The Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Crown Corr Inc.

MEMORANDUM

Plaintiff-appellant The Travelers Indemnity Co. (“Travelers”) appeals the district court’s decision to grant defendant-appel-lee Crown Corr, Inc.’s (“Crown Corr”) motion to dismiss Travelers’ two contract claims and one tort claim. Because the parties are familiar with the facts and procedural history of the case, we need not recount them here.

We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . “We review de novo a dismissal under [Fed.R.Civ.P.] 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim.” Kaiser Aluminum & Chem. Corp. v. Catellus Dev. Corp., 976 F.2d 1338 , 1340 (9th Cir.1992). We also “review a district court’s application of state substantive law in diversity actions de novo.” Giles v. Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp., 494 F.3d 865, 872 (9th Cir. 2007). For the reasons discussed below, we affirm the district court’s decision.

I

A

The district court dismissed Travelers’ contract claims on the basis of the subrogation waiver in Section 11.4.6 of the Design/Build Agreement (“agreement”), which set out parameters for the construction -of the University of Phoenix Stadium (“stadium”). Section 11.4.6 reads, in its entirety:

When Arizona courts interpret contracts, they “attempt to…