Court Opinion

ID: 2662495
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2014-04-03 12:24:29.158508+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:59:27.098147
License: Public Domain

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                               IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
 8                                 FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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     LILES PARKER PLLC,
11                                                            No. 11-cv-1821 (BJR)
                          Plaintiff
12                                                            ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO
                         v.                                   DISMISS COUNT II OF THE FIRST
13                                                            AMENDED COMPLAINT
     HARVEST BANK OF MARYLAND
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15                       Defendant.

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            Before the court is Defendant Harvest Bank of Maryland’s (“Defendant”) Motion to
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     Dismiss Count II of the First Amended Complaint (Dkt. No. 9.). Having reviewed the motion,
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     the opposition, and the reply thereto, as well as the relevant case law, the court hereby finds and
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     rules as follows.
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23          This case involves a fee dispute between a law firm and its former client. Plaintiff Liles

24   Parker PLLC (“Plaintiff”) alleges that Defendant breached the terms of the parties’ Engagement
25   Letter. Plaintiff seeks $101,417.96 in damages, plus interest and costs.

     ORDER-1
             Plaintiff asserts two causes of action: (1) Count I—Breach of Contract; and (2) Count
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     II—Quantum Meruit. Defendant moves to dismiss the quantum meruit claim, asserting that such
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 3   claims can only exist in the absence of a written agreement between the parties and when equity

 4   renders it unjust for one party to retain money paid, or to not pay for services rendered. (Dkt. No.
 5   9 at 1.). Here, Plaintiff alleges the existence of a written agreement and incorporates the
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     allegation into Count II. Id. at 1-2.
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             Plaintiff counters that the quantum meruit claim is alleged in the alternative to the breach
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     of contract claim, and that such a pleading is consistent with the Federal Rules of Civil
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10   Procedure. (Dkt. No. 10 at 1 citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(d)(3).). Plaintiff argues that in the event he

11   is unable to establish that a valid contract exists, he would be entitled to prosecute the unjust

12   enrichment claim. However, Defendant answered Count I of the Amended Complaint (on the
13   same day that it filed is reply to the instant motion) and admitted the existence of a valid contract
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     between the parties. (Dkt. No. 12 at 1.).
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             In light of Defendant’s admission, the court will dismiss Count II of the First Amended
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     Complaint. See Harrington v. Trotman, 983 A.2d 342, 346-47 (D.C. 2009) (homeowner could
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18   not recover damages against contractor on unjust enrichment theory where parties’ relationship is

19   governed by written agreement); Schiff v. American Ass’n of Retired Persons, 697 A.2d 1193,

20   1194 (D.C. 1997) (“[T]here can be no claim for unjust enrichment when an express contract
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     exists between the parties.”).
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             Based on the foregoing, Count II of the First Amended Complaint is hereby
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     ORDER-2
         DISMISSED.
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         SO ORDERED this 30th day of April, 2012.
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                                                A
                                                Barbara Jacobs Rothstein
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     ORDER-3