Court Opinion

ID: 9365000
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-20 21:00:32.615814+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:43.129432
License: Public Domain

USCA4 Appeal: 22-1685       Doc: 32        Filed: 01/19/2023     Pg: 1 of 3

                                             UNPUBLISHED

                               UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                   FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                                               No. 22-1685

        SHERRIE N. PORTER,

                             Plaintiff - Appellant,

                      v.

        FIRST BANKSHARES, INC.; PHILLIP VALLANDINGHAM; P. ANDREW
        VALLANDINGHAM; SAMUEL VALLANDINGHAM; STEPHANIE V.
        MAYBERRY; ROBERT JACKSON DILLEY; DANIEL T. YON; RONALD W.
        WOODELL; MICHAEL S. LUNSFORD, as Directors of either or both First
        Bankshares, Inc., and The First State Bank of Barboursville; ANY AND ALL
        OTHER UNNAMED AND TO BE DETERMINED DIRECTORS THEREOF;
        GUYAN HOLDING COMPANY; FIRST BANKSHARES TRUST PREFERRED
        I,

                             Defendants - Appellees,

                      and

        THE FIRST STATE BANK OF BARBOURSVILLE; THE FIRST COMPANY;
        WEST VIRGINIA DEVELOPMENT LOAN FUND, INC.,

                             Defendants.

        Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, at
        Huntington. Robert C. Chambers, District Judge. (3:21-cv-00464)

        Submitted: January 17, 2023                                    Decided: January 19, 2023
USCA4 Appeal: 22-1685       Doc: 32         Filed: 01/19/2023    Pg: 2 of 3

        Before KING, Circuit Judge, and TRAXLER, Senior Circuit Judge. *

        Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

        ON BRIEF: Paula L. Harbour, PAULA L. HARBOUR PLLC, Huntington, West Virginia;
        W. Stephen Flesher, LAW OFFICES OF W. STEPHEN FLESHER, Barboursville, West
        Virginia, for Appellant. J. Mark Adkins, William M. Lorensen, BOWLES RICE, LLP,
        Charleston, West Virginia, for Appellees.

        Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

              *
                  The opinion is filed by a quorum of the panel pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 46(d).

                                                     2
USCA4 Appeal: 22-1685         Doc: 32       Filed: 01/19/2023     Pg: 3 of 3

        PER CURIAM:

               Sherrie N. Porter appeals the district court’s order granting summary judgment in

        favor of Defendants on Porter’s remaining claim against her former employer and officers

        and directors thereof, alleging that Defendants wrongfully failed to withdraw or transfer

        assets in Porter’s stock employee ownership fund upon her request. The court had

        previously dismissed Porter’s claim that Defendants mismanaged the company, causing

        the value of the stock to drop, thereby diminishing the value of Porter’s retirement assets,

        for lack of standing as only the plan trustee could bring such a claim. On appeal, Porter

        does not challenge the district court’s rulings. Rather, she asserts a new claim: that the

        administrator and trustees of the plan breached fiduciary duties owed to her. Because

        Porter raises this claim for the first time on appeal, we decline to consider it. See In re

        Under Seal, 749 F.3d 276, 285 (4th Cir. 2014). And because Porter fails to challenge the

        district court’s rulings, Porter has waived any claim of error in the district court’s orders.

        See Belk, Inc. v. Meyer Corp., U.S., 679 F.3d 146, 153 n.4, 6 (4th Cir. 2012). Accordingly,

        we affirm. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are

        adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the

        decisional process.

                                                                                         AFFIRMED

                                                      3