Opinion ID: 2994747
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Senese’s appeal

Text: Senese’s principal argument on appeal is that the district court erred in determining that there was no conflict between the plan and summary plan descriptions regarding a beneficiary’s entitlement to retroactive benefits when an application is delayed. Senese also asserts that his failure to present this theory to the Fund trustees is not fatal because, he argues, ERISA requires only claim exhaustion, not issue exhaustion. However, Senese ignores the district court’s alternate ground for rejecting Senese’s argument about the summary plan description--that this theory was not properly before the court because it was not contained in his pleadings or any approved pretrial order. Senese’s failure to advance on appeal any arguments with respect to this alternate ground means that any challenge to that ground is waived, see Williams v. Leach, 938 F.2d 769, 772-73 (7th Cir. 1991), and because affirmance of the district court’s alternate ground is dispositive of his appeal, see id.; Kauthar SDN BHD v. Sternberg, 149 F.3d 659, 667- 68 (7th Cir. 1998); Cook v. Navistar Int’l Transp. Corp., 940 F.2d 207, 214-15 (7th Cir. 1991), we decline to explore the merits of Senese’s arguments regarding ERISA exhaustion requirements or the purported conflict between the plan and summary plan descriptions./1 Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s decision granting judgment to the Fund on Senese’s claim for benefits.