No. 22-20

John Klaas v. Allstate Insurance Company

Lower Court: Eleventh Circuit
Docketed: 2022-07-06
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: allstate benefit-termination circuit-court-interpretation contract-interpretation early-retirement eleventh-circuit employee-rights erisa erisa-benefits retirement-benefits
Key Terms:
ERISA
Latest Conference: 2022-09-28
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Did the Eleventh Circuit critically err by concluding that the written agreements by the parties unambiguously reserved to Allstate the right to terminate all those benefits?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED First Question In an issue of critical importance affecting approximately hundreds of Allstate retirees, as well as ERISA beneficiaries elsewhere, who retired early upon the promise, inter alia, of life insurance benefits for the remainder of their lives, the Eleventh Circuit held that Allstate effectively reserved the right to cancel all the promised benefits at any time, even the day after the employees accepted the early retirement and signed waivers of valuable legal rights based upon promises of retirement benefits. The question is this: Did the Eleventh Circuit critically err by concluding that the written agreements by the parties unambiguously reserved to Allstate the right to terminate all those benefits? Second Question The Plaintiff in this case fully supports the Petition filed by the Turner Plaintiffs in the companion action filed this date with the Court in all respects and respectfully requests that this Court grant the aforesaid Petition. Did the Eleventh Circuit critically err by applying the limitations period at 29 U.S.C. 1113(L(A)? Was the Eleventh Circuit required to analyze Plaintiffs’ fraud claims under an “in equity” standard, as opposed to “in law,” and by not doing so, does its decision conflict with Cigna v. Amara?

Docket Entries

2022-10-03
Petition DENIED.
2022-07-20
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/28/2022.
2022-07-11
Waiver of right of respondent Allstate Insurance Company to respond filed.
2022-03-28

Attorneys

Allstate Insurance Company
Stephen Jerome O'BrienDentons US LLP, Respondent
John Klaas
Robert J. Pearl — Petitioner