Opinion ID: 2998087
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: CP Kelco

Text: Mr. Magin maintains that the district court erred by granting CP Kelco summary judgment because “CP Kelco owed enhanced severance if the employee elected to sign any tendered waiver.” Reply Br. at 4. Section 6.1(b) of the Asset Purchase Agreement provided that [i]f Buyer terminates the employment of any Transferred Employee without Cause during the 12-month period following the Closing Date or on such later date on which such Transferred Employee commences work for Buyer (the “Employment Date”) and such Trans- ferred Employee is not offered “comparable employment” by Buyer or an Affiliate of Buyer through the 12month anniversary of the Employment Date . . . Buyer shall pay to such Transferred Employee an amount at least equal to the base severance pay that such Transferred Employee would have received under Seller’s severance plan disclosed on the Disclosure Schedule 16 No. 04-2997 upon such a termination of employment of the Transferred Employee by Seller . . . . R.50, Ex.B at 32. The Monsanto severance plan, in turn, provided enhanced separation benefits only to an employee “who is Involuntarily Separated . . . and signs a Waiver.” Id., Ex.A-1 at 4; see also id., Ex.A-2 at 1 (Summary Overview) (“Enhanced benefits are provided for certain involuntary separations if the person executes a waiver . . . .”). A “waiver” in turn referred to “the Agreement and Release form offered to an employee who is Involuntarily Separated which releases an Employer from claims arising from such Employee’s employment and termination of employment with such Employer.” Id. (emphasis added). We agree with the district court’s conclusion that the unambiguous terms of the Monsanto severance plan make it clear that offering an involuntarily separated employee the option to sign a waiver was “at the sole discretion of the employer.” R.109 at 1. Mr. Magin was not offered a waiver, and he not did sign a waiver; accordingly, summary judgment against his claim under ERISA for additional 5 severance from CP Kelco was appropriate. 5 For the first time in his reply brief, Mr. Magin submits that the district court erred by holding that ERISA preempted his statelaw claims for breach of contract and unjust enrichment against CP Kelco. Specifically, he maintains, in a conclusory way, that the Monsanto severance plan is not an ERISA plan because it did not require the employer to maintain an ongoing administrative program to meet its obligation. See Reply Br. at 11 (citing Fort Halifax Packing Co., Inc. v. Coyne, 482 U.S. 1, 11-12 (1987)). We see no merit to this contention. In any event, even if Mr. Magin could state a cognizable state-law claim, the claim would fail by virtue of our holding that CP Kelco was not obligated to pay him enhanced severance benefits. (continued...) No. 04-2997 17