Bunn v. Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp.

908 F.3d 290
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedNovember 8, 2018
DocketNo. 18-1907
StatusPublished
Cited by106 cases

This text of 908 F.3d 290 (Bunn v. Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bunn v. Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp., 908 F.3d 290 (7th Cir. 2018).

Opinion

Flaum, Circuit Judge.

*292After its appointment as receiver for Valley Bank Illinois ("Valley Bank"), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") disaffirmed a benefits agreement between Valley Bank and James Bunn, a bank executive. Bunn sued the FDIC to recover a "change of control termination benefit" he claims he is entitled to receive pursuant to this agreement. The district court granted summary judgment to the FDIC because it determined the benefit Bunn seeks is a "golden parachute payment" prohibited by federal law. We affirm.

I. Background

A. Factual Background

James Bunn worked for Valley Bank as Executive Vice President from 2001 until the bank's failure on June 20, 2014. He also served as the bank's Director beginning in 2008 or 2009. During Bunn's employment, Valley Bank was an FDIC-insured, state-chartered nonmember bank regulated by both the FDIC in its corporate capacity ("FDIC-C") and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation ("IDFPR").

1. The Salary Continuation Agreement

In 2003, Valley Bank entered into a Salary Continuation Agreement (the "Agreement") with Bunn "to provide salary continuation benefits to [Bunn] that are payable from [Valley Bank's] general assets for the purpose of encouraging [Bunn] to remain an employee of [Valley Bank]." After amending and restating the document in 2005 and 2008, the parties signed the operative version of the Agreement on July 22, 2008.

In this Agreement, Valley Bank agreed to provide Bunn with certain termination benefits in the event Bunn "ceases to be employed by [Valley Bank] for any reason, voluntary or involuntary." The Agreement provides for benefits to Bunn in various scenarios, including the event of his death, normal retirement, early termination before retirement, disability, and termination after a "change of control" in Valley Bank's ownership.

The "change of control" termination benefit is the only potential benefit provision that is relevant to this appeal. According to this provision, if Valley Bank terminated Bunn's employment "within twelve months of a Change [of] Control, for reasons other than death, Disability, or retirement," then Bunn was entitled to receive from Valley Bank "the dollar amount equal to the liability accrued on the books of [Valley Bank] at the effective time of closing of said Change of Control, which shall be reported to [Bunn] on an annual basis by [Valley Bank]."1

The Agreement provides that a "change of control" triggering Bunn's entitlement to this benefit would occur upon "either a change in the ownership of [Valley Bank]'s capital stock ... or the sale or other disposition of substantially all of [Valley Bank]'s assets." Bunn would be entitled to payment of this benefit within sixty days following his termination under such circumstances.

*293Valley Bank purchased two life insurance policies, one from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and one from New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation, for which Bunn was the named insured. Valley Bank retained ownership of these policies but, according to Bunn, Valley Bank purchased these policies for the express purpose of funding the Agreement. The Agreement references the existence of such policies:

[Bunn] and beneficiary are general unsecured creditors of [Valley Bank] for the payment of benefits under this Agreement. The benefits represent the mere promise by [Valley Bank] to pay such benefits. The rights to benefits are not subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment, or garnishment by creditors. Any insurance on [Bunn]'s life is a general asset of [Valley Bank] to which [Bunn] and beneficiary have no preferred or secured claim.

The Agreement further provides that Bunn's "rights and the benefits provided under this Agreement are subject to and conditioned upon compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, rules and regulatory orders relating to the safety and soundness of banking institutions and the compensation of bank officers and employees."

2. Valley Bank Suffers Financial Trouble and Ultimately Fails

Valley Bank began to experience financial trouble in 2009. Specifically, in February 2009, the FDIC-C and IDFPR downgraded Valley Bank's rating after an examination to a composite "4" under the Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System (the "CAMELS" rating system).2 The bank maintained its 4 rating through later examinations until April 2013, when it received a downgraded composite CAMELS rating of 5, the lowest possible score.3

On June 20, 2014, the IDFPR took possession and control of Valley Bank, closed it after determining the bank was "conducting its business in an unsafe and unsound manner," and requested the FDIC immediately accept appointment as Valley Bank's receiver. The FDIC accepted this appointment in its "FDIC-R" receiver capacity. See Veluchamy v. FDIC , 706 F.3d 810, 812 (7th Cir.2013) (the FDIC can act both in its corporate capacity as insurer of a bank's depositors and in its receiver capacity as receiver of a failed bank). By accepting this appointment, the FDIC succeeded "by operation of law" to Valley Bank's "rights, titles, powers, and privileges." 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d)(2)(A) ; see also FDIC v. Ernst & Young LLP , 374 F.3d 579, 581 (7th Cir.2004) ("FDIC-Receiver acquires the assets and legal interests of the failed bank and proceeds much as a trustee in bankruptcy ....").

Upon its appointment as receiver, the FDIC entered into a Purchase and Assumption Agreement with Great Southern Bank. Pursuant to this agreement, the *294FDIC transferred a portion of Valley Bank's assets to Great Southern Bank on June 20, 2014. The FDIC did not employ Bunn after these events; Great Southern Bank did, but only for approximately one week.

3. The FDIC Disaffirms the Agreement

As receiver for a failed institution, the FDIC has the authority to "disaffirm or repudiate any contract or lease" to which the institution is a party, the performance of which it "determines to be burdensome," and "the disaffirmance or repudiation of which [it] determines, in [its] discretion, will promote the orderly administration of the institution's affairs." 12 U.S.C.

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Bluebook (online)
908 F.3d 290, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bunn-v-fed-deposit-ins-corp-ca7-2018.