United States Eighth Circuit

A judgment and award of severance benefits in favor of former employees of a department store seeking additional severance benefits under ERISA and state law is reversed where, contrary to the district court's findings, a letter distributed by the employer to plaintiffs when it adopted an employee welfare plan was neither a summary plan description (SPD) nor a free-standing promise of benefits.

Appellate Information

• Decided 09/14/2006
• Published 09/14/2006

Judges

• LOKEN, Chief Judge., Before LOKEN, Chief Judge, ARNOLD, Circuit Judge, and DOTY, District Judge.

Court

• United States Eighth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Dennis W. Johnson, argued, Des Moines, Iowa, for appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• George A. LaMarca, argued, Des Moines, Iowa, for appellee.