Mensa-Wilmot v. Smith International, Inc.

312 S.W.3d 771, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 8944, 2009 WL 3931252
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 19, 2009
Docket01-08-00481-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 312 S.W.3d 771 (Mensa-Wilmot v. Smith International, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mensa-Wilmot v. Smith International, Inc., 312 S.W.3d 771, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 8944, 2009 WL 3931252 (Tex. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

OPINION

ELSA ALCALA, Justice.

Appellant, Graham Mensa-Wilmot (“Mensa-Wilmot”) appeals from a take-nothing summary judgment rendered in favor of appellee, Smith International, Inc. (“Smith”). In five issues, Mensa-Wilmot contends we lack jurisdiction because his amended petition added causes of action that were not addressed in the motions for summary judgment; the trial court erred by rendering summary judgment on causes of action not addressed in the motions for summary judgment; and the summary judgment evidence on the breach of contract claim raised a fact issue concerning whether Mensa-Wilmot properly exercised his stock options before he resigned. We conclude that we have jurisdiction over this appeal, that the trial court did not err by rendering summary judgment in favor of Smith on the claims pleaded in Mensa-Wilmot’s late-filed amended petition, and that the trial court did not err by granting summary judgment in favor of Smith on Mensa-Wilmot’s breach of contract claim. We affirm.

*774 Background

Smith is a worldwide supplier of products and services for the oil and gas industry. Mensa-Wilmot was an employee of Smith from 1994 until his resignation in 2005. During his employment, Mensa-Wilmot entered into three Nonqualified Stock Option Agreements (“NQSOA”) under Smith’s 1989 Long Term Incentive Compensation Plan (“Plan”). Mensa-Wil-mot was informed of the appropriate procedures to exercise his stock options when he entered into the stock option agreements.

The Plan stipulated Mensa-Wilmot must be a Smith employee at the time when the option is exercised. Specifically, the 1997 and 1999 NQSOAs described the time during which the option could be exercised and then stated, “Anything to the contrary herein notwithstanding, the option granted hereunder shall terminate immediately upon the voluntary resignation by Employee....” In the 2001 NQSOA, the language is: “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Sections 1(c), 1(d), 1(e) or in any other provisions of this Agreement, the option granted hereunder shall terminate immediately upon the voluntary resignation by Employee.... ” In addition, the Plan provided,

Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Grantee’s Incentive agreement, with respect to a Grantee who is an Employee, in the event of termination of the Grantee’s Employment except resulting from his Disability or Retirement ... any vested Incentive Award shall expire on the earlier of (A) the expiration date set forth in the Incentive Agreement for such Incentive Award, or (B) the expiration of ninety (90) days after the date of his termination of Employment.

To exercise stock options, the Plan required Mensa-Wilmot to sign and deliver written notice to Smith’s secretary specifying the number of shares he desired and how he wanted the stock to be issued. In pertinent part, the first NQSOA, dated December 3,1997, provides,

[T]his option may be exercised by written notice signed by Employee and delivered to the Corporate Secretary of the Company or sent by certified mail addressed to the Company (for the attention of the Corporate Secretary) at its corporate office in Houston, Texas. Such notice shall state the number of shares of Common Stock as to which the option is exercised and shall be accompanied by the full amount of the purchase price of such shares.

The December 7, 1999 and December 4, 2001 NQSOAs both provide,

[Tjhis option may be exercised by written notice signed by Employee, or any trust, person or entity to whom Employee has transferred his rights under this option in accordance with Section 7(g) of the Plan, and delivered to the Corporate Secretary of the Company or sent by certified mail addressed to the Company (for the attention of the Corporate Secretary) at its corporate offices in Houston, Texas. Such notice shall state the number of shares of Common Stock as to which the option is exercised and shall be accompanied by the full amount of the purchase price of such shares.

In addition to the stock options, the Plan identified several different types of incentive awards, including “Restricted Stock Units.” Section 2 of the Plan covered stock options and Section 5 of the plan covered restricted stock units. Mensa-Wilmot received 140 unvested restricted stock units under the Plan.

On November 10, 2005, Mensa-Wilmot sent an e-mail informing his supervisor Paul Cox of his resignation, effective one month later on December 10. Mensa- *775 Wilmot states that, at about the same time he sent the notice of his resignation, he sent a handwritten letter to Smith informing Smith of his intention to exercise his stock options.

On November 22, 2005, Merrill Lynch sent an e-mail to Smith’s employees informing them that their restricted stock units would vest on December 7, 2005. The email instructed the employees to open an account with Merrill Lynch so that, upon vesting, the restricted stock units would be deposited into the employees’ accounts.

On December 7, Merrill Lynch contacted Cay Price (“Price”), the Plan administrator, informing her that Mensa-Wilmot did not open an account. After Price unsuccessfully attempted to contact Mensa-Wilmot, she next contacted Jane Aynn Prestenbach to determine Mensa-Wilmot’s employment status with Smith. Presten-bach sent an e-mail to Mensa-Wilmot, forwarding the November 22 email from Merrill Lynch. Prestenbach contacted Stuart Oliver, informing him that she was unable to contact Mensa-Wilmot. Oliver sent Mensa-Wilmot an e-mail notifying him that his restricted stock units vested and he needed to contact Prestenbach. The Merrill Lynch e-mail was attached to Oliver’s e-mail to Mensa-Wilmot. Upon receiving the e-mail, Mensa-Wilmot spoke with Prestenbach. After that conversation, Mensa-Wilmot contends he filled out the appropriate forms for opening an account and returned it to Merrill Lynch.

Mensa-Wilmot contacted Price during the last week of December 2005 to inquire about his stock options. Price informed Mensa-Wilmot he would need to send a check to pay for the stock. Mensa-Wilmot sent the check. On December 80, Price contacted Prestenbach to confirm Mensa-Wilmot’s reason for termination from Smith so she would know how to handle Mensa-Wilmot’s stock options because the stock options were treated differently depending whether the employee voluntarily resigned or was terminated. After it was confirmed that Mensa-Wilmot resigned, Price determined that Mensa-Wilmot did not follow the appropriate procedures to exercise his stock options.

Mensa-Wilmot received a deposit into his Merrill Lynch account, but it was for $2,700, which was much less than he expected. He contacted Price and she informed him that the size of the deposit was due to his failure to exercise his stock options in accordance with the time line described in the agreement. Specifically, Mensa-Wilmot did not comply with the agreement because he did not declare an intent to exercise his options before December 10, 2005.

After filing this suit, Mensa-Wilmot moved for summary judgment on his breach of contract claims.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
312 S.W.3d 771, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 8944, 2009 WL 3931252, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mensa-wilmot-v-smith-international-inc-texapp-2009.