United States Third Circuit

Summary judgment for defendants on civil RICO, ERISA, and state law claims brought by physicians and their professional corporations who purchased life insurance through Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations (VEBAs), involving misrepresented potential tax benefits of VEBAs, is affirmed where: 1) the district court did not err in allowing defendants to plead statute of limitations defenses, even though they hadn't done so in their initial answers; 2) federal and state RICO, ERISA, and state law claims were barred by the applicable statutes of limitations; and 3) and a state Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) did not apply.

Appellate Information

• Argued 04/24/2006
• Decided 08/28/2006
• Published 08/28/2006

Judges

• Before SCIRICA, Chief Judge, and NYGAARD, Circuit Judge, and YOHN, District Judge.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Michael Kirwan, Yardley, PA, Pro Se.


• For Appellees:
  
• Mark J. Oberstaedt, Esq., (Argued), Stephen J. Fram, Esq., Archer & Greiner, Haddonfield, NJ, for Appellants/Cross Appellees., Kevin L. Smith, Esq., (Argued), Hines Smith, Costa Mesa, CA, Charles L. Becker, Esq., Reed Smith, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellee/Cross Appellant, Comm Life Ins. Co., et al., Christopher P. Leise, Esq., (Argued), White & Williams, Cherry Hill, NJ, Elizabeth A. Venditta, Esq., Edward M. Koch, Esq., White & Williams, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellee/Cross Appellant Pacific, Executive Serv., et al., Walter F. Kawalec, III, Esq., (Argued), Larry I. Zucker, Esq., Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, Cherry Hill, NJ, for Appellee/Cross Appellant, Medical Society of NJ., Richard L. Hertzberg, Esq., (Argued), Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, Woodbridge, NJ, Alain Leibman, Esq., Stern & Kilcullen, Roseland, NJ, for Appellee/Cross Appellant Raymond G. Ankner, et al., William P. Marshall, Esq., Colmar, PA, for Appellee Barry Cohen.