United States Eighth Circuit

In an employee's action brought pursuant to ERISA for severance benefits under defendant's "Middle Management Change in Control Severance Pay Program", summary judgment for defendants is affirmed where: 1) an abuse of discretion standard applied for review of a committee's decision, and not a more deferential standard; and 2) the district court correctly found that a committee did not abuse its discretion in determining that plaintiff was discharged for cause from his position of employment and thus was not eligible for severance benefits.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/24/2007
• Published 04/24/2007

Judges

• SHEPHERD, Circuit Judge., Before RILEY, MELLOY, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Eighth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Clair E. Schaff, argued, Cambridge, MN (Eric D. Satre, Cambridge, MN, on the brief), for appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Stephen P. Lucke, argued, Minneapolis, MN (Andrew J. Holly, Minneapolis, MN, on the brief), for appellees.