswell v. Sullivan & Cromwell, 922 F.2d 60, 72 (2d Cir.1990). The burden to explain a delay is on the party that seeks leave to amend. See id. 25 In his order denying MacDraw's motion for leave to amend, Judge Chin noted that MacDraw filed the motion over five years after it filed the complaint and more than two years after the close of discovery; that the proposed negligent misrepresentation claim would require additional discovery, causing undue prejudice to the defendants; and that MacDraw's delay was unexplained. Under these circumstances, it was entirely reasonable for the judge to deny leave to amend the complaint. 26