Opinion ID: 4580326
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The President’s Award

Text: With respect to the President’s Award, we conclude that Mr. Romo was not entitled to receive any shares because he was not employed on April 1, 2018, the vesting date provided in the award letter. The September 2015 letter conferring the President’s Award upon Mr. Romo stated (1) that the shares granted therein would be held in a trust until they vested on April 1, 2018; and (2) that Mr. Romo had to be employed on that date in order to receive the value of the shares. Mr. Romo was terminated in April 2017, a year before the April 2018 vesting date. He concedes that fact, but argues that the 2016 merger between Progressive and Waste Connections triggered a change-of-control provision that caused the shares to become fully vested at that time. We disagree. The change-of-control provision appears in the text of the 2015 LTIP, which the President’s Award letter incorporates. But “[i]t is a fundamental axiom of contract interpretation that specific provisions control general provisions.” Baton Rouge Oil & Chem. Workers Union v. ExxonMobil Corp., 289 F.3d 373, 377 (5th Cir. 2002) (citation omitted). Here, the President’s Award incorporates the LTIP, but itself identifies “the specifics of the plan.” Second on the list of specific provisions is that “[i]f a participant leaves prior to the completion of the three year period, all shares are forfeited except for a qualified retirement.” We therefore affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Waste Connections as to the President’s Award.