Murray v. Invacare Corp.

125 F. Supp. 3d 660, 61 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2326, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114657, 2015 WL 5093438
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedAugust 28, 2015
DocketCase No. 1:13 CV 1882
StatusPublished

This text of 125 F. Supp. 3d 660 (Murray v. Invacare Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Murray v. Invacare Corp., 125 F. Supp. 3d 660, 61 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2326, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114657, 2015 WL 5093438 (N.D. Ohio 2015).

Opinion

[663]*663MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

DONALD C. NUGENT, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Second Amended Complaint pursuant to Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). (ECF # 31), For the reasons that follow, Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss is denied.

PROCEDURAL AND FACTUAL BACKGROUND1

Plaintiff Nancy Murray brings this proposed class action on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated, against Defendants as fiduciaries of Invacare’s Retirement Savings Plan (“the Plan”) pursuant to §§ 409 and 502 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. §§ 1109 and 1132. (ECF # 29, ¶ 1) The class proposed by Plaintiff consists of participants and beneficiaries of the Plan during the period from July 22, 2010 to the present. (ECF #29, ¶ 15.) In Count-1 of the Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”), Plaintiff alleges that Defendants breached their fiduciary duties of prudence and loyalty under ERISA when they allowed plan participants to acquire more shares of Invacare stock at a time when Defendants knew Invacare stock was an imprudent investment. (ECF # 29, ¶¶ 174-192) Counts II and III assert claims of failure to monitor co-fiduciaries and knowing participation in, .co-fiduciaries’ breaches. (ECF # 29, ¶¶ 194-200; 205-13)2

Throughout the class period, ■ the Plan offers participants a choice of 20 different investment funds, including the Invacare Company Stock Fund. After six months of service, Plan participants are eligible for employer matching contributions and Invacare may make discretionary quarterly contributions to the Plan and discretionary profit sharing contributions to the Plan on behalf of eligible participants. While the SAC alleges that Invacare stock was the exclusive form of matching contributions during the class period, Defendants - note that Plan documents provide that any matching contributions shall.be in the form of cash. Moreover, employer matching and quarterly and profit-sharing contributions are invested in accordance with the participant’s voluntary contribution elections. Thus, Participants have complete control over how to direct their own voluntary contributions to the Plan, as well as the employer matching, quarterly, and profit-sharing contributions. .

Invacare is a global manufacturer and distributor of long term and home medical equipment. (ECF #29 ¶2) Invacare is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio and operates manufacturing facilities in the United States in Elyria, Ohio (the “Taylor Street Facility”) and Sanford, Florida (the “Sanford Facility”). (Id. at ¶2) Invacare is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) because its products [664]*664are considered “medical devices” under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (“FDCA”). (Id. at ¶ 3) The SAC explains that such regulation includes compliance with certain labeling and record keeping, product design, and manufacturing controls. (Id.)

Plaintiff alleges that Invacare has a long history of noncompliance with FDA safety and manufacturing regulations, evidenced by its receipt of twelve Forms 483 and five Warning Letters dating back to 1996. (Id. at ¶ 4) More pertinent to the time frame at issue here, Plaintiff asserts that on August 18, 2010, the Company received a Form 483 which detailed serious deficiencies noted by the FDA in connection with its two-week investigation of Invacare’s Sanford Facility. Invacare sent the FDA a response letter on September 8, 2010, attempting to address the FDA’s concerns. (Id. at ¶¶ 6-7). On December 15, 2010, the FDA sent a Warning Letter to Invacare concerning the August 2010 inspection of the Sanford Facility. The Warning Letter identified a litany of current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMP”) violations and “recurring” consumer complaints concerning the safety of Invacare’s beds, including incidents of fatality caused by entrapment and fire. The Warning Letter allegedly chastised Invacare for failing to take preventive action, document and evaluate serious complaints, and complete risk assessments to ensure safety of its products. The Letter also noted that Invacare’s September 8th letter was “not adequate” and that failure by Invacare to promptly address and correct these issues could result in regulatory action. (Id. at ¶8)

On December 17, 2010, Invacare received two additional Forms 483 detailing compliance concerns at its Headquarters and the Taylor Street Facility. Plaintiff alleges that Invacare did not disclose the Warning Letter or the Forms 483 to Plan Participants when they were received.

However, on January 4, 2011, the FDA released the Warning Letter to the public. Plaintiff alleges that the disclosure caused Invacare stock to drop over 4 percent from $30.67 per share on January 3, 2011 to close at $29.29 per share on January 4, 2011, representing a market capitalization loss of about $40 million. (Id. at ¶ 9). That same day, Invacare announced that it had assembled a team to address the FDA’s concerns. Further, Invacare notes that by January 12, 2011, Invacare stock was trading back up a $30.41 and closed at $30.09. Invacare also addressed the Warning Letter in its February 3, 2011 8-K where it also disclosed its fourth quarter and year end financial results. The Company explained that “[t]he letter does not call into question the safety or efficacy of Invacare products, and production has not been impacted.” Invacare did note that the Company “does have areas to improve.” Invacare made similar disclosures during the earnings call it held that same day. (Id-¶ 99); Plaintiff views these statements as nothing more than dissembling attempts to diffuse the grave import of the Warning Letter and further notes that the statement is misleading because it “directly contradicts the Warning Letter’s disclosure regarding the fire and entrapment related deaths caused by Invacare products.” (Id. at ¶¶ 10, 94). ■

In its 2010 Form 10-K, filed on February 25, 2011, Invacare discussed the Warning Letter, stating that it was taking these issues seriously and noted possible consequences for failure to comply with FDA requirements, including a statement that “[a]n unfavorable resolution or outcome of an FDA inspection or investigation could materially and adversely affect the company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations.” (2010 10-K at 1-23) [665]*665For the first time on February 25, 2011, Invacare disclosed the possibility of a consent decree — “[t]he company’s failure to comply with the regulatory requirements of the FDA ... may subject the company to ... sanctions including] ... consent decrees.” (Id.)

Invacare continued to reference its regulatory compliance concerns in its SEC filings throughout 2011. In the April 28, 2011 8-K, the Company noted that it was providing updates to the FDA regarding improvements it is making and adding resources to its regulatory affairs and corporate compliance department and provided similar updates in subsequent SEC filings and press releases as the year progressed. (SAC ¶¶ 109-10,113-14,116)

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125 F. Supp. 3d 660, 61 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2326, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114657, 2015 WL 5093438, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murray-v-invacare-corp-ohnd-2015.