CALIFORNIA DAIRIES INC. v. RSUI Indemnity Co.

ORDER RE DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS (DOC. 10)

I. INTRODUCTION

This case concerns a directors and officers liability insurance policy (“the Policy”) issued to Plaintiff, California Dairies, Inc. (“CDI”), by RSUI Indemnity Company (“RSUI”). RSUI denied coverage for claims asserted against CDI in a class action filed in Tulare County Superior Court, Gonzalez v. CDI, Case No. 08-226450 (“Gonzalez” or the “Underlying Action”), in which employees and former employees of CDI allege CDI violated various provisions of the California Labor Code (“CLC”) concerning wages, hours, and related matters.

RSUI initially denied coverage based on three different exclusionary provisions. Upon the insured’s request for reconsideration, RSUI based the denial solely on Exclusion 4 of the Policy, which excludes coverage for “violation of any of the responsibilities, obligations or duties imposed by ... the Fair Labor Standards Act ... or any similar provision of federal, state or local statutory law or common law....” CDI then filed this action seeking declaratory relief regarding coverage under the Policy.

II. BACKGROUND

A. The Underlying Gonzalez Lawsuit.

On January 4, 2008, Walter Gonzalez…