OPINION AND ORDER
I. INTRODUCTION
Plaintiff Thales Alenia Space France (“Thales”) filed this action against Thermo Funding Company, LLC (“Thermo”) for an alleged breach of contract. Thermo moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim and lack of personal jurisdiction, arguing that Thales did not adequately plead the validity of the agreement between the parties (Thales alleges personal jurisdiction on the basis of the agreement’s forum-selection clause). Because Thales has plausibly alleged the existence of a binding contract between the parties, Thermo’s motion to dismiss under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2) and 12(b)(6) is denied.
II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
This action arises from a series of contractual relationships between three entities. Thales is a French aerospace company involved in the manufacture of low Earth orbit (“LEO”) satellites.
A. The Parties’ Business Relationships
In late 2006, Globalstar contracted with Thales’s predecessor, Alcatel Alenia Space France, for the purchase of forty-eight new LEO satellites.
In order to fund this arrangement, Globalstar arranged for financing from the Compagnie Francaise d’Assuranee pour le Commerce Exterieur (“COFACE”) — the
B. The Thales-Globalstar Arbitration
In 2011, Globalstar initiated arbitral proceedings against Thales in relation to its obligations under the Supply Agreement, and Thales filed counterclaims against Globalstar.
Notwithstanding this dispute, Globalstar wished to continue its relationship with Thales and to purchase six additional satellites.
The Release Agreement provided, in relevant part, that:
1......
(d) The terms “Claim” or “Claims” shall mean any and all claims, demands, actions, causes of action, obligations, rights and liabilities, of any nature whatsoever, and all associated damages ..., refunds, losses, profits, costs, arbitration costs and attorneys’ fees.
(e) The term “Released Claims” shall mean Claims ... whether or not now known or asserted, which any Party ever had, now has, or ever will have against another Party, including without limitation Claims relating to any of the facts known to the Parties, arising out of or in any way related to ... the Guarantee....
2......
(a) Upon the earlier of the [sic] (x) December 31, 2012 and (y) [another event], Thales hereby unconditionally and irrevocably releases and for*463 ever discharges Globalstar and Thermo from all Released Claims....19
The Settlement Agreement then provided that “[o]n the New Contract Effective Date or on December 31, 2012, whichever is earlier, Thermo shall pay to Thales $12,500,000 in relation to the DSRA, by wire transfer____”
C. The Instant Action
According to the Complaint, “Thermo failed to pay Thales $12.5 million by December 31, 2012.”
III. LEGAL STANDARD
A. Failure to State a Claim
A pleading must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.”
“In considering a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), a district court may consider the facts alleged in the complaint, documents attached to the complaint as exhibits, and documents incorporated by reference in the complaint.”
B. Personal Jurisdiction
The “plaintiff bears the burden of establishing that the court has [personal] jurisdiction over the defendant.”
IV. APPLICABLE LAW
A. Claims for Breach of Contract
In a breach of contract case, a plaintiff must plead “(1) the existence of a contract between itself and that defendant; (2) performance of the plaintiffs obligations under the contract; (3) breach of the contract by that defendant; and (4) damages to the plaintiff caused by that defendant’s breach.”
1. Consideration
In New York, “consideration is a necessary ingredient for an enforceable contract.”
Consideration does not have to benefit the promisor; it can benefit a third party
2. Release of Contractual Obligations
Parties to a contract may mutually agree to cancel and rescind the contract
When forum-selection provisions are entered into “through ‘freely negotiated agreements’ and are not ‘unreasonable or unjust,’ their enforcement does not offend due process.”
The first inquiry is whether the clause was reasonably communicated to the party resisting enforcement. The second step requires us to classify the clause as mandatory or permissive, i.e., to decide whether the parties are required, to bring any dispute to the designated forum or simply permitted to do so. Part three asks whether the claims and parties involved in the suit are subject to the forum selection clause.56
If the first three factors are met, the forum selection is presumptively enforceable, shifting the burden to the resisting party for the fourth step.
V. DISCUSSION
A. Thales Has Adequately Pled the Validity of the Settlement Agreement
Assuming, as this Court must, that all facts alleged in the Complaint are true,
1. Thales Has Pled Consideration from Thermo
Because Thales released “all claims, demands, actions, causes of action, obligations, rights and liabilities” it might have against Thermo under the Reimbursement Agreement,
The text of the Settlement Agreement reveals that the parties intended to cancel
To state a claim for which relief may be granted, Thales does not have to counter every possible defense that Thermo could eventually raise. Because Thales has sufficiently pled each of the elements of a breach of contract,
2. Thales Has Pled That It Provided Consideration for the Agreement
The text of the Settlement Agreement also expresses consideration from Thales in exchange for Thermo’s promises. As mentioned earlier, the purpose of the Settlement Agreement was “to settle and extinguish the obligations, disputes and differences” between Thales, Globalstar, and Thermo.
Consideration does not have to flow directly to the promisor; it may flow to a third party instead.
B. Thales Has Made a Prima Facie Showing That This Court Has Personal Jurisdiction over Thermo
As discussed above, Thales has plausibly alleged the existence and validity
Turning to the factors under Phillips v. Audio Active Ltd.,
Additionally, the courts of England, where Thermo insists that this action must be brought,
YI. CONCLUSION
For the reasons set forth above, Thermo’s motion to dismiss under Rules 12(b)(2) and 12(b)(6) is denied. The Clerk of the Court is directed to close this motion (Docket No. 12). A teleconference is scheduled for June 27, 2013 at 3:30 PM.
SO ORDERED.
Notes
. See First Amended Complaint (“FAC") ¶¶ 3, 9.
. See id. ¶ 8.
. See id. ¶¶ 4, 8.
. See id. ¶ 9.
. Id.
. See id. ¶ 10.
. See id. ¶ 11.
. See id. ¶ 11-12.
. See id. ¶ 13.
. See id.
. See 6/5/09 Reimbursement Agreement ("Reimbursement Agreement”), Ex. B to FAC, at 9.
. See FAC ¶¶ 14-15.
. See id. ¶ 16; 6/24/12 Settlement Agreement ("Settlement Agreement”), Ex. A to FAC, at 1.
. See FAC ¶ 17.
. See Settlement Agreement at 2.
. See id.
. See FAC ¶¶ 18-19.
. See id. ¶ 19.
. 6/24/12 Release Agreement ("Release Agreement”), Ex. C to Declaration of Elliot E. Polebaum in Support of Plaintiff’s Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Motion to Dismiss, at 3 [Docket Nos. 16, 18]. While the Release Agreement was not attached to the Complaint, this Court may still consider it because of the explicit references to it found in both the Complaint (see FAC ¶ 19) and the Settlement Agreement (which was attached to the Complaint) see Settlement Agreement at 2-5) or because these documents ”rel[y] heavily upon its terms and effect.” See, e.g., International Audiotext Network, Inc. v. AT & T, 62 F.3d 69, 72 (2d Cir.1995); Thomas v. Westchester Cnty. Health Care Corp.,
. See Settlement Agreement at 3. The "New Contract Effective Date” refers to the date that a new contract for the purchase of satellites would become effective (an event that did not occur before December 31, 2012). See id. at 2-3; FAC ¶ 22.
. See Settlement Agreement at 5.
. FAC ¶ 26.
. See Complaint.
. See Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Complaint.
. See Memorandum of Law in Support of Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss ("Def. Mem.”) at 2.
. See id. at 2, 5-8.
. See id. at 2, 5, 7-8.
. Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2).
. See Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A.,
. Simms v. City of New York,
. Ashcroft v. Iqbal,
. Iqbal,
. DiFolco v. MSNBC Cable L.L.C.,
. Id. (quoting Mangiafico v. Blumenthal,
. In re Magnetic Audiotape Antitrust Litig.,
. Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft v. Beech Aircraft Corp.,
. See In re Stillwater Capital Partners Inc. Litig.,
. See Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Robertson-Ceco Corp.,
. A.I. Trade Fin., Inc. v. Petra Bank,
. Recurrent Capital Bridge I, LLC v. ISR Sys. & Sensors Corp.,
. Diesel Props S.r.l. v. Greystone Bus. Credit II LLC,
. See, e.g., Roth v. Isomed, Inc.,
. Id.
. See, e.g., N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1103 (eliminating the consideration requirement for written and signed modifications of preexisting contracts).
. See 22 N.Y. Jurisprudence 2d Contracts § 64 (2013).
. International Paper Co. v. Suwyn,
. See, e.g., Mencher v. Weiss, 306 N.Y. 1, 8,
. County Trust Co. of N.Y. v. Mara,
. See Rodgers v. Rodgers,
. See Restatement (Second) of Contracts § 284(1) (1981) ("A release is a writing providing that a duty owed to the maker of the release is discharged immediately or on the occurrence of a condition.”).
. Id. cmt. a.
. See Schwartzreich v. Bauman-Basch, Inc.,
. Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz,
. See Koninklijke Philips Elecs. v. Digital Works, Inc.,
. See Phillips v. Audio Active Ltd.,
. Id. (citations omitted).
. See id.
. Id. at 383-84 (quoting Bremen,
. See Iqbal,
. See Def. Mem. at 5.
. See Release Agreement at 3.
. See id.
. See Schwartzreich,
. Settlement Agreement at 1.
. See Diesel Props,
. See Settlement Agreement at 1.
. See FAC ¶¶ 17-19.
. See, e.g., Mencher v. Weiss,
. See FAC ¶¶ 17-19 (describing how the arbitral award led to the settlement talks among Thales, Thermo, and Globalstar, which in turn resulted in the signing of the Settlement and Release Agreements).
. Settlement Agreement at 1.
. Id. at 3.
. See Release Agreement at 3.
. Settlement Agreement at 5.
. Id.
.
. See, e.g., D.H. Blair & Co. v. Gottdiener,
. Settlement Agreement at 5 (emphasis added).
. Phillips,
. See Def. Mem. at 2.
. See Release Agreement at 3.
