Participants in Church Pension Plan May Sue for Breach of Fiduciary Duty
Minnesota Court of Appeals says decision can be made without involvement in religious doctrine
The Court of Appeals of Minnesota has reversed a trial court decision and permitted participants in pension plans of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to proceed with a suit against the plan board for breach of fiduciary duty.
Volunteer must arbitrate wage claim
Matthew Leonard worked at a concession stand owned and operated by a for-profit company during a baseball game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Although he believed he was serving as a volunteer to raise money for Washington University, he later concluded that he should have been compensated as an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Missouri’s minimum wage laws.
$14.5 Million Judgments Lost for Lack of Jurisdiction
“Stateless” citizens can’t use federal courts for jurisdiction based on diversity of citizenship
A citizen domiciled in Haiti cannot sue a defendant domiciled in Maine and claim federal court jurisdiction based on diversity of citizenship because of an “arcane” exception to the general rule allowing a citizen of one state to sue a citizen of another state in federal court. But it was enough to cause a federal District Court in Maine to throw out two defamation verdicts totaling $14.5 million when the defendant raised the issue after losing a “long, arduous” trial. (