Health Net 2001 Annual Report Download - page 29

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
SUPERIOR NATIONAL INSURANCE GROUP, INC.
We and our former wholly-owned subsidiary, Foundation Health Corporation (FHC), which
merged into Health Net, Inc. in January 2001, were named in an adversary proceeding, Superior
National Insurance Group, Inc. v. Foundation Health Corporation, Foundation Health Systems, Inc. and
Milliman & Robertson, Inc. (M&R), filed on April 28, 2000, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for
the Central District of California, case number SV00-14099GM. The lawsuit relates to the 1998 sale of
Business Insurance Group, Inc. (BIG), a holding company of workers’ compensation companies
operating primarily in California, by FHC to Superior National Insurance Group, Inc. (Superior).
On March 3, 2000, the California Department of Insurance seized BIG and Superior’s other
California insurance subsidiaries. On April 26, 2000, Superior filed for bankruptcy. Two days later,
Superior filed its lawsuit against us, FHC and M&R. Superior alleges in the lawsuit that:
• the BIG transaction was a fraudulent transfer under federal and California bankruptcy laws in
that Superior did not receive reasonably equivalent value for the $285 million in consideration
paid for BIG;
• we, FHC and M&R defrauded Superior by making misstatements as to the adequacy of BIG’s
reserves;
• Superior is entitled to rescind its purchase of BIG;
• Superior is entitled to indemnification for losses it allegedly incurred in connection with the BIG
transaction;
• FHC breached the Stock Purchase Agreement; and
• we and FHC were guilty of California securities laws violations in connection with the sale of
BIG.
Superior seeks $300 million in compensatory damages, unspecified punitive damages and the costs
of the action, including attorneys’ fees.
On August 1, 2000, a motion filed by us and FHC to remove the lawsuit from the jurisdiction of
the Bankruptcy Court to the United States District Court for the Central District of California was
granted. The lawsuit is now pending in the District Court under case number SACV00-0658 GLT. The
parties are currently engaged in discovery.
We intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this litigation.
FPA MEDICAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
Since May 1998, several complaints have been filed in federal and state courts seeking an
unspecified amount of damages on behalf of an alleged class of persons who purchased shares of
common stock, convertible subordinated debentures and options to purchase common stock of FPA
Medical Management, Inc. (FPA) at various times between February 3, 1997 and May 15, 1998. The
complaints name as defendants FPA, certain of FPA’s auditors, us and certain of our former officers.
The complaints allege that we and such former officers violated federal and state securities laws by
misrepresenting and failing to disclose certain information about a 1996 transaction between us and
FPA, about FPA’s business and about our 1997 sale of FPA common stock held by us. All claims against
our former officers were voluntarily dismissed from the consolidated class actions in both federal and
state court. In early 2000, we filed a motion to dismiss all claims asserted against us in the consolidated
federal class actions but have not formally responded to the other complaints. That motion has been
withdrawn without prejudice and the consolidated federal class actions have been stayed pending
resolution of matters in a related case in which we are not a party. We intend to vigorously defend the
actions.
28