Leiendecker v. Asian Women United of Minnesota
Minnesota Court of Appeals
731 N.W.2d 836 (Minn. App. 2007)
After being fired by AWUM's (defendant) board and then reinstated pending a dispute over the organization's legitimate leadership, Sinuon Leiendecker (plaintiff) was ultimately terminated once a court determined the "old board" was AWUM's rightful leadership. Leiendecker then sued AWUM for defamation, tortious interference, breach of contract, whistleblower retaliation, and Nonprofit Corporation Act violations; AWUM moved to dismiss, arguing these claims were compulsory counterclaims under Minnesota Rule of Civil Procedure 13.01 that Leiendecker waived by not raising them in the earlier board-legitimacy litigation.
Whether, under the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure, a party must assert all counterclaims arising out of the same transaction or occurrence as the original complaint.