Halldorson v. Wilmington Trust Retirement and Institutional Services Company
Filing
95
MEMORANDUM OPINION in re 25 Motion for Summary Judgment. Signed by District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema on 04/22/2016. (jlan)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
Alexandria Division
ANDREW HALLDORSON,
On behalf of the Constellis Employee Stock
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Ownership Plan, and on behalf of a class of all )
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other persons similarly situated,
and TIM P. BRUNDLE,
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Plaintiffs,
No. l:15-cv-1494 (LMB/IDD)
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WILMINGTON TRUST RETIREMENT AND
INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES COMPANY,
Defendant.
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MEMORANDUM OPINION
After hearing oral argument on several motions,1 the Court granted defendant
Wilmington Trust Retirement and Institutional Services Company's ("Wilmington" or
"defendant") Motion for Summary Judgment [Dkt. No. 25],2 after concluding that plaintiff
Andrew Halldorson ("Halldorson" or "plaintiff) is barred from pursuing this civil action
because of a Separation Agreement and General Release ("Release") he signed in 2015. This
Memorandum Opinion explains in more detail the reasons for that decision.
1Defendant's Motion to Dismiss First Amended Class Action Complaint [Dkt. No. 20], Jan. 14,
2016; Defendant's Motion for Leave of Court to File a Surreply Opposing Plaintiffs Motion for
Leave to Amend Complaint [Dkt. No. 78], Apr. 8, 2016; and Plaintiffs Motion for Class
Certification [Dkt. No. 54], Mar. 16, 2016, were denied. Order [Dkt. No. 89] 1, Apr. 15, 2016.
Plaintiffs Motion for Leave to Amend Complaint [Dkt. No. 48], Mar. 14, 2016, was granted in
part and denied in part, and Plaintiffs Motion to Take Non-Party Deposition [Dkt. No. 77], Apr.
8, 2016, was granted. IcL at 1-2.
2The named defendant no longer exists as a legal entity because it was merged into Wilmington
Trust, N.A. on November 1, 2015. Def.'s Mot. to Dismiss First Am. Class Action Compl. [Dkt.
No. 20] 1 n.l, Jan. 14, 2016 ("Def.'s Mot. to Dismiss").
I.
BACKGROUND
This action arises out of plaintiffs allegations that defendant engaged in transactions
prohibited by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"). From February
9, 2009 to August 18, 2015, plaintiff was a Senior Director of Business Development for Triple
Canopy, Inc., a subsidiary of Constellis Group, Inc. ("Constellis"). Def.'s Mem. in Supp. of Its
Mot. for Summ. J. [hereinafter Def.'s Br.], Def.'s Statement of Facts [Dkt. No. 26] fl 1-2, Jan.
27, 2016 ("Def.'s SOF"); PL's Opp'n to Def.'s Mot. for Summ. J. [hereinafter PL's Opp'n], PL's
Disputed Facts [Dkt. No. 31 ] fl 1-2, Feb. 11, 2016. As an employee, he participated in the
Constellis Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("the ESOP"). First Am. Compl. [Dkt. No. 14] H2,
Dec. 28, 2015 ("Am. Compl.").3 Plaintiff brings this action on behalf of similarly situated
participants inthe ESOP, arguing that Wilmington's decision to have the ESOP acquire shares of
Constellis resulted in losses suffered by the ESOP and violated various ERISA provisions. Id.
111-
In 2013, Constellis established the ESOP, a retirement plan governed by ERISA, and
hired defendant to act as the Trustee for the ESOP. Id ffl| 3-8; see also Def.'s SOF K4; PL's
Statement of Disputed Facts ^ 4. The ESOP was established and governed by two documents, the
Constellis Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("Plan Document") and the Constellis Employee
Stock Ownership Trust ("Trust Document"). See Def.'s Mot. to Dismiss, Ex. 1, Decl. of Jennifer
Matz, Ex. 1, Constellis Employee Stock Ownership Plan [Dkt. No. 20-2], Jan. 14, 2016 ("Plan
Document"); Def.'s Mot. to Dismiss, Ex. 1, Decl. of Jennifer Matz, Ex. 2, Constellis Employee
3Plaintiffamended his complaint as a matter of right on December28, 2015. All references to
his amended complaint pertain to that complaint, rather than to the second amended complaint
that has since been filed with leave of court and which substitutes Tim P. Brundle as the sole
plaintiff in this action. Second Am. Compl. [Dkt. No. 90], Apr. 19, 2016.
Stock Ownership Trust [Dkt. No. 20-3], Jan. 14, 2016 ("Trust Document"). Defendant acted as
"a directed trustee, which means that the trustee invests the assets of the Plan as instructed by the
Administrator or by an investment manager (if appointed)." Def.'s Br., Ex. A, Decl. of Amy
Muhlendorf [hereinafter Muhlendorf Decl.], Ex. 2, Summary Plan Description [Dkt. No. 26-1] 1,
Jan. 27, 2016 ("Plan Description"); see also Def.'s SOF ^ 5; PL's Statement of Disputed
Facts K5. Constellis acted as the Administrator of the ESOP and therefore was vested with
various powers, including "the administrative discretion necessary to resolve issues with respect
to an employee's eligibility for benefits." Id The ESOP was a defined contribution plan designed
primarily to invest in Constellis stock. PL's Opp'n, PL's Statement of Undisputed Material Facts
[Dkt. No. 31] 1H| 1,4, Feb. 11, 2016; Def.'s Reply, Wilmington Trust's Response to Facts
Asserted by PL [Dkt. No. 36] fl 1-8, Feb. 17, 2016. As a defined contribution plan, its
participants could "contribute up to a specified amount to individual accounts" and receive
"whatever the account has accumulated through contributions and earnings" at the time of
retirement. Howell v. Motorola, Inc.. 633 F.3d 552, 556 (7th Cir. 2011).
Plaintiff alleges that on December 19, 2013, defendant caused the ESOP to purchase
47,586.54847 shares of Constellis stock from the four S-Corporation shareholders of Constellis
or their trusts ("Sellers"). Am. Compl. fflj 10, 12. The ESOP paid $4,235 per share, resulting in a
total purchase price of $201,529,033. kL fl| 12-13. The purchase, in effect, resulted in the ESOP
acquiring all of the Constellis common stock from entities that the plaintiffalleges were "parties
in interest" as defined by ERISA § 3(14), 29 U.S.C. § 1002(14).4 Id 1 11-12. As part ofthis
4"Parties in interest" include employees, officers, directors, or 10 percent or more shareholders
of any employer or employee organization whose members are covered by a plan. ERISA
§ 3(14)(H), 29 U.S.C. § 1002(14)(H). Plaintiff alleges that the Sellers fit this description
transaction, defendant caused the ESOP to take a loan of $152,335,331 from the Sellers, and
Constellis guaranteed that debt. Id 1fl| 14-15.
Roughly seven months later, on July 25, 2014, Constellis Holdings, Inc. ("Constellis
Holdings") acquired Constellis "for an enterprise value of$119,685,124." Id 1 16. To complete
this purchase, Constellis Holdings paid $20,000,000 in cash and assumed $99,685,124 in loans to
the Sellers.5 Id On that date, the ESOP was converted to a profit sharing plan, Def.'s Br.,
Muhlendorf Decl. [Dkt. No. 26-1] 1[ 7, Jan. 27, 2016, which plaintiff contends resulted inthe
ESOP participants becoming vested in their Participants' Accounts. See PL's Statement of
Undisputed Material Facts ffl 22-24.
Plaintiff asserts that the sale of Constellis to Constellis Holdings, when compared to the
ESOP's purchase of Constellis stock seven months earlier, reflects a 40% decline in Constellis'
value,6 that this "massive decline in the value of Constellis injust seven months cannot plausibly
be explained by anything other than a deficient valuation of Constellis [by Wilmington] on
behalf of the ESOP as partof the ESOP transaction," and that the "arm's length transaction" in
July 2014 "is more indicative of the true value of Constellis on December 19, 2013 than a
valuation performed under the supervision and direction of the Sellers' handpicked trustee." Am.
Compl. ffll 18,22,29.
"because they were officers, directors, or employees of Constellis and/orowned 10% or more of
Constellis." Am. Compl. K 11.
5Plaintiffalleges that ESOP participants did not vote on this acquisition because all voting rights
had been conferred on Wilmington. Am. Compl. U20.
6Plaintiff alleges that this 40% decline reflects a decrease in value of $81,843,909. Am. Compl.
118.
4
As further support for his claim that Wilmington overvalued Constellis when making the
ESOP transaction, plaintiff alleges that Constellis stock "underperformed similarly-sized U.S.
companies" and other companies involved in the "defense, homeland security, and space"
industries between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014, and that defendant failed to consider that
"[i]n the years preceding the ESOP Transaction the McClean [sic] Group had consistently valued
Constellis at 30-40% less" than what the ESOP paid in 2013 and that more than "50%of
Constellis' annual profits came from a single, extremely lucrative government contract," which
was due to expire approximately two years after the stock purchase and had "little prospect
of. .. being renewed" or replaced by a similar contract. Id 1fl| 23-27.
Based onthese allegations, plaintiffs one-count amended complaint claims that
defendant engaged in prohibited transactions forbidden by ERISA §406(a)-(b), 29 U.S.C.
§ 1106(a)-(b). Specifically, the amended complaint alleges that defendant, as a plan fiduciary: (1)
caused the ESOP to borrow money from the Sellers, who were parties in interest, in violation of
ERISA §406(a)(1)(B), 29 U.S.C. § 1106(a)(1)(B); (2) caused the ESOP to engage in a sale or
exchange ofConstellis stock with the Sellers, in violation ofERISA §406(a)(1)(A), 29
U.S.C. § 1106(a)(1)(A); (3) "caus[ed] the ESOP to acquire Constellis securities and transact[]
with the Sellers," in violation ofERISA § 406(a)(1)(E), 29 U.S.C. § 1106(a)(1)(E); (4) "acted for
the benefit of the Sellers in a transaction in which the Sellers were adverse to the ESOP," in
violation of ERISA § 406(b)(2), 29 U.S.C. § 1106(b)(2); and (5) "received payment from
Constellis and/or the Sellers for serving as theTrustee . . . with respect to the ESOP transaction,"
in violation of ERISA § 406(b)(3), 29 U.S.C. § 1106(b)(3). Am. Compl. fflj 38-45.
Plaintiff filed his complaint pursuant to ERISA § 502(a)(2), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(2),
which permits an ESOP plan participant to bring a suit for relief under ERISA § 409, 29 U.S.C.
§ 1109 against a plan fiduciary "who breaches any ofthe responsibilities, obligations, or duties
imposed" by ERISA. ERISA §409(a), 29 U.S.C. § 1109(a). Such a fiduciary is "personally
liable" for "any losses to the [ESOP]" that resulted from a fiduciary breach and is also subject to
other relief, including equitable relief, deemed appropriate by the court.7 Id Plaintiff claims that
defendant caused the ESOP to lose approximately $81,000,000 by engaging in the purportedly
prohibited transactions. Am. Compl. 1 49. He seeks an order requiring defendant to make up this
loss to the ESOP and to "restore any profits" it has gained "through [its] use of [the ESOP's]
assets." Am. Compl., Prayer for Relief [Dkt. No. 14] HD, Dec. 28, 2015.
Plaintiff also seeks a declaratory judgment that Wilmington "caused the ESOP to engage
in prohibited transactions" and an injunction barring defendant "from further violations of
ERISA and its fiduciary duties" and ordering defendant "to adopt [better] policies and
procedures." Id. yi A-C. Lastly, plaintiff seeks an award of "reasonable attorneys' fees and costs
of suit,"8 disgorgement of any fees received by defendant as Trustee, prejudgment interest, an
order that defendant "distribute all assets . .. held by the ESOP or any successor trust," and an
order certifying this action as a class action.9 Id ffl[ F-J.
7The fiduciary may also be removed pursuant to this section. ERISA § 409(a), 29 U.S.C. §
1109(a).
8Attorneys' fees are available pursuant to ERISA § 502(g), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(g), which provides
that "[i]n any action under this subchapter (otherthan an action described in paragraph (2)) by a
participant, beneficiary, or fiduciary, the court in its discretion may allow a reasonable attorney's
fee and costs of action to either party."
9In the Order issued on April 15, 2016, plaintiffs Motion for Class Certification was denied,
and although the filing of a second amended complaint was permitted, the Order stated that the
action would proceed only with the substituted plaintiff and would not be certified as a class
action. Order at 1, n.2.
Defendant filed a motion to dismiss plaintiffs amended complaint, arguing that the
complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Def.'s Mot. to Dismiss 1. Less
than two weeks after filing that motion and several months before the discovery deadline,
defendant filed a motion for summary judgment. Def.'s Mot. for Summ. J. [Dkt. No. 25], Jan. 27,
2016. Although discovery has not yet closed, the summary judgment motion raised a dispositive
issue for which discovery was notneeded. That motion is based on the uncontested fact that on
August 27, 2015, plaintiff signed a Release, in exchange for severance pay and "other benefits to
which he would not otherwise have been entitled." Def.'s Statement of Facts 1 6; PL's Statement
ofDisputed Facts f 6. The Release stated that it was to be governed by and subject to
interpretation under Virginia law "without respect to conflicts oflaw." Def.'s Br., Muhlendorf
Decl., Ex. 1, Separation Agreement and General Release [Dkt. No. 26-1] § 17, Jan. 27, 2016
("Release"). Section Three ofthe Release provided that plaintiff would receive eight weeks of
severance pay as well as "outplacement services," and further provided that plaintiff
"acknowledges and agrees that he/she is not entitled to any additional compensation or benefits
from the Company (including without limitation any . . . benefits under any Company plan . . .)
other than set forth in this Section." Id § 3. In Section Four, plaintiff agreed, in consideration of
those severance benefits, "to waive, release, and forever discharge the Company, its parents,
subsidiaries, affiliates (including all entities that are direct and indirect subsidiaries of Constellis
Holdings, LLC) and each such entity's owners, trustees, officers, directors, attorneys, agents,
employees, stockholders . . . from any and all claims, known or unknown . .. that Employee may
have relating to or arising out of his/her employment." Id § 4. The agreement explicitly stated
that this release of claims included claims under ERISA. Id
10 "Employee's Release includes, but is not limited to, any claims of wrongful discharge, breach
7
Section Five provided that plaintiff "acknowledges that he/she has been advised to
consult with legal counsel," that he "is familiar with the principle that a general release does not
extend to [material] claims" that are unknown to the releaser when "executing the release," and
that he "agrees to expressly waive any rights he/she may have to that effect," id § 5; however,
Section Six excluded specific claims from plaintiffs Release, including claims with respect to
any rights "to accrued and vested benefits under any pension or savings plan sponsored by the
Company subject to the terms and conditions ofsuch plans and applicable law." Id §6. The final
section of the Release was a full integration clause, which provided that by signing the Release,
plaintiff represented that "he/she has not relied on any statement or representation made by
anyone associated with the Company, including any employee, officer, director, or agent ofthe
Company, that is not expressly contained in this Agreement." Id. § 25.
Despite that integration clause, plaintiffavers that on the day he signed the Release, he
met with two attorneys for Constellis and Triple Canopy who told him that the agreement "did
not apply to the ESOP[J . .. that the ESOP did not belong to the company, that itwas separate
from the company, and that it was held in trust outside of the custody and control ofthe
company." PL's Opp'n, Ex. 1, Decl. of Andrew Halldorson [Dkt. No. 31-1] ffl 11-12, Feb. 11,
ofexpress orimplied contract, claims for wages, commissions orexpenses, claims for housing
allowances, relocation costs, interest or outplacement costs, fraud, misrepresentation,
defamation, slander and libel, liability intort, claims of any kind that may be brought in any
court or administrative agency, any claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and
1991, as amended, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment
Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Family and Medical Leave Act,
the National Labor Relations Act, as amended, the Immigration Reform and Control Act, as
amended, the Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, as amended, the
Occupational Safety and Health Act, as amended, N.C.G.S. 95-28.1, N.C.G.S. 95-28.2, N.C.G.S.
95-230, the North Carolina Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act, the Virginia LIuman
Rights Act, the Virginians with Disabilities Act, orany other federal, state orlocal law relating
to your employment, employee benefits orthe termination ofyour employment." Release §4
(emphasis added).
8
2016 ("Halldorson Deck"). Although plaintiff acknowledged that he had "been advised by the
Company to review all the provisions ofthe Agreement with an independent attorney of [his]
own selection and . .. had the opportunity to do so," Release § 25, it does notappear that
plaintiff chose to consult with independent counsel before signing the Release. Plaintiff avers
that he "did not interpret the term 'affiliate' [as used in the Release] to include the ESOP or its
successor plan" and "did not interpret the release to cover claims about [his] ESOP benefit[s]"
because the Release explicitly excluded vested benefits. Halldorson Decl. 113. Plaintiff also
provides documents purporting to show that he was "100% vested" in the 2013 and 2014
allocations of Constellis shares to his ESOP account, resulting in a "[vjested [bjalance" of
$24,313.17. Id. HI 5-10: see also id., Exs. 1-2."
II.
DISCUSSION
Contrary to plaintiffs view of the Release, defendant argues that the clear terms of the
Release bar plaintiff from pursuing his current claims against defendant and that defendant is
therefore entitled to summary judgment. Plaintiffcounters that the claims in this lawsuitare
excluded from the Release because he is only raising a claim related to vested benefits. He also
contends that defendant was not included among the entities released by the terms of the Release.
Defendant responds that the complaint alleges a "prohibited transactions claim," not a claim for
vested benefits, and that defendant is included among the released parties under the terms of the
Release.
1' Whether plaintiff became vested in the Constellis shares in hisaccount does notappear to be
disputed; however, the timing of when that vesting occurred does appear to be disputed. PL's
Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ^ 24; Wilmington Trust's Response to Facts Asserted by
PL 124.
A. Standard of Review
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a), a party may move for summary
judgment, and the court shall grant the party's motion "if the movant shows that there is no
genuine dispute as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled tojudgment as a
matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). "Any permissible inferences to be drawn from the
underlying facts must be viewed inthe light most favorable to the party opposing the motion;"
however, "such inferences must 'fall within the range of reasonable probability and not be so
tenuous as to amount to speculation or conjecture.'" JKC Holdintz Co. LLC v. Wash. Sports
Ventures. Inc., 264 F.3d 459, 465 (4th Cir. 2001) (quotingThompson Everett. Inc. v. Nat'l Cable
Adver., L.P., 57 F.3d 1317, 1323 (4th Cir. 1995)). Moreover, to defeat a defendant's motion for
summary judgment, there must be sufficient evidence "on which the jury could reasonably find
for the plaintiff," Anderson v. Liberty Lobby. Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 252 (1986); "merely a scintilla
of evidence" will be insufficient. Am. Arms Inf1 v. Herbert, 563 F.3d 78, 82 (4th Cir. 2009).
Finally, any alleged dispute must be"material" and "genuine" to defeat a motion for summary
judgment, meaning it must have the potential to "affect the outcome of the suit under the
governing law." Hooven-Lewis v. Caldera, 249 F.3d 259, 265 (4th Cir. 2001) (emphasis
omitted).
B. Motion for Summary Judgment
Because defendant bases its motion for summary judgment solely on the affirmative
defense that plaintiffwaived his right to bring the instant action by executing the Release, no
discovery is needed to resolve this issue, which is essentially an issue of law. Defendant argues
that ERISA-based plans like the ESOP are affiliates of the employer and that accordingly, the
ESOP is an affiliate of Constellis and Wilmington is the ESOP's Trustee. As such, defendant
10
contends that plaintiff is barred from bringing this suit against Wilmington because insigning the
Release, plaintiff explicitly released all claims against "the Company, its parents, subsidiaries,
affiliates ... and each such entity's owners, trustees, officers, directors, attorneys, agents,
employees, stockholders," including any claims under ERISA. Def.'s Br. 2; see also Release §4.
Moreover, defendant argues that not only does the Release explicitly release ERISA claims, but
any claim regarding the 2013 transaction and the 2014 sale would be one that plaintiff could
have or should have known about at the time he signed the release in August 2015. Id. at 9.
Defendant also argues that plaintiffs effort to characterize his lawsuit as a claim for vested
benefits which would not be covered by the Release is a "red herring," because plaintiffs
amended complaint explicitly seeks recoupment of losses suffered by the ESOP, while separate
ERISA provisions not involved in plaintiffs complaint govern suits for vested benefits. Id. at 10.
Lastly, defendant argues that plaintiffs contention that the Release only releases Constellis and
does not apply to Wilmington ignores the inclusion of Constellis "affiliates" and their"trustees"
in the Release, and that multiple courts have held that ERISA plans are either "affiliates"of
employers or equivalent to the employer with respect to similar agreements. Id at 12. Defendant
contends that, for all these reasons, plaintiff lacks standing to pursue this action individually or
on behalf of other ESOP participants.
Plaintiffresponds that suits like his that are brought pursuant to §§ 502(a)(2) and 409 of
ERISA are suits for vested pension benefits and therefore that his claim is of the kind that was
specifically excluded from his Release. PL's Opp'n 10-13. He also argues thatthe ESOP's
governing documents do not permit a release of a claim to vested pension benefits under these
circumstances, and he further asserts that Wilmington was not covered by the Release. Id. at 1819.
11
1. Knowing and Voluntary Waiver
Plaintiffbriefly attempts to argue that because the ESOP was not mentioned in the
Release, he could not knowingly and voluntarily have waived any claims with respect to the
ESOP.12 ]d at 19. He supports this position with his affidavit, in which he avers thattheTriple
Canopy attorneys present when he signed the Release told him that the ESOP was not covered by
the Release. Halldorson Decl. fflj 11-12. That claim is contradicted by the clear terms of the
Release, which advised plaintiff, an experienced businessman, to consult with independent
counsel. Release § 25. That he apparently ignored that advice does not demonstrate any lack of
knowledge or voluntariness. Additionally, defendant provides two affidavits from the Triple
Canopy attorneys present when plaintiff signed the Release, both of which contradict plaintiffs
contentions. Def.'s Reply in Supp. of Its Mot. for Summ. J. [hereinafter Def.'s Reply], Ex. A,
Decl. of Gearoid Moore [Dkt. No. 36-1] fl[ 5-6, Feb. 17,2016; Def.'s Reply, Ex. B, Decl. of
Juliet Protas [Dkt. No. 36-2] K5, Feb. 17, 2016. Any dispute over what plaintiff may or may not
have beentold by the attorneys is actually irrelevant given the Release's clear language, in which
plaintiffacknowledges that he was not relying on any representations that contradicted the terms
of the agreement. Release § 25. Accordingly, the Court finds that plaintiff signed the Release
knowingly and voluntarily and therefore he is bound by its terms.
2. Claims for Vested Pension Benefits
Plaintiff raises a number of arguments that the Release did not cover the claim he pursues
in this action. First, plaintiff argues that his amended complaint seeks vested ESOP benefits of
the kind that were explicitly excluded from the Release. PL's Opp'n 10-11. Plaintiff relies almost
12 No federal statute controls purported waivers of ERISA claims; accordingly, the parties only
dispute whether plaintiffs waiver was knowing and voluntary. Def.'s Br. 7; PL's Br. 19-20.
12
exclusively on Inre Mutual Funds Investment Litigation, 529 F.3d 207 (4th Cir. 2008) to support
his argument that a suit under § 502(a)(2) which alleges a diminished account value caused by
fiduciary breaches and seeks relief under § 409 is in fact a suit for vested pension benefits.
Plaintiffclaimsthat the case "is directly on point," PL's Opp'n 11; however, the In re Mutual
Funds court actually addressed the different question of whether former employees who had
"cashed-out of [their defined contribution retirement] plans" and consequently had vested
benefits could be considered "participants" with "statutory standing" to sue under §§ 502(a)(2)
and 409(a). In re Mutual Funds, 529 F.3d at 210. Plaintiff quotes the court's statement that a
"plaintiff who colorably claims that under the plan and ERISA he was entitled to more than he
received on the day he cashed out. . . presses a claim for vested benefits," PL's Opp'n 11
(quoting In re Mutual Funds, 529 F.3d at 215) (internal quotation marks and alteration omitted),
buthe omits the latter part of that sentence: "and [he] must be accorded participant standing." In
re Mutual Funds, 529 F.3d at 215 (quoting Graden v. Conexant Sys. Inc., 496 F.3d 291, 300 (3d
Cir. 2007)) (internal quotation marks omitted).
The Fourth Circuit did not explicitly define all suits under § 502(a)(2) as claims for
vested benefits; rather, it simply decided that plaintiffs with such vested benefits had standing as
"participants" to sue for fiduciary breaches under §§ 502(a)(2) and 409(a). See id. at 216.
Halldorson's claim differs from those raised in In re Mutual Funds, where the plaintiffs
specifically sought to "recover amounts that they claim[ed] should have been in their accounts
had it not been for alleged fiduciary impropriety," id. at 210 (emphasis added), and "asserted that
because of imprudent investment decisions by the fiduciaries, their individual accounts in [their]
13 The court went on to determine that the plaintiffs had constitutional standing as well. In re
Mutual Funds. 529 F.3d at 219.
13
respective plans were diminished." Id at 217 (emphasis added). In contrast, Llalldorson is suing
"to require Wilmington to make good to the ESOP losses resulting from its violations ofERISA"
and does not refer to any amount he claims should have been in his account. Am. Compl. %
32.
Therefore, even if In re Mutual Funds determined that claims for amounts that allegedly should
be in plan accounts are ones for vested pension benefits, plaintiff has not alleged the same type
of claim.
Similarly, plaintiffs discussion of Seventh Circuit precedent, including Harzewski v.
Guidant Corporation, 489 F.3d 799 (7th Cir. 2007), and the Supreme Court's ruling in LaRue v.
DeWolff, Bobenz & Associates. Inc., 552 U.S. 248 (2008), see PL's Opp'n 13 n.4, misconstrues
those decisions and their significance for this litigation. As in In re Mutual Fund, both Harzewski
and LaRue dealt primarily with the question of under what circumstances a plan participant has a
cause of action under ERISA § 502(a)(2). In Harzewski, the Seventh Circuit ruled that the
plaintiffs, who had "cashed outof the plan during the course of the suit," remained "participants"
with the ability to sue for breaches of fiduciary duty under § 502(a)(2), but clarified that such
plaintiffs must "show thatthey are claiming an amount of money to which they are entitled by
the plan documents over what they received when they retired." Harzewski, 489 F.3d at 803-04.
The LaRue court held only "that although § 502(a)(2) does not provide a remedy for individual
injuries distinct from plan injuries, that provision does authorize recovery for fiduciary breaches
that impair the value of plan assets in a participant's individual account." LaRue, 552 U.S. at
256. Neither decision defined lawsuits brought pursuant to § 502(a)(2) as suits for vested pension
benefits; additionally, plaintiffs claim here is again different from those raised in both actions,
because he does not make any allegations regarding the value of the assets in his own individual
account.
14
Plaintifffurther argues that defendant incorrectly describes his claim as one for damages,
and cites In re Mutual Funds for the proposition that his claim is one for "additional benefits, not
damages." PL'sOpp'n 12 (quoting In re Mutual Funds, 529 F.3d at 216). This assertion
mischaracterizes defendant's brief, which quotes the amended complaint's request for "losses
suffered by the ESOP and other relief and contrasts thatwith an action seeking recovery of
benefits under ERISA § 502(a)(1)(B), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(1)(B). See Def.'s Br. 10. The
description of the reliefsought in the amended complaint uses plaintiffs words, not defendant's,
and those words demonstrate the distinction between an action brought by a participant "for
appropriate relief under section 1109," ERISA § 502(a)(2), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(2), and one
brought by a participant "to recover benefits due to him under the terms of his plan, to enforce
his rights under the terms of the plan, or to clarify his rights to future benefits under the terms of
the plan." ERISA §502(a)(1)(B), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(1)(B). Plaintiffseeks only the former.14
Although plaintiffs reliance on In re Mutual Funds is unhelpful, defendant provides
more relevantauthority demonstrating both that plaintiffs claim is not one for vested benefits
and that under the terms of the Release, plaintiff gave up the claim he raises in his amended
complaint. Defendant cites Howell v. Motorola, Inc., 633 F.3d 552 (7th Cir. 2011), and Stargel v.
14 In fact, defendant argues that plaintiffcould not seek the latteragainst defendant because it is
the Administrator of the Constellis ESOP, not the Trustee, that makes determinations regarding
benefits. Def.'s Br. 10. The ESOP Claims Procedure provides that either a Committee will be
appointed to administer the claims procedure or, if no Committee is appointed, the Administrator
will make determinations regarding claim benefits. Plan Document, Administrative Policy
Regarding the Claims Procedure 1 ("Claims Policy"). It does not appearthat any Committee was
appointed for the Constellis ESOP. The Policy further states that all claims should be filed with
the Administrator and that "[t]he Administrator, in its sole and complete discretion, will make all
initial determinations as to the right of any person to benefits." Id. Moreover, defendant's status
as a "directed trustee" further indicates that defendant could not make any determination
regarding benefits. See Plan Description 1.
15
SunTrust Banks. Inc., 968 F. Supp. 2d 1215 (N.D. Ga. 2013), vacated on other grounds, 791 F.3d
1309 (11th Cir. 2015), to support its argument that courts have rejected "[sjimilar attempts to
evade contractual releases." Def.'s Br. 11. In Howell, several plaintiffs brought claims for
breaches of fiduciary duty related to the Motorola 401(k) Savings Plan, a defined-contribution
pension plan. Howell, 633 F.3d at 554. One ofthe plaintiffs had signed a General Release stating
that he "unconditionally and irrevocably release[d], waive[d] and forever discharge^] Motorola,
Inc. and its affiliates, parents, successors, subsidiaries, directors, officers, and employees, from
ANY and ALL causes of action," including those arising under ERISA; however, the General
Release also stated that the plaintiffwas"not releasing any claims for benefits under the
Motorola employee benefits plan" or "waiving any other claims or rights which cannot be
waived by law." Id. at 558 (emphasis in original).
The Howell plaintiff argued that"a lawsuit complaining about a breach of fiduciary duty
under ERISA can still be a 'claim for benefits;'" however, the court agreed with "Motorola's
position that the carve-out for 'claims for benefits' under the Plan [could not] be co-extensive
with all ERISA claims without doing violence to the contract as a whole." Id, at 559-61. The
court declined to determine whether all claims for breach of fiduciary duty fall outside the scope
of claims for benefits, and instead confined its holding to an interpretation of "what the parties to
[the] particular contract (the release) meant." Id at 560. Accordingly, although Howell does not
broadly define what constitutes a claim for benefits as opposed to other ERISA claims under
§ 502(a)(2), it provides guidance for interpreting releases of ERISA claims and indicates that
plaintiffs reading of the Release he signed would "do[] violence to the contract as a whole." Id;
see also Daughertv v. Diment, 385 S.E.2d 572, 574 (Va. 1989) ("In construing [business]
documents as a whole, the court will not treat any word or clause as meaningless if any
16
reasonable interpretation consistent with the other portionsof the contract can be ascribed to
it.").
Stargel is even more applicable to the instant suit. The Stargel plaintiffs had participated
in "an employee stock ownership plan designed for investment primarily in company stock" and
raised claims of breach of fiduciary duty in addition to prohibited transaction claims. Stargel. 968
F. Supp. 2d at 1219-20. Oneof the plaintiffs had also executed a Confidential Settlement
Agreement and Release, in which she released all claims under ERISA, including "claims under
any SunTrust employee benefit plan, other than Claims related to Stargel's entitlement to receive
anyvested benefits earned under any such plan." Id at 1221 (alteration omitted). The agreement
further stated that although the agreement should "be interpreted in the broadest possible manner
in favor of... [the] Released Parties," nothing in the document would "be construed as a waiver
of Stargel's right to any vested employee benefit, including vested amounts accrued in her
401(k), pension, and retirement accounts." Id at 1221-22.
The court rejected the plaintiffs argument that her claims were ones for "vested benefits"
and were therefore excluded from the release, reasoning that her complaint did "not contain a
cause of action to recover lost benefits, vested or otherwise." Id, at 1223. Like Halldorson, the
Stargel plaintiffraised claims only under ERISA § 502(a)(2) and did not raise a claim under
ERISA § 502(a)(1)(B). Id, The Stargel court also referred to the Howell decision, finding that the
plaintiffs "broad interpretation of the carveout provision would render large portions of the
Release meaningless" and that the contract clearly showed that the plaintiff had "waived her
right to raise the claim she asserts in this case." kL at 1223-24. These decisions demonstrate that
as a matter of both statutory and contract interpretation, plaintiffs claim is not one for vested
benefits that would survive his Release.
17
Plaintiff argues that neither decision is applicable to the instant litigation, because Howell
only dealt with the particular terms of the contract involved and Stargel "was abrogated in any
event." PL's Opp'n 12-13, 12 n.3. Plaintiff also contends that it is defendant's reading of the
Release that would "render[] the exception for vested pension benefits a nullity," because the
release of claims should be read to cover claims for welfare benefits, which do not vest, rather
than claims for vested pension benefits. Id at 17. A plain reading of plaintiffs amended
complaint shows that it lacks any reference to amounts of benefits due to him and does notraise
a claim under ERISA § 502(a)(1)(B); accordingly, the reasoning of Howell and Stargel is
persuasive and overcomes plaintiffs arguments to the contrary.
Finally, defendant makes the cogent point that the Release actually excluded claims for
"accrued and vested benefits," not those for just "vested benefits." Def.'s Reply 7. ERISA
defines an "accrued benefit" in a defined contribution plan as "the balance of the individual's
account." ERISA § 3(23)(B), 29 U.S.C. § 1002(23)(B). Under this definition, the Release's
carve-out for "accrued and vested benefits" logically applies to a claim for the balance of those
benefits already in a plaintiffs account, rather than to claims on behalfof an ESOP as a whole or
claims that a plaintiff is entitled to more benefits than exist in his account.15 For all these reasons,
plaintiff fails to establish that his claim was excluded from the Release, because it is not a claim
15 Defendant also argues that plaintiff is not claiming "vested benefits" because the ESOP
defined "vested" as a "nonforfeitable percentage in an account," rather than an undetermined
legal claim, and further contends that plaintiff had not vested in his ESOP account until the 2014
acquisition occurred. Def.'s Reply 8-9, 8 n.2. Plaintiff argues that he was vested in his ESOP
account earlier, PL's Opp'n 10-11; however, this dispute is not material because regardless of
whether or not plaintiffwas vested in his account, the claim he raises is not one for vested
benefits.
18
for accrued and vested benefits; rather, his claim is that defendant engaged in transactions
prohibited by ERISA, a claim encompassed by his Release.
3. Violation of the Plan Document and Trust Document
Plaintiffs argument that a release of the claim he raises here would violate the terms of
the ESOP Plan Document and Trust Document also fails. Plaintiff points to the Trust
Document's admonition that "[t]he interests of Participants, Beneficiaries and other persons
entitled to benefits under the Trust and Plan are not subject to the claims of their creditors and
may not be voluntarily or involuntarily assigned, alienated, or encumbered," and argues that
defendant's interpretation of the Release "violates the Trust Document that it executed and is
duty-bound to follow." PL's Opp'n 18 (quoting Trust Document, Art. X, § 10.04) (internal
quotation marks omitted). As defendant argues, Def.'s Reply 14, this provision simply complies
with ERISA's "anti-alienation provision," which requires that every "pension plan shall provide
that benefits provided under the plan may not be assigned or alienated." ERISA § 206(d)(1), 29
U.S.C. § 1056(d)(1); see also United States v. Herrmann, 910 F. Supp. 2d 844, 846 (E.D. Va.
2012) (referring to 29 U.S.C. § 1056(d)(1) as "ERISA's anti-alienation and assignment
provision").
Furthermore, defendant provides persuasive authority from the Seventh Circuit
demonstrating that an anti-alienation provision only bars the release of vested pension
entitlements but does not affect "contested pension claims," including claims that a plaintiff
"deserves more benefits than he accrued under the terms of [his] plan" because "the plan
administrator somehow violated his fiduciary duty." Hakim v. Accenture U.S. Pension Plan, 718
F.3d 675, 682 (7th Cir. 2013). In Hakim v. Accenture United States Pension Plan, 718 F.3d 675
(7th Cir. 2013), the court confirmed that "general releases of [contested pension] claims are valid
19
as long as the signing party has actual knowledge ofthe claims (or could have discovered those
claims with a reasonable inquiry)." Id, Here, the 2013 transaction and the July 2014 sale
occurred more than a year before plaintiff signed the Release, and his amended complaint relies
exclusively on those events to allege thatdefendant engaged in prohibited transactions.
Accordingly, he had at least constructive knowledge of his claims before he released them.
Under the reasoning of Hakim, therefore, the anti-alienation provision embodied in the Trust
Document does not bar the release of that claim.
4. Defendant's Status Under the Release
Plaintiff also argues thatthe ESOP is notan "affiliate" of Constellis within the meaning
of the Release and therefore that claims against Wilmington as a "trustee" of that "affiliate" were
not released by plaintiffwhen he signed the Release. Plaintiffprimarily relies for this argument
on Barron v. UNUM Life Insurance Company of America, 260 F.3d 310 (4th Cir. 2001), which
he claimsstands for the proposition that an employer and an employee benefit plan are separate
entities, meaning that a release referring only to the employer does not also release claims
regarding the plan. PL's Opp'n 20. Plaintiff argues thatthis Fourth Circuit case "decides this
16 Plaintiff supports some of his allegations by citing to a report produced in December 2013,
which was attached by defendant to its initial motion to dismiss. See PL's Statement of
Undisputed Material Facts ffi[ 1, 7-8; Def.'s Mem. of Law in Supp. of Mot. to Dismiss, Ex. A,
Form 5500, Constellis Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Financial Statements and
Supplementary Information [Dkt. No. 11-1], Dec. 15, 2015. This document, which contains an
"Independent Auditors' Report," "Financial Statements," and notes explaining the financial
statements, was addressed "[t]o the Trustee and Participants" of the Constellis ESOP and signed
by the independent auditors that produced it on October 10, 2014. Id,at 1-2. It addresses the
ESOP's finances as of December 31, 2013; as such, it discloses the 2013 stock purchase,
describes the investment in Constellis stock and accompanying "indebtedness" as "related party
and party-in-interest transactions," and states that the ESOP was terminated after2013. Id, at 1011. This document, made available to ESOP participants before plaintiff signed the Release in
August of 2015, demonstrates that plaintiffhad at leastconstructive, if not actual, notice of his
claim before signing the Release.
20
question against Wilmington," kL; however, plaintiff completely mischaracterizes the Barron
decision.
Barron concerned a plaintiff who had participated in an employee benefit plan
administered by UNUM Life Insurance Company of America ("UNUM") while she worked for
Advanced Computer Techniques ("ACT"). Barron, 260 F.3d at 312. When the plaintiff left her
position with ACT, she signed a general release that included a provision releasingall claims
against UNUM, including claims for benefits under the plan that UNUM administered for ACT.
Id, at 312-13. Several years later, plaintiff began working for Comcast Cablevision of Delmarva,
Inc. ("Comcast") and participated in an employee benefit plan through Comcast that,
"coincidentally," was also administered by UNUM. Id, at 313. In a dispute that developed over
Comcast's plan, UNUM attempted to bar the plaintiffs claims against that plan based on the
release she had executed while she worked for ACT. Id at 313-14. The Fourth Circuit ruled that
the plaintiffs release only applied to her claims against UNUM with respect to the ACT p/an and
not to any subsequent claims. Id at 316-18. Specifically, the court found that the ACT release
"was for the benefit of the plan to which it related and could not have been applied to other
plans," and further stated that "in connection with each plan, UNUM was acting independently
as a fiduciary for the plan and not on its own behalf," meaning "that the Release obtained in
connection with [the plaintiffs] claim against the Advanced Computer Plan could not be used to
bar a claim made by her against the Comcast Plan." Id. at 317-18.
The Barron decision does not establish that an employer and its employee benefit plan are
separate entities; rather, it establishes that a plan administrator may not use a release executed in
favor of one employer's plan to bar claims related to an entirely separate employer's plan. The
21
situation at bar involves just one release, one employer, and one plan, and therefore is not
governed by Barron.17
Neither party provides authority from the Fourth Circuit addressing the specific question
raised here, and it appears thatthe question has caused some disagreement among courts. See
Sullivan v. Cap Gemini Ernst & Young U.S., 573 F. Supp. 2d 1009, 1018 (N.D. Ohio 2008)
("Decisions outside this circuit come down on both sides of the issue."). Forexample, in
Antoniou v. Thiokol Corporation Group Long Term Disability Plan (Plan No. 503), 849 F. Supp.
1531 (M.D. Fla. 1994), the court determined that an employer and an employee benefit plan are
two separate legal entities and therefore a release executed in favor of the employer does not also
release claims against the plan. Id, at 1534; see also Hubbert Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 105
F.3d 669, 1997 WL 8854, at *3 (10th Cir. Jan. 10, 1997) (citing Antoniou for the proposition that
an employer and a plan are "two separate entities, and a release of one does not operate to release
the other"); Laurenzano v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mass.. Inc. Ret. Income Trust, 191 F.
Supp. 2d 223, 233 (D. Mass. 2002) (citing Barron and Antoniou to support the statement that
"the [administrator of a plan] is a legal entity separate from [the employer], ERISA § 502(d), 29
U.S.C. § 1132(d), so releasing [the employer] does not automatically release the
[administrator]."). Antoniou and other courts reached this conclusion basedprimarily on ERISA
§ 502(d)(1), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(d)(1), which states that"[a]n employee benefit plan may sue or be
sued under this subchapter as an entity," see Antoniou, 849 F. Supp. at 1534 (citing this
provision to support its argument that "the law recognizes the separate existence of employee
17 Accordingly, theadditional authority plaintiff cites to show other courts' reliance on the
Barron decision is also inapplicable here.
22
benefit plans");18 however, although that provision allows plans to sue or be sued under certain
circumstances, it does not require that a plan be deemed a separate entity in all circumstances.
In the absence of controlling Fourth Circuit precedent, the reasoning of the courts
discussed below, all of which found that an employee benefit plan and its administrator were
covered by a release, is more persuasive and will beadopted here. For example, in Goepfert v.
Trustmark Insurance Company, 541 F. Supp. 2d 1052 (E.D. Wis. 2008), the court found that a
release provision covered an employee benefit plan as an "affiliate" of the employer, because
"ERISA does not require an employee benefit plan to be explicitly named in an exculpatory
agreement even though suit may be commenced against the plan as an entity." Id, at 1055-56.
The Goepfert court reasoned that because the employee benefit plan was "an entity established
by [the employer], acting in its capacity as an employer seeking to provide benefits to its
employees, [that] would not exist separate and apart from [theemployer]," it was"closely
associated with [the employer]" and was deemed an "affiliate" under the terms of the release. Id
at 1056; see also Sullivan, 573 F. Supp. 2d at 1021-22 (stating that "[t]his case and Goepfert are
indistinguishable," agreeing with the Goepfert court that a release need not"explicitly refer to an
ERISA plan in order to be enforced against the plan," and "concluding] that [the employer] and
the Plan are so closely associated as to be 'affiliates' within the meaning of the waiver").
The district court in Howell v. Motorola, Inc., No. 03 C 5044, 2005 WL 2420410 (N.D.
111. Sept. 30, 2005) and the court in Bordonaro v. Union Carbide Corp., No. Civ. A. 01-1177,
2002 WL 32824 (E.D. La. Jan. 11, 2002) also interpreted releases to apply to employee benefit
plans that were not named in the release. See Howell. 2005 WL 2420410, at *7 ("In this case, the
18 Antoniou also involved a release provision with more narrow language than the one at issue
here. Antoniou, 849 F. Supp. at 1534.
23
broad language of the Release included all affiliates of [the employer]. [Plaintiff] would be hardpressed to argue that any of the Defendants he named in this lawsuit were not affiliates,
including the [plan's trustee]."); Bordonaro, 2002 WL 32824, at * 3 ("For purposes of contract
interpretation, there is nothing that compels the conclusion that an ERISA benefits plan, for all
purposes, must be considered a distinct entity from that of the establishing entity."). Similarly, in
a recent decision in the Eastern District of Virginia, the court ruled that similar language in a
settlement agreement was "clear" in that it released the employee benefit plan and its trustees as
"affiliated entities" and "trustees." Dunn v. Aclairo Pharm. Dev. Grp„ 40UK) Plan, No. l:15-cv-
975, 2016 WL 592787, at *3 (E.D. Va. Feb. 10, 2016) (internal quotation marks omitted).19
With respect to the instant action, the clear terms of the Release signed by plaintiff and
the structure of the Constellis ESOP support the same conclusion. The ESOP was formed for the
benefit of Constellis' employees, Constellis acted as the Administrator for the ESOP and
therefore retained full discretion to determine benefits claims under the plan, and Wilmington
was chosen by Constellis to act as the directed Trustee for the ESOP. Accordingly, the ESOP
was sufficiently associated with Constellis to qualify as an "affiliate" under the terms of the
19 Due to the timing of the decision in Dunn v. Aclairo Pharmaceutical Development Group.
40UK) Plan, No. l:15-cv-975, 2016 WL 592787 (E.D. Va. Feb. 10, 2016), defendant cited this
slip opinion for the first time in its Reply. Def.'s Reply 1. At oral argument on February 19,
2016, plaintiff sought to introduce additional materials related to Dunn v. Aclairo; although the
Court did not allow additional materials to be introduced, the Court gave plaintiffs counsel the
opportunity to describe the content and relevance of those materials. Tr. of Mots. Hr'g [Dkt. No.
39] 4:23-5:8, Feb. 19, 2016. After oral argument, plaintiff sought leave to file a surreply related
to Dunn and briefs filed in that action, see PL's Mot. for Leave to File Two Dunn v. Aclairo
Briefs Referenced at Oral Argument [Dkt. No. 40], Feb. 22, 2016, which motion the Court
denied. Order [Dkt. No. 43], Feb. 23, 2016. As that Order states, plaintiff was given sufficient
opportunity to present any argument related to the decision, id, at 1; however, when given that
opportunity, plaintiffs counsel simply reiterated the failed argument that plaintiffs claim is one
for vested pension benefits. Tr. of Mots. Hr'g 5:9-7:9.
24
Release, and as a "trustee" of that "affiliate," defendant was a Released Party under that
agreement.
Furthermore, the Release clearly provided that plaintiff released all claims arising under
ERISA, with the exception of claims for accrued and vested benefits, which would have to be
brought against the Administrator, not the Trustee. Release § 4; Claims Policy 1. Plaintiff tries to
argue that the Release's use of a parenthetical to describe "affiliates" as "including all entities
that are direct and indirect subsidiaries of Constellis Lloldings, LLC," shows that the Release
only referred to corporate entities, id, at 21-22; however, he fails to demonstrate that the ESOP is
not the type of entity encompassed by that language or that the parenthetical list is an exhaustive
one. See Def.'s Reply 17 n.7 (citing Nestel WIP Lease Corp. v. Saunders, 666 S.E.2d 317, 32122 (Va. 2008) (stating that the court was "willing to adopt. . . definitions of the word
'including'" under which "the word 'includes' is usually a term of enlargement, and not of
limitation, and therefore conveys the conclusion that there are other items includable, though not
specifically enumerated." (quoting Fed. Election Comm'n v. Mass. Citizens for Life. Inc., 769
F.2d 13, 17 (1st Cir. 1985) (internal quotation marks omitted))).
III.
CONCLUSION
In sum, after being advised to consult with his own counsel, plaintiff, an experienced
businessman, signed a straightforward Release in which he released his claims against Constellis
and its "affiliates," which include the Constellis ESOP and the "trustee" of that "affiliate,"
Wilmington. That Release prevents plaintifffrom pursuing this litigation further, and therefore
summary judgment has been granted in favor of defendant. Because there is no just reason for
delay, particularly because the legal question of Halldorson's Release is distinct from the
questions raised by the newly filed second amended complaint, the Clerk will be directed to enter
25
judgment in favor ofdefendant as to Halldorson pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure
54(b).
Entered this £)_ day of April, 2016.
/s/
Leonie M. Brinkema
United States District Judge
Alexandria, Virginia
26
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