N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
EDWARD B R

A SLEY; TODD W AYM ENT; VER

NON ELLIOTT; B ETTY NEW ELL,

Pla i ntiffs-Appe lla

nts,
v. FEARL ESS FARR IS SER VIC E STATIONS, INC .; W ESTPOINT TR ANSPOR TATION, INC ., a wholly owne d subsidia

ry of Fe a rle ss Fa rris Se rvic e Stations, Inc .; FEAR LESS FARR IS SER

VIC E STATIONS DEFER R ED C OM PENSATION PLAN; C HARLEY JONES, individua lly and a s pre se nt a nd/or form e r a dm inistra

tors a nd fiduc ia rie s of the Fe a

rle ss Fa rris Se rvic e Stations, Inc . De fe rre d C om p e nsation Plan; SHAW

N DAVIS, individually

an d a s pre se nt a

nd/or form e r a dm inistra

tors and fiduc ia

rie s of the Fe arle ss Fa

rris Se rvic e Stations, Inc . De fe rre d C om pe nsation Pla

n; STINKER

STORES, INC ., De fe nda

n ts-Appe lle e s. No. 16-35519 D.C . No. 1:08-c v-00173-B LW
M EM O R ANDUM * 

# FIL ED

MAR 13 2018 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U

. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public a t ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.Appe a l from the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of Ida

ho B . Ly nn W inm ill, C hie f Judge , Pre siding Argue d a nd Subm itte d M a

rc h 5, 2018 Se a ttle , W a s hington B e fore : R

AW LINSON, C LIFTON, a nd C HR ISTEN, C irc u it Judge s. Appe lla nt Edwa rd B ra sle y

(B ra sle y ) a

ppe a ls the distric t c ourt’ s orde r de ny ing his re que st for a

ttorne y s’ fe e s pursua

nt to 29 U.S.C . § 1132(g)(1). The distric t c ourt’ s de te rm ination tha t B ra sle y fa i le d to de m onstra

te “ som e de gre e of suc c e ss” on the m e rits in his post-judgm e nt litiga tion of Fe a

rle ss’ 1
c om plia nc e with thedistric t c ourt’ s a m e nde d judgm e nt wa s not supporte d by the
re c o rd. Se e Simonia v

. Gle n d aleN issan/Infiniti Disability

Plan , 608 F.3d 1118, 1120 (9th C ir. 2010) (e xpla ining tha t, in c a se s unde r the Em

ploy e e R e tire m e nt Inc o m e Se c urity

Ac t, “ a fe e s c la im ant m

ust show some de g re e of suc c e s s on the
m e rits be fore a

c ourt m ay

award attorne y ’ s fe e s” ) (c ita tion a nd inte rna l quota

tion
m arks om itte d). Inde e d , the post-judgm e nt proc e e dings be fore the spe c ia l m a ste r
re quire d Fe arle ss to provide lum p sum be ne fit pa

ym e nts to pla

n pa rtic ipa nts in orde r to sa

tisfy the distric t

c ourt’ s a m e nde d judgm e nt in fa

vor of the pla

n pa rtic i pa nts. Se e Mc C

lure v . LifeIns. C

o. of N . Am. , 84 F.3d 1129, 1136 (9th C ir.

1 De fe nda

nt Fe arle ss Fa

rris Se rvic e Stations, Inc . a nd re late d e ntitie s . 21996) (re c ogniz ing tha t “ [a ] pla n pa rtic ipa n t who pre va ils in a

n a c tion to e nforc e rights unde r the pla

n is ordina

rily e ntitle d to a re a sona ble attorne y ’ s fe e if the pa rtic i pa nt suc c e e ds on a

ny signific ant issuein litiga

tion whic h a c hie ve s som e of the b e ne fit sought in bringing suit” ) (c ita tion, a lte ra tions, a

nd inte rna l quota

tion
m arks om itte d). Having c onc lude d tha

t B ra s le y a c hie ve d “ som e suc c e ss” on the m e rits, we
re m and for the distric t c ourt to a pply in the first insta

nc e the fa c t ors de line a te d in Humme ll v . S.E. Ry

k o ff & C o. , 634 F.2d 446, 453 (9th C ir. 1980), to de te rm ine if a disc re tiona

ry aw ard of attorne y s’ fe e s is justifie d. Se e Simonia , 608 F.3d a t 1121 (holding tha

t “ a fte r de te rm ining a

litiga nt ha s a c hie v e d som e de g re e of suc c e ss on the m e rits, distric t c ourts m ust still c onside r the Humme ll fa c tors be fore e xe rc ising the i r disc re tion to a

w ard fe e s” ). W e e xpre s s no vie w on the outc om e of the distric t
c ourt’ s Humme ll ana l y s is, a nd a c knowle dge tha

t the distric t

c ourt, a fte r prope r
a pplic a tion of the Humme ll fa c t ors, re ta ins disc re tion to a ward a ll, som e , or none of the re que ste d fe e s. S

e e id. V ACAT E D and RE M ANDE D W IT H INST RUCT IO NS.

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