FAIRFAX FINANCIAL v. S.A.C. CAP.

Docket No. A-0963-12T1.

160 A.3d 44 (2017)

450 N.J.Super. 1

FAIRFAX FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LIMITED and Crum & Forster Holdings Corp., Plaintiffs-Appellants/Cross-Respondents, v. S.A.C. CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C., S.A.C. Capital Advisors, L.L.C., S.A.C. Capital Associates, L.L.C., Sigma Capital Management, L.L.C., Steven A. Cohen, Rocker Partners, L.P., Copper River Partners, L.P., David Rocker, Third Point L.L.C., Daniel S. Loeb, Jeffrey Perry, Institutional Credit Partners, L.L.C., William Gahan, James S. Chanos, and Kynikos Associates, L.P., Defendants-Respondents, and Exis Capital Management, Inc., Exis Capital, L.L.C., Exis Differential Partners, L.P., Exis Integrated Partners, L.P., Adam D. Sender, Andrew Heller, and Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., Defendants-Respondents/Cross-Appellants, and Spyro Contogouris, Max Bernstein, MI4 Investors, L.L.C., MI4 Reconnaissance, L.L.C., MI4 Limited Partnership, John D. Gwynn, and Christopher Brett Lawless, Defendants.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Decided April 27, 2017.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Michael J. Bowe (Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, L.L.P.) of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, argued the cause for appellants/cross-respondents (Nagel Rice, L.L.P. and Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, L.L.P., attorneys; Bruce H. Nagel , Jay J. Rice , Marc E. Kasowitz of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, Daniel R. Benson of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, and Mr. Bowe, of counsel and on the briefs).

Benjamin P. McCallen (Willkie Farr & Gallagher, L.L.P.) of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, argued the cause for respondents S.A.C. Capital Management, L.L.C., S.A.C. Capital Advisors, L.L.C., S.A.C. Capital Associates, L.L.C., Sigma Capital Management, L.L.C. and Steven A. Cohen (Parker Ibrahim & Berg, L.L.C. and Mr. McCallen, attorneys; Joseph T. Boccassini , Martin B. Klotz of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, and Scott S. Rose of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, on the brief).

Mark S. Werbner (Sayles Werbner, P.C.) of the Texas bar, admitted pro hac vice, argued the cause for respondents/cross-appellants Exis Capital Management, Inc., Exis Capital, L.L.C., Exis Differential Partners, L.P., Exis Integrated Partners, L.P., Adam D. Sender and Andrew Heller (Walder Hayden & Brogan, P.A., and Mr. Werbner, attorneys; Richard A. Sayles of the Texas bar, admitted pro hac vice, Mr. Werbner, Mark D. Strachan of the Texas bar, admitted pro hac vice, and Mark Torian , of the Texas bar, admitted pro hac vice, of counsel; Rebekah R. Conroy and Joseph A. Hayden, Jr. , on the brief).

Gavin J. Rooney argued the cause for respondents Copper River Partners, L.P., Rocker Partners, L.P. and David Rocker (Lowenstein Sandler, L.L.P., attorneys; Mr. Rooney, on the brief).

Tibor L. Nagy, Jr. , argued the cause for respondents Third Point L.L.C., Daniel S. Loeb and Jeffrey Perry (Tompkins, McGuire, Wachenfeld & Barry, L.L.P. and Matthew S. Dontzin (Dontzin Nagy & Fleissig, L.L.P.) of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, attorneys; Mr. Dontzin, Mr. Nagy, and William McGuire , on the brief).

Thomas F. Campion argued the cause for respondent/cross-appellant Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. (Greenberg, Traurig, L.L.P., Drinker Biddle & Reath, L.L.P., and Bruce W. Collins (Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, L.L.P.) of the Texas bar, admitted pro hac vice, attorneys; Philip R. Sellinger , Roger B. Kaplan , Aaron Van Nostrand , Mr. Collins, Diane M. Sumoski of the Texas bar, admitted pro hac vice, Todd A. Murray of the Texas bar, admitted pro hac vice and Bryan A. Erman , of the Texas bar, admitted pro hac vice, on the briefs).

Stewart D. Aaron (Arnold & Porter, L.L.P.) of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, argued the cause for respondents Kynikos Associates, L.P. and James S. Chanos (Gibbons, P.C., and Mr. Aaron, attorneys; Mr. Aaron, Susan L. Shin of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, Joel D. Rohlf of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, and Marco J. Martemucci of the New York bar, admitted pro hac vice, of counsel; Brian J. McMahon and Joshua R. Elias , on the brief).

Before Judges Fisher, Ostrer and Leone.


The opinion of the court was delivered by

In describing the adjudication of ostensibly difficult cases, Justice Holmes observed that "when you walk up to the lion and lay hold the hide comes off and the same old donkey of a question of law is underneath."3 This case's leonine demeanor

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