In this derivative action, plaintiff, an Emerson Radio and Phonograph Corporation (Emerson) stockholder, asserts that Emerson has been defrauded in contravention of various provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and seeks recovery against members of the Board of Directors and Mrs. Mary Abrams, the widow of Louis Abrams (Abrams), a founder, director, officer and active executive of Emerson, and a member of the family which controlled Emerson from 1924 until his death in 1963. No diversity jurisdiction is asserted.
The alleged injury arises out of a 1956 oral agreement entered into between Emerson and Abrams for the payment of “reasonable” death benefits to his family, should he die while in the employ of Emerson or its subsidiaries, in consideration of Abrams’ continuing in Emerson’s employ. The agreement was entered into on the occasion of the liquidation of the Emerson-New York division, by which Abrams had been employed, which resulted in termination of his pension plan and death benefit coverage. Following Abrams’ death in 1963, Emerson’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution to pay his widow, Mrs. Abrams, $10,000 a year for ten years or for her life, whichever was shorter. To date, she has been paid $20,000.
Plaintiff contends that the failure to report the agreement to Emerson’s stockholders in its annual reports and proxy statements; to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission); and to the New York Stock Exchange, with which Emerson has been listed, violated § 17(a) of the Securities Act, 15 U.S.C.A. § 77q(a), and §§ 10(b), 12(b) (1), 13(a) (1), 14(a), 20, 29 and 32(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, 15 U.S. C.A. §§ 78j(b), 781(b) (1), 78m(a) (1), 78n(a), 78t, 78cc and 78ff. As a result of these alleged violations, plaintiff seeks damages and an injunction against further payments to Mrs. Abrams under the agreement.
Plaintiffs Failure to Make a Demand in Compliance with Rule 23.1, F.R.Civ.P.
The defendants move, pursuant to Rule 12(b) (6), F.R.C.P., to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Their first attack is founded on the contention that plaintiff’s failure to make a demand upon Emerson’s directors constituted non-compliance with Rule 23.1, F.R.C.P. Plaintiff alleges that National, the corporation now controlling Emerson, would not find it in its own interest to commence the action against its own nominee directors, some of whom had been on Emerson’s Board continuously during and after 1956, and that an action brought by Emerson would be in hostile hands and not diligently prosecuted. In an earlier decision in this case, Kaminsky v. Abrams,
The Alleged Violation of §§ 17(a) of the Securities Act and 10(b) of the Exchange Act
Plaintiff argues that defendants’ oral agreement with Louis Abrams and the 1963 Board of Directors Resolution constitute a “security” within the meaning of § 17(a) of the Securities Act, 15 U.S.C.A. § 77q(a), § 10(b) of the Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C.A. § 78j(b), and Rule 10b-5, 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5, so that the directors’ failure to disclose occurred “in connection with the sale of a security”. We doubt that the oral agreement and subsequent Board resolution constituted a “security” as defined in § 2(1) of the Securities Act, and § 3(a) (10) of the Exchange Act, because of the absence of any monetary investment in return for the death benefit agreement. See Tcherepnin v. Knight,
In the absence of a contention that those authorized to make the corporate decision were themselves victims of false, misleading or deceptive conduct, or that disclosure would have caused them to act differently, a cause of action is not made out. Schoenbaum v. Firstbrook,
The fiduciary responsibilities of corporate directors are in the first instance defined by the law of the state of incorporation. Federal securities legislation supersedes state corporate law remedies only to the extent of any direct conflict between the two, § 28(a), Securities Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C.A. § 78bb(a); Errion v. Connell,
The state courts have long assumed active jurisdiction over suits charging breaches of fiduciary duty involving the dissipation of corporate assets, developing a well-articulated body of applicable law. See, e. g., Globe Woolen Co. v. Utica Gas & Elec. Co.,
The Alleged Violation of §§ 12(b) and 13(a) of the Securities Act
The reporting requirements of § 12(b) of the Exchange Act apply only at the time of initial listing of a security on a national securities exchange. Since the plaintiff’s complaint and brief concede that Emerson’s capital stock had been listed on the New York Stock Exchange long before July, 1956, when the Abrams death benefit agreement was entered into (Complaint Par. 7; Plf’s Brief, p. 12), the failure to disclose the agreement in the § 12(b) reports could not have violated § 12(b).
Nevertheless § 13(a) requires the issuer of a security registered on a national exchange to file reports in accordance with SEC rules and regulations in order to keep the § 12(b) reports reasonably current. Violation of § 13 (a)’s reporting requirements has been held by this Court to give rise to a private cause of action. Kroese v. Crawford, ’61-’64 CCH Fed.Sec.L.Rep. ¶ 91,262 (S.D.N.Y. 1963). Item 7 1 of the 10K Report, 17 *506 C.F.R. § 249.810, imposes the obligation of disclosing all pension, retirement payments and all other remuneration payments proposed to be made in the future to directors earning in excess of $30,000 annually. Furthermore, remuneration payments must be disclosed with respect to all directors, although these are to be lumped together without naming the directors. However, the 10K form states that these reporting requirements are not to be complied with for those years in which the registrant has filed with the Commission a definitive proxy statement pursuant to Regulation 14A, 17 C.F.R. § 240.14a-l to § 240.14a-102.
Since the defendants have filed affidavits which have a conclusive bearing on the § 13 (a) count, the Court, in its discretion, will treat defendants’ 12(b) (6) motion as a motion for summary judgment. Larsen v. American Airlines,
The Alleged Violation of § 14(a) of The Exchange Act
Item 7 of Schedule 14A, adopted under the Commission’s rulemaking power authorized by § 14(a), requires that the proxy statement furnished to stockholders include the same information with respect to director remuneration as that required in the 10K report previously discussed.
J. I. Case Co. v. Borak,
*507 Plaintiffs Claim that § 29(h) of the Exchange Act Renders the Death Benefit Agreement Void
It is unnecessary to dwell at length on plaintiff’s attempt to invalidate the death benefits agreement on the ground that its performance or the continuance of the relationship or practice is in violation of § 29(b), 15 U.S.C.A. § 78cc(b). 2 Plaintiff’s contention is that insofar as the complaint states a claim for violation of the proxy requirements of § 14(a), § 29(b) voids Mrs. Abrams' contract rights under the death benefit agreement.
However, even on the assumption that plaintiff alleges a violation of the disclosure requirements, § 29(b) does not apply to the facts of this case.
Subsection (1) is inapplicable because Mrs. Abrams did not make the contract; the agreement was arrived at between Louis Abrams and Emerson. In addition, Mrs. Abrams’ receipt of the $10,-000 annual payments does not amount to “performance of such contract.” Moreover, this subsection voids the rights only of those who violate the provisions of the statute. Greater Iowa Corp. v. McLendon,
Subsection (2) is inapplicable because the complaint does not allege that Mrs. Abrams acquired her rights with actual knowledge of the facts by reason of which the performance of the contract violated the proxy rules. Thus the complaint fails to state facts sufficient to deprive Mrs. Abrams of her rights, even if a good claim had been set forth with respect to the other defendants.
For the foregoing reasons, defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint is granted. With respect to the § '13(a) claim, the motion, having been treated as a motion for summary judgment, is granted.
So ordered.
Notes
. “(b) Furnish the following information, in substantially the tabular form indicated below, as to all pension or retirement benefits proposed to be paid under any existing plan in event of retirement at normal retirement date, directly or indirectly, by the registrant or any of its subsidiaries to each [director whose aggregate direct remuneration exceeded $30,-000]. * * *
*506 “(c) Describe briefly all remuneration payments (other than direct remuneration for services and pension or retirement benefits) proposed to be made in the future directly or indirectly by the registrant or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to any existing plan or arrangement to (i) [each director whose aggregate direct remuneration exceeded $30,000], naming each such person, and (ii) all directors and officers of the registrant as a group, without naming them.”
. A contract violating ttié{ Exchange Act is void '
“(1) as regards the rights of any person who, in violation of any such provision, rule, or regulation, shall have made or engaged in the performance of any such contract, and (2) as regards the rights of any person who, not being a party to such contract, shall have acquired any right thereunder with actual knowledge of the facts by reason of which the making or performance of such contract was in violation of any such provision, rule, or regulation * *
