On August 13, the First Department of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York reversed a trial court decision denying Syncora Guarantee Inc.’s motion for summary judgment in an action against J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.  Syncora’s suit alleged $320 million in losses resulting from its insurance of an RMBS transaction underwritten by Bear Stearns and sponsored by EMC Mortgage, entities that J.P. Morgan acquired in 2008.  In this action, Syncora asserted claims for fraudulent inducement and tortious interference against J.P. Morgan, similar to the claims that it had been denied leave to assert against Bear Sterns in an earlier-filed federal court action.  J.P. Morgan moved for summary judgment and dismissal on the basis of res judicata, but the trial court denied the motion, finding that J.P. Morgan and EMC had no pre-existing substantive legal relationship, and therefore no privity existed between them.  The First Department reversed, finding sufficient privity existed between J.P. Morgan and EMC based on Syncora’s own allegations that the companies acted in concert in the alleged scheme.  Decision.