Court Opinion

ID: 2965220
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:37:27.152197+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:43:06.240870
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

                                [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

                            United States Court of Appeals
                                For the First Circuit
                                 ____________________

          No. 97-1393

                              JOSE F. RODRIGUEZ, ET AL.,
                                Plaintiffs, Appellees,

                                          v.

                          PRUDENTIAL-BACHE SECURITIES, INC.,
                                 Defendant, Appellee.

                                 ____________________

                                   ANA M. MORALES,
                                Defendant, Appellant.

                                 ____________________

                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                           FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

                   [Hon. Salvador E. Casellas, U.S. District Judge]
                                               ___________________

                                 ____________________

                                        Before

                               Torruella, Chief Judge,
                                          ___________
                                Lynch, Circuit Judge,
                                       _____________
                       and Gierbolini,* Senior District Judge.
                                        _____________________

                                _____________________

               Jos  Luis Gonz lez-Casta er was on brief for appellant.
               ___________________________
               Carlos  A. Bobonis-Gonz lez,  with whom  Bobonis, Bobonis  &
               ___________________________              ___________________
          Rodr guez Poventud was on brief for appellee.
          __________________

                                 ____________________

                                  February 26, 1998
                                 ____________________

                              
          ____________________

          *  Of the District of Puerto Rico, sitting by designation.

                    Per  Curiam.   Plaintiff  Ana  M.  Morales  ("Morales")
                    Per  Curiam.
                    ___________

          appeals the district court's  grant of defendant Prudential-Bache

          Securities,  Inc.'s  ("Prudential's")  cross-motion  for  summary

          judgment in this wrongful termination dispute.  We affirm.

                    On December  28, 1990,  Morales, her  husband, Jos   F.

          Rodr guez ("Rodr guez"),  and their conjugal  partnership filed a

          complaint in the District Court of Puerto Rico against Rodr guez'

          former employer, Prudential, seeking  redress in connection  with

          the  brokerage firm's  February 1990 closing  of its  Puerto Rico

          subsidiary and  its termination  of Rodr guez'  employment.   The

          plaintiffs  asserted  seven  causes  of  action  arising  out  of

          Prudential's  alleged  wrongful  termination  of its  contractual

          relationship with Rodr guez.   Six of the seven  causes of action

          were brought on behalf of Rodr guez and the conjugal partnership.

          The remaining  cause of  action sought  compensation on  Morales'

          behalf for damages she suffered as a  result of the direct injury

          to her husband by Prudential.

                    The  district court ordered the parties to proceed with

          arbitration  of  all  claims pertaining  to  Rodr guez  before an

          arbitration panel of  the New York Stock Exchange  ("NYSE").  The

          district  court stayed  the claims  of Morales  and  the conjugal

          partnership  pending the outcome  of the arbitration.   Rodr guez

          and the conjugal  partnership arbitrated their claims  before the

          NYSE, and the arbitration panel awarded him $1,014,250 plus costs

          and attorney's fees  in full and final settlement  of all claims.

          Thereafter, Prudential's petitioned the district court  to vacate

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          the award, but  the court entered judgment for  Rodr guez and the

          other claimants.   See Rodr guez v. Prudential-Bache  Sec., Inc.,
                             ___ _________    ____________________________

          882 F. Supp. 1202 (D.P.R. 1995).  On appeal, this  court affirmed

          the district court's judgment.  See Rodr guez v. Prudential-Bache
                                          ___ _________    ________________

          Sec., Inc., 72  F.3d 234 (1st Cir.  1995).  Prudential then  paid
          __________

          Rodr guez his arbitration award.

                    In  her subsequent motion for partial summary judgment,

          Morales argued  that since the  arbitrators rendered an  award in

          favor  of Rodr guez,  and  since  her claims  were  based on  his

          wrongful termination,  the arbitration panel adjudicated  all the

          facts  necessary to  find  Prudential liable  to  Morales on  her

          claims.   Thus, according to  appellant, the only issue remaining

          was the  extent of  damages and  the corresponding  compensation.

          The district  court  dismissed  Morales'  complaint  and  granted

          Prudential's cross motion for summary judgment.  Morales appeals.

                    We  find  the  district court's  well-reasoned  opinion

          persuasive, and  we affirm  on the grounds  stated therein.   See
                                                                        ___

          Rodr guez  v.  Prudential-Bache Sec.,  Inc., No.  90-2659 (D.P.R.
          _________      ____________________________

          January  23, 1997).   We  write only  to emphasize  that Morales'

          claims arose directly from Prudential's termination of Rodr guez'

          employment in  violation of  Law 80,  P.R. Laws  Ann. tit.  29,  

          185a, et seq., which provides an exclusive remedy for an employee
                ______                     _________

          who  has been  discharged without  just cause.   As  the district

          court noted, "[h]er claims are directly derived, and inextricably

          intertwined with the  employment dispute  between Prudential  and

          her husband,   Jos   Rodr guez."   Consequently, her  attempts to

                                         -3-

          assert an  independent cause of  action for damages  under Puerto

          Rico's  general tort  statute, Art.  1802  of the  Civil Code  of

          Puerto Rico, P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 31,   5141, are unavailing.

                    Morales might have had a  viable cause of action if she

          alleged  tortious acts by Prudential independent of her husband's

          dismissal.  In Pujol v. Shearson/American Express, Inc., 829 F.2d
                         _____    _______________________________

          1201 (1st  Cir. 1987),  a husband and  wife, individually  and as

          representatives  of   their  conjugal  partnership,   appealed  a

          district  court's  denial  of their  motion  for  partial summary

          judgment  against  an   employer.    This  court   held  that  an

          arbitration award under  the husband's employment contract  stood

          as  res  judicata  with  respect  to  the  husband  and  conjugal

          partnership's claims, which were already arbitrated or could have

          been raised at the arbitration proceeding.  See id. at 1206-08.
                                                      ___ __

                    However, the Pujol court  allowed the wife "to  sue for
                                 _____

          direct injury to  her property and herself."   829 F.2d at  1209.

          This court observed that "[i]f [the wife] can prove that personal

          papers, documents and property belonging to her, as distinct from
                                                           ________________

          her husband  or the conjugal  partnership, were subjected  to the
          _________________________________________

          treatment alleged, then she  has stated a cause of  action."  Id.
                                                                        __

          at  1208 (emphasis  added).    In the  instant  case, any  injury

          alleged  by Morales resulted from Prudential's conduct toward her

          husband rather than from any acts committed directly against her.

          Ultimately,  Morales has failed to assert any independent factual

          basis  for recovery  distinct from  her  husband or  the conjugal

          partnership.

                                         -4-

                    Costs to be assessed against appellant.

                    Affirmed.  
                    Affirmed
                    ________

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