T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T R O B E R T O L S Z E W S K I , in d iv idu a l; e t a l., P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l an t s, v. S Y M Y X T E C H N O L O G I E S I N C . a nd E L S E V IE R , IN C . , co rp o rat i o n s, D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees. N o. 09- 17489 D . C. N o . 5 : 0 8 - c v - 0 3 6 5 7 - H RL ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e N o rth e rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia H ow a r d R . L l oy d, M a gi s tr a t e Judge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d D e c e m be r8, 2010 S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: H U G , D . W . N E L S O N , an dM cK E O W N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. R ob ertO l sz ew ski and p l ai nt i ff s ( “ O l sz ew ski pl ai nt i ff

s” ) app ea l the di stri ct c o u rt’s d is m is s a l p u r s u a n t to F e d e r a l R u le o f C iv il P r o c e du r e 1 2 ( b ) ( 6 ) o f th e ir c l a i ms f o rs e v e r a n c e b e n e f

i t s u n d e rERI SA . W e h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U . S. C. § 1 2 9 1 . W e a f

f irm . 

# FI LED JAN 21 2 011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

T he O l s z e w s ki pl a i nt i f

f s w e r e l ongt i m e e m pl oy e e s of M D L I nf

orm a t i on S y s t e m s , I n c . ( “ MDL ” ) , as u b s i d i a ryo f E l s e v i e r , I n c . ( “ E l s e v i e r ” ) . As MDL e m p lo y e e s , th e yw e r e e lig ib le f o rs e v e r a n c e b e n e f

its f r o m E ls e v ie ra s p r o v id e din E l se vi er ’ s “ U . S . P ol i ci es H andb oo k. ” T he E l se vi erem pl oyee w el fare benefi tpl an ( “ E l s e vi e rP l a n” ) c ont a i ne d adi s c r e t i ona rys e tof gui de l i ne s f

orthe a w a r d of s e v e r a n c e b e n e f

its a n dc o n f

e rr e dd is c r e tio n o n E ls e v ie rto r e s c in do rc h a n g e its po l i ci es and p roce du re s ati t s absol ut e di sc re t i on . In 20 07 , E l se vi erent er ed an a gr e e m e ntt o s e l l M D L t o S y m y x T e c hnol ogi e s ( “ S y m y x” ) . A tthe c l os e of the sa l e, al lE l se vi erem pl oyee s w ou l d cea se benefi tcoverage under the E l se vi erP l an and w ou l d com m ence el i gi bi l i ty und erS ym yx’ s e m pl oyee w el fare benefi tpl an ( “ S y m y x P l a n” ) . T he s e ve r a nc e be ne f i t s unde rthe S y m y x P l a n w e r e l e s s ge ne r ous than tho se un der the E l se vi erP l an. S ym yx t erm i nat ed the O l sz ew ski pl ai nt i ff s s h o rtlya f

te rth e c o rp o r a te s a le . T h e Ol s z e ws k i p l a i n t i f

f s b r o u g h ts u i ta g a i n s tE l s e v i e ru n d e rE R I S A § 50 2(a) (1)( B ) [ 29 U . S . C . § 1 13 2(a) (1)( B )] for s ever ance benefi t s und erthe E l se vi er P l a n. T he ya l s o br oughtac l a i m a ga i ns tE l s e vi e ra nd S y m y x unde rE R I S A § 510 [29 U . S . C . § 1 14 0] for i nt er fe re nce w i th p rot ec t ed ri gh t s, cl ai m i ng thatE l se vi er and S ym yx conspi re d t o d epri ve the O l sz ew ski pl ai nt i ff s of thei r s ever ance be ne f i t s unde rthe E l s e vi e rP l a n.3

W e r e vi e w the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s di s m i s s a l f orf a i l ur e t o s t a t e ac l a i m de novo, t ak i n g al l al l eg at i o n s o f m at eri al factas tru e an dco n stru i n g th em i n th e l i g h tm o st f a v o r ab le to p la in tif

f s . S p rew el l v. G o lden S ta te W

a rri o rs , 2 6 6 F .3 d9 7 9 , 9 8 8 ( 9 th C i r . 2001) . W e m a ya f

f i rm on a nygr ounds s upport e d bythe r e c or d. T a h o e-S i erra P res. C ou nci l

v. T ah oe R eg’l

P lan ni ngA gency , 32 2 F . 3d 10 64 , 10 76 -77 (9th C i r. 20 03 ). T h e d i stri ctco u rtd i dn o terr i n i t s d i sm i ssal o f th e O l szew sk i p l ai n t i ffs’ cl ai m un der E R IS A § 5 02 (a )( 1)(B ) a gai nstE l se vi er . T he se verance benefi tpo l i cy a t is s u e in th e E ls e v ie rP la n w a s e n tir e lyd is c r e tio n a rya n da llo w e dth e e m p lo y e rto grantse verance benefi t s on a ca se -by- ca se basi s or t o m od i fyor re sc i nd the po l i cy e n tir e ly , a t a n ytim e , f

o rw h a te v e rr e a s o n , w ith o u t th e c o n s e n t o f o rp r io rn o tic e to em pl oyee s. P ursuantt o the corporat e s al e a gree m ent(c on t ai ned i n the pl ea di ng s) , s e v e r a n c e b e n e f

its u n d e rth e E ls e v ie rP lan w e r e a d o p te da n dm o d if ie do n th e d a te of the c orpor a t e s a l e t o S y m y x. G i ve n E l s e vi e r ’ s abs ol ut e di s c r e t i on, the c onc urr e nta dopt i on a nd m odi f i c a t i on of

the s e ve r a nc e be ne f

i t s i n the c our s e of

the s a l e w a s noti m pr ope r . W hi l e s uc h e ve nt s c e rt a i nl ydo noti nur e t o the be ne f i tof the O l s z e w s ki pl a i nt i f

f s , i tdoe s notf

a l l out s i de of

E l s e vi e r ’ s di s c r e t i on t o a m e nd its o w n e m p lo y e e w e lf

a r e b e n e f its . I n s h o rt, th e E ls e v ie rP lan s e v e r a n c e b e n e f its t o w hi ch the O l sz ew ski pl ai nt i ff s c l ai m ent i t l em entar e s i m pl y no l on ger avai l abl e,4

h a v in g b e e n m o d if

ie din th e c o u r s e o f

th e c o rp o r a te s a le . Se e C ur t is s - W r i ght C or p. v. Scho on ej on gen , 5 1 4 U . S . 7 3 , 7 8 (1 9 9 5 ) (n o co g n i zab l e cl ai m aro se ag ai n st c om pa nyw i th f

r e e dom t o a dopt , m odi f y , ort e rm i na t e i t s w e l f

a r e be ne f i t s pl a n f or a n yr e a s o n a n da t a n ytim e f o ra m e n d in g its p lan to d e p r iv e e m p lo y e e s o f p o s tre t i re m entheal th car e c ov er age unl es s i tdi d so i n an i m perm i ss i bl e m anner). M or e ove r , w i th r e s pe c tt o the m odi f i e d s e ve r a nc e be ne f

i t s unde rthe S y m y x P l a n, the O l sz ew ski pl ai nt i ff

s do n otal l ege thatS ym yx has r ef used paym ent . T hu s, they ha ve nota l l e ge d the l os s of a nybe ne f

i tt o w hi c h the ya r e e nt i t l e d a nd do nota l l e ge ac o g n iz ab le c la im u n d e rE R I S A § 5 0 2 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( B ) . T he O l sz ew ski pl ai nt i ff s’ se cond cl ai m un der E R IS A § 5 10 for i nt er fe re nce w i th pr ot e c t e d r i ght s a l s o f a i l s . A s di s c us s e d above , the O l s z e w s ki pl a i nt i f f s ha ve nota ve rr e d a nypr ot e c t e d r i ghtt o s e ve r a nc e be ne f i t s unde rthe E l s e vi e rP l a n; th erefo re, an y cl ai m o f i n t erferen ce w i th th atri g h tn ecessarily fai l s. A F F I R M E D .