Michael E. Jones, M.D., P.C. v. PBS of Central Florida LLC
- Alvin Hellerstein
- 1:25-cv-03639
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Michael E. Jones, M.D., P.C. v. PBS of Central Florida LLC, Judge Hellerstein dismissed the complaint for lack of jurisdiction but allowed repleading.
Michael E. Jones, M.D., P.C. must provide the members and citizenship of PBS of Central Florida LLC, or otherwise adequately plead diverse citizenship, to replead within the time allowed by the court.
What happened
Michael E. Jones, M.D., P.C. sued PBS of Central Florida LLC, alleging that federal jurisdiction existed because the parties were citizens of different states. The plaintiff is a professional corporation licensed in New York, and the defendant is a Florida limited liability company.
The court explained that a limited liability company has the citizenship of each of its members. The complaint did not identify PBS’s members or allege their citizenship, so it did not adequately establish diversity jurisdiction.
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein dismissed the complaint for lack of jurisdiction, with leave to replead an adequate basis for diverse citizenship no later than 30 days from the order.
The detailed version
- Michael E. Jones, M.D., P.C. v. PBS of Central Florida LLC · No. 1:25-cv-03639
- Alvin Hellerstein
- Dec. 3, 2025
Background
Michael E. Jones, M.D., P.C., described in the opinion as a professional corporation licensed in New York, sued PBS of Central Florida LLC, described as a Florida limited liability company. The complaint asserted diversity-of-citizenship jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1332, which allows certain federal cases involving citizens of different states.
Jurisdictional Defect
For diversity jurisdiction, a limited liability company is considered a citizen of every state in which its members are citizens. The complaint did not identify PBS’s members or allege their citizenship. The court therefore found that the complaint failed to establish an adequate basis for diversity jurisdiction.
Ruling
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein dismissed the complaint for lack of jurisdiction, with leave to replead an adequate basis of diverse citizenship no later than 30 days from the order. The opinion did not decide the parties’ underlying dispute.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.