PHILADELPHIA — A New Jersey resident is suing not-for-profit health system and a not-for-profit seminary for alleged breach of fiduciary duties through a joint venture relationship.
William Burris filed a lawsuit on Feb. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Main Line Health System and Saint Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Seminary, and is seeking equitable relief and damages.
According the suit, Burris introduced Main Line to the Seminary and joined a jointed venture/partnership/confidential relationship over the acquisition of a parcel of land owned by the Seminary. Burris and Main Line and submitted their partnership offer to the Seminary to acquire the parcel of land and the Seminary knew of the relationship during the negotiations, the suit states.
Main Line allegedly turned its back on the relationship to engage in secret negotiations with Seminary. The suit further explains Main Line and Seminary concealed the secret meetings and entered into a secret agreement for Main Line to obtain the land. Both defendants allegedly admitted to Burris that an agreement to purchase the land exists, but now they allegedly deny such agreement exists because of no formal writing about the agreement.
Burris is demanding judgment against the defendants for the imposition of a constructive trust requiring the parcel to be acquired by Main Line and to be held in trust for Burris and their relationship with Main Line, consequential and punitive damages, attorney fees and court costs. He will be represented by Paul R. Rosen and Andrew J. DeFalco of Spector Gadon and Rosen PC of Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:16-cv-00543-GEKP