Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01319/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01319-14/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 791
Nature of Suit: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cause of Action: 29:1001 E.R.I.S.A.: Employee Retirement

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TRUDY G. HEMPHILL,

Plaintiffs,

v.

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE

ESTATE OF JAMES J. RYSKAMP, JR.;

JAMES J. RYSKAMP, JR., M.D.,

INC.; JAMES J. RYSKAMP, JR.,

M.D., INC. 401(k) PROFIT SHARING

PLAN; RYSKAMP-TAKAYAMA 401(k)

PROFIT SHARING PLAN; JUDITH

DICKISON RYSKAMP, as an

individual and as TRUSTEE OF THE

JAMES J. RYSKAMP, JR. AND JUDITH

DICKISON RYSKAMP LIVING TRUST,

Defendants.

 

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1:05-cv-1319 OWW SMS

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S

MOTION FOR SUMMARY

ADJUDICATION RE FIRST,

SECOND, AND FOURTH CLAIMS

FOR RELIEF

Plaintiff Trudy G. Hemphill (“Ms. Hemphill”) filed, on

October 16, 2006, a motion for summary adjudication which

requested that the Court grant summary adjudication in favor of

Plaintiff and against the Defendants on: (1) the Fourth Claim for

Relief asserted in the Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”) for

injunctive relief and penalties against Defendant Ryskamp Inc.

for its failure to provide documents regarding the James. J.

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Ryskamp Jr., M.D., Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan (“Ryskamp

Plan”) and its predecessors and regarding the amount and type of

her benefits under those plans and (2) the First and Second

Claims for Relief asserted in the SAC, to the extent that these

latter two claims pray for a declaration, clarification, and

enforcement of Ms. Hemphill’s right to receive documents under

ERISA §§ 104(b) and 105(a), 29 U.S.C. §§ 1024 and 1025, and an

accounting of Ms. Hemphill’s benefits. The Motion for Summary

Adjudication came on regularly for hearing on November 20, 2006,

at 10:00 a.m. before this court. Clarissa A. Kang of the firm

Trucker Huss appeared on behalf of Ms. Hemphill and Donald P.

Lescoulie appeared on behalf of the Defendants. Following the

hearing on the Motion for Summary Adjudication, the Court

requested supplemental briefing regarding whether California

Probate Code § 9351 affected any of Ms. Hemphill’s claims against

the Personal Representative of the Estate of James J. Ryskamp

(the “Personal Representative”) in this action. Supplemental

briefing on the designated issue was submitted by Plaintiff on

December 20, 2006, and by the Defendants on December 29, 2006.

On March 21, 2008, the Court issued its Memorandum Decision

Granting Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Adjudication (“March 21,

2008 Memorandum Decision”), after considering the pleadings and

papers on file and hearing the arguments of the parties.

In furtherance of, and consistent with, the March 21, 2008

Memorandum Decision, the Court HEREBY ORDERS that Plaintiff’s

Motion for Summary Adjudication is GRANTED.

Ms. Hemphill was and is a participant and beneficiary of the

Ryskamp Plan and its several predecessor plans within the meaning

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of ERISA. Because Ms. Hemphill was a participant and beneficiary

at the time she commenced this action, her claims under the

First, Second, and Fourth Claims for Relief are not time-barred. 

In addition, the Court holds that California Probate Code § 9351

does not bar any of the claims asserted by Ms. Hemphill in the

SAC against the Personal Representative. 

The Court further declares that, as a participant and

beneficiary of the Ryskamp Plan and its predecessors, Ms.

Hemphill is entitled to the rights afforded to participants and

beneficiaries under ERISA, including the right to request and

receive the plan information and benefits required by ERISA

§§ 104 and 105 [29 U.S.C. §§ 1024 and 1025], including but not

limited to plan documents and an accounting of all her benefits. 

In particular, Ms. Hemphill is entitled to receive the following

documents which she has requested but which have never been

provided to her: account statements of her benefits from 2000 to

present; Form 5500 annual returns from 1990 to 1993, 1995, and

from 2000 to present; summary plan descriptions from 1990 to

present (except for the summary plan description for the RyskampTakayama Plan dated July 1993); and summaries of material

modifications from 1990 to present. 

 FURTHER ORDERED that Defendants James J. Ryskamp, Jr., M.D.,

Inc. (“Ryskamp Inc.”) and the Ryskamp Plan provide these

documents to Ms. Hemphill within 30 days of the date of this

Order, to the extent that these documents exist currently. 

 FURTHER ORDERED that Ryskamp Inc. provide account statements

of Ms. Hemphill’s benefits from 2000 to the present, regardless

of whether such statements currently exist, within 30 days of the

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date of this Order. In addition, to the extent that any other of

the above-described documents are first created during the

pendency of this action, Ryskamp Inc. shall provide those

documents within 5 days of the date they are first created.

FURTHER ORDERED that Ryskamp Inc. and the Ryskamp Plan 

provide Ms. Hemphill with a complete, up-to-date accounting of

her benefits from each of the various plans sponsored by Ryskamp

Inc., spanning the time period beginning from the entry of the

Stipulated Qualified Domestic Relations Order and the Orders on

Issues Reserved Under Bifurcated Judgment Of Dissolution Of

Marriage (which were filed on August 11, 1994 in Plaintiff’s

marital dissolution proceeding) and ending on the date of this

order. Ryskamp Inc. and the Ryskamp Plan shall provide this

accounting within 30 days of the date of this Order.

FURTHER ORDERED that Ryskamp Inc. pay Ms. Hemphill penalties

equal to $50 per day from September 3, 2003, to September 25,

2005 (a period of 753 days), for its failure to provide documents

required by ERISA. The total amount of these penalties that

Ryskamp Inc. must pay to Ms. Hemphill is $37,650.00. Payment of

this amount shall be made within 30 days of the date of this

order.

This Order constitutes the Court’s final determination

regarding (1) the Fourth Claim for Relief asserted in the SAC for

injunctive relief and penalties against Ryskamp Inc. and (2) the

first and Second Claims for Relief asserted in the SAC, to the

extent that the First and Second Claims for Relief pray for a

declaration, clarification, and enforcement of Ms. Hemphill’s

right to receive documents under ERISA §§ 104(b) and 105(a), 29

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U.S.C. §§ 1024 and 1025, and an accounting of her benefits. 

There will be no further proceedings on the Fourth Claim for

Relief and Ms. Hemphill’s right to receive ERISA-required

documents and information as asserted in the First and Second

Claims for Relief, except that the Court retains jurisdiction

over these matters in order to enforce this Order. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 8, 2008 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

emm0d6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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