Newman v. Bank of New England Corp. (In re Bank of New England Corp.)

187 B.R. 405, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1510
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedOctober 17, 1995
DocketBankruptcy No. 91-10126-WCH; Adv. No. 92-1317
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 187 B.R. 405 (Newman v. Bank of New England Corp. (In re Bank of New England Corp.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Newman v. Bank of New England Corp. (In re Bank of New England Corp.), 187 B.R. 405, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1510 (Mass. 1995).

Opinion

DECISION

WILLIAM C. HILLMAN, Bankruptcy Judge.

Lacy G. Newman (“Newman”) commenced this adversary proceeding to recover from Bank of New England Corporation (“BNEC”) funds held in an escrow account which represent amounts to which he claims he became entitled when BNEC terminated his position for reasons other than cause. He asks that I determine his entitlement to recovery and the validity, extent and priority of his lien upon the escrow funds. See Fed. R.Bankr.P. 7001(2), (9).1

I previously had granted summary judgment for BNEC. On appeal the United States District Court reversed the decision2 as will be discussed below.

[407]*407Upon remand I held a trial and took the matter under advisement.

General Findings of Fact

Prior to his employment with BNEC, Newman had been employed in commercial banking for a number of years and at several different banks. In May of 1990, BNEC orally agreed to hire Newman as a Senior Vice President. During the pre-employment negotiations Newman and BNEC agreed on many conditions of his employment, including an annual salary of $225,000 for a two year period. At the time of the offer, however, the parties had not reached an agreement on the structuring of Newman’s severance benefits.

Newman had two requirements for his severance package. First, because of his experience with a previous employer, Newman wanted his severance package to be secured so that if the BNEC’s subsidiary banks (“the Banks”) were taken by a regulator and put in receivership, he nevertheless would be able to receive his benefits. Second, Newman requested an “evergreen” package which would pay him an amount equal to his annual salary whenever he might be terminated.

On June 7, 1990, Steven E. Wheeler (“Wheeler”), Newman’s boss, sent a memorandum to the Chief Executive Officer of BNEC, Lawrence Fish (“Fish”). Wheeler expressed his concern that the bank regulators would not accept a secured compensation position to be granted to a member of senior management. He proposed an alternative for Newman’s severance package, a “signing bonus”. On June 12, 1990, Wheeler sent another memorandum to Fish indicating that Newman would report to work under the assumption that the bank regulators would approve and adopt either the secured package or the “signing bonus” alternative.

On June 18, 1990, without a written employment agreement, Newman began working for BNEC. Newman anticipated, however, that the manner in which the severance package would be structured would be resolved within a matter of weeks. Over the next several months, Newman and BNEC considered various severance packages, which varied as to amount and term. Newman met exclusively with Wheeler until the beginning of August when he contacted William W. Abendroth (“Abendroth”), senior counsel at BNEC.

On August 22, 1990, after a meeting with Newman, Abendroth discussed the potential structure of the severance package with Mary Scatamacchia (“Scatamacchia”), a BNEC human resources employee. Scata-macchia proposed definitions, changes, and her professional opinion to Abendroth. Abendroth also asked Wheeler for assistance because he had never drafted an employee agreement and was unfamiliar with the applicable banking regulations.

Newman and Abendroth continued to meet and Newman saw drafts of the severance package. They worked together on the “example” which demonstrated the computation of severance pay that later appeared in the final draft. Abendroth made changes to the severance package and sent a rough draft of the document to the proposed escrow agents in September. Abendroth recalled no significant changes in the severance package from the mailed draft to its final form.

On November, 1, 1990, Newman and BNEC signed a two-year written employment agreement and an escrow agreement. The employment agreement was backdated to June 18, 1990, the day Newman’s tenure commenced. The employment agreement enabled Newman to collect a “signing bonus,” upon being terminated from his position. The “signing bonus” of $225,000 would be reduced by approximately $18,000 per month after the first year.

The employment agreement also included an escrow agreement to secure the payment of the “signing bonus.” It was dated November 1, 1990, attached as an exhibit to the employment agreement, and required BNEC to deposit three $75,000 certificates of deposit with an escrow agent. Upon termination Newman would was required to make demand upon the escrow agent to obtain payment.

On January 7, 1991, fewer than 90 days after the date of the escrow agreement and the delivery of the certificates of deposit to the escrow agent, BNEC filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief.

[408]*408On January 18, 1991 Newman wrote to the escrow agent and demanded payment. On January 22, 1991 the escrow agent informed the interim trustee of BNEC of Newman’s demand. Recognizing that BNEC’s obligation to Newman stemmed from the employment agreement dated June 18, 1990, and the escrow agreement dated November 1, 1990, the trustee believed that the agreement was a voidable preference on account of an antecedent debt under 11 U.S.C. § 547(b)(2).

The escrow agent continues to hold the funds.

Further findings of fact will appear as relevant to the particular issues discussed below.

Discussion

The issues have been narrowed to the following:

A. Was the creation and funding of the escrow a preference?

B. Has the condition precedent to Newman’s right to draw on the escrow transpired?

C. Has Newman violated the employment agreement to the extent that he should not be permitted to receive payment under it?

D. Is Newman’s claim limited by 11 U.S.C. § 502(b)(7)?

E. Is Newman entitled to interest on his claim?

A preference is a transfer of a debt- or’s interest in property

“(1) to or for the benefit of a creditor;
(2) for or on account of an antecedent debt owed by the debtor before such transfer was made;
(3) made while the debtor was insolvent;
(4) made—
(A) on or within 90 days before the date of the filing of the petition; or
(B) between ninety days and one year before the date of the filing of the petition, if such creditor at the time of such transfer was an insider; and
(5)that enables such creditor to receive more than such creditor would receive if—
(A) the case were a case under chapter 7 of this title;
(B) the transfer had not been made; and
(C) such creditor received payment of such debt to the extent provided by the provisions of this title.”

11 U.S.C.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 B.R. 405, 1995 Bankr. LEXIS 1510, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/newman-v-bank-of-new-england-corp-in-re-bank-of-new-england-corp-mab-1995.