Mediterranean Shipping v. Ningbo Toptrade , 449 F. App'x 83 ( 2012 )


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  • 10-4735-cv
    Mediterranean Shipping v. Ningbo Toptrade
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
    SUMMARY ORDER
    RULINGS BY SUMMARY ORDER DO NOT HAVE PRECEDENTIAL EFFECT. CITATION TO A
    SUMMARY ORDER FILED ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2007, IS PERMITTED AND IS GOVERNED BY
    THIS COURT’S FEDERAL RULE OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE 32.1 AND LOCAL RULE 32.1.1 . WHEN
    CITING A SUMMARY ORDER IN A DOCUMENT FILED WITH THIS COURT, A PARTY MUST CITE
    EITHER THE FEDERAL APPENDIX OR AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE (WITH THE NOTATION
    “SUMMARY ORDER”). A PARTY CITING A SUMMARY ORDER MUST SERVE A COPY OF IT ON ANY
    PARTY NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL.
    At a stated Term of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, held at the
    Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, in the City of New York,
    on the 23rd day of January, two thousand twelve,
    Present:    ROSEMARY S. POOLER,
    DEBRA ANN LIVINGSTON,
    RAYMOND J. LOHIER, JR.
    Circuit Judges.
    _____________________________________________________
    MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY S.A.,
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    -v-                                                 10-4735
    NEWDEH LEE,
    Defendant,
    NINGBO TOPTRADE IMP. EXP. CO. LTD.,
    Defendant-Appellant.
    Appearing for Appellant:                    Keith Dalen, Hill Rivkins LLP, New York, N.Y.
    Appearing for Appellee:                     Peter Skoufalos, Brown Gavalas & Fromm LLP (Patrick O’Mea,
    on the brief), New York, N.Y.
    Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
    (Cedarbaum, J.).
    ON CONSIDERATION WHEREOF, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED,
    AND DECREED that the judgment of said District Court be and it hereby is VACATED and
    REMANDED.
    Ningbo Toptrade Imp. Ex. Co. Ltd. appeals from the September 29, 2010 judgment of the
    United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Cedarbaum, J.) entering
    judgment without issuing a decision regarding the fate of funds attached pursuant to Rule B of
    the Supplemental Rules for Admiralty or Maritime Claims and Asset Forfeiture Actions of the
    Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Rule B”). We assume the parties’ familiarity with the
    underlying facts, procedural history, and specification of issues for review.
    Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (“MSC”) alleges that on September 30, 2005, a
    “to order” bill of lading was issued by MSC at Durban, South Africa, evidencing a shipment of
    18 containers of copper cathodes (the “Cargo”) to Shanghai, China. It further alleges the Cargo
    was transported to Shanghai, arriving on October 23, 2005. Before the Cargo was unloaded
    from the ship, the defendants presented a document to the ship’s Master purporting to be the bill
    of lading issued in Durban. MSC alleges the document was a fake. Based on the alleged fake
    bill of lading, MSC released the Cargo to defendants, who obtained customs clearance for the
    goods. When the rightful holder of the bill of lading sought to claim the goods, Shanghai
    Customs refused to release the Cargo.
    In anticipation of securing a judgment from the English high court, MSC filed a
    complaint in the Southern District of New York against the defendants on May 3, 2006. The
    district court issued a Rule B order of attachment on May 23, 2007, authorizing attachment of
    Ningbo’s property in an amount of up to $3,665,275.55. On July 11, 2007, the Bank of New
    York Mellon attached a wire transfer of $500,000 originated by Ningbo.
    Ningbo moved to dismiss the complaint for lack of admiralty jurisdiction, a motion the
    district court denied without prejudice. On October 16, 2009, this Court issued its decision in
    Shipping Corp. of India Ltd. v. Jaldhi Overseas Pte Ltd., 
    585 F.3d 58
     (2d Cir. 2009), holding
    that electronic fund transfers being processed by an intermediary bank in New York were not
    subject to Rule B attachment. On November 4, 2009, the district court entered an Order to Show
    Cause directing the parties to demonstrate why the attachment order should not be vacated.
    MSC alleges the district court held a hearing on the order to show cause and ruled that it
    would not release the attached funds. To support its claim, MSC relies on a docket entry stating
    “Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum: Status
    Conference held on 5/14/2010.” No transcripts of the proceedings on May 14, 2010 are in the
    record before us, and there is no docket entry settling the order to show cause. Ningbo’s counsel
    alleges the district court never ruled on the order to show cause.
    MSC eventually moved pursuant to N.Y. C.P.L.R. Article 53 for an order to recognize
    and enforce a judgment it obtained from the English High Court of Justice. The district court
    granted the motion and entered judgment recognizing the English court judgment on September
    29, 2010. Ningbo moved for reconsideration, arguing the court had never ruled on the
    November 4, 2009 order to show cause. The district court denied the motion on the ground that
    it did not raise any new arguments. MSC obtained a turnover order from the New York State
    2
    Supreme Court to execute on the judgment, but the bank interpleaded the funds into the district
    court registry before the order was served.
    On appeal, Ningbo argues it was error for the district court not to release the attached
    funds following this Court’s decision in Jaldhi. MSC argues that vacatur is required under
    Jaldhi only where “the plaintiff obtained a final judgment but has not executed it against the
    attached funds that are being retained by banks in suspense accounts pursuant to Rule B
    attachments,” Eitzen Bulk A/S v. Ashapura Minechem, Ltd., 
    632 F.3d 53
     (2d Cir. 2011). Here,
    MSC served a writ of execution on Bank of New York Mellon, and thus, MSC argues, the
    attachment is no longer subject to vacatur under Jaldhi. Ningbo disputes this, and in the
    alternative argues for vacatur on the ground that the district court lacked admiralty jurisdiction.
    We remand to the district court for consideration of two issues. First, does admiralty
    jurisdiction exist? Second, the district court is to determine the fate of the attached funds in light
    of our post-Jaldhi jurisprudence, including Scanscot Shipping Servs. GmbH v. Metales Tracomex
    Ltda., 
    617 F.3d 679
    , 682-83 (2d Cir. 2010); Sinoying Logistics Pte Ltd. v. Yi Da Xin Trading
    Corp., 
    619 F.3d 207
    , 214 (2d Cir. 2010);Hawknet, Ltd. v. Overseas Shipping Agencies, 
    590 F.3d 87
     (2d Cir. 2009) and India S.S. Co. Ltd. v. Kobil Petroleum Ltd., 
    620 F.3d 160
     (2d Cir. 2010).
    We further direct the district court to consider the effect, if any, of MSC’s attempt to execute
    against the judgment.
    Accordingly, the judgment of the district court hereby is VACATED, and this case
    REMANDED for further proceedings in accordance with this summary order.
    FOR THE COURT:
    Catherine O’Hagan Wolfe, Clerk
    3
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 10-4735

Citation Numbers: 449 F. App'x 83

Judges: Pooler, Livingston, Lohier

Filed Date: 1/23/2012

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 11/5/2024