FirstFire Global Opportunities Fund, LLC v. Generation Next Franchise Brands, Inc.

I. BACKGROUND

25 Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Generation Next Franchise Brands, Inc. (“Next”), a 26 Nevada corporation with its principal place of business in San Diego, California, and 27 eight of its officers and directors committed securities fraud by misrepresenting and 28 omitting material facts in connection with FirstFire’s $250,000 investment in Next securities in June 2019. (Compl. 3-8, 18, ECF No. 1.) Plaintiff claims that Defendant Lavette was an independent director of Next during the relevant time period. (Id. at 6-7.) Lavette, proceeding in pro se, has filed a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. (Mot. Dismiss Attach. #1 Mem. Supp. 1-3, ECF No. 6.) She contends that she is not a resident of California as alleged in the Complaint but rather is a resident of Texas. (Id. at 1.) She also argues that the “fiduciary shield doctrine” provides that nonresident individuals should not be subject to jurisdiction if their conduct in the forum state was solely in a corporate or employment capacity. (Id. at 2.) After Lavette filed her motion to dismiss, FirstFire filed the current motion seeking limited discovery…