Jason Counts v. General Motors, LLC

United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit Chicago, Illinois 60604 May 23, 2025 Before ILANA DIAMOND ROVNER, Circuit Judge MICHAEL B. BRENNAN, Circuit Judge JOSHUA P. KOLAR, Circuit Judge No. 24-1524 CITIZENS INSURANCE COMPANY Appeal from the United States District Court OF AMERICA, for the Northern District of Illinois, Plaintiff-Appellee, Eastern Division. v. No. 1:22-cv-01334 MULLINS FOOD PRODUCTS, INC., Jorge L. Alonso, Defendant-Appellant. Judge. ORDER Plaintiff-Appellee, Citizens Insurance Company of America, filed a Petition for Rehearing on May 16, 2025. All members of the panel have voted to deny rehearing but to amend the opinion dated May 2, 2025, as follows: At page 2, first full paragraph, three lines from the bottom of the paragraph, immediately before the word “indemnify,” insert the words “potentially to”; At page 14, last paragraph, fourth line, again insert the words “potentially to” immediately before “indemnify”; At page 21, in the first and only paragraph of the main text, lines 5-6, replace “must also” with “may potentially be required to”; No. 24-1524 Page 2 At page 21, at the end of the same paragraph, insert the following sentence: “The duty to indemnify Mullins has not been briefed in this appeal and remains to be sorted out on remand.” At page 32, four lines from the bottom of the paragraph, insert the following sentence immediately prior to the sentence beginning “We therefore VACATE . . .”: “Also in the event the district court determines that timely notice was given to Citizens, the district court must resolve whether Citizens has a duty to indemnify Mullins.” The Petition for Rehearing is DENIED

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS JUN 9 2025 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT NATIONWIDE LEGAL, LLC, No. 24-3059 D.C. No. Plaintiff - Appellant, 2:23-cv-00599-MEMF-MRW v. MEMORANDUM* JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., a Nationally Chartered Bank, Defendant - Appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, District Judge, Presiding Submitted May 12, 2025** Pasadena, California Before: IKUTA, R. NELSON, and LEE, Circuit Judges. Nationwide Legal, LLC appeals the district court’s order dismissing its negligence claim against JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Nationwide sued Chase after one of Nationwide’s employees stole company funds by changing the payee on * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. ** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). company checks and depositing the checks into personal checking accounts at Chase. Nationwide alleges that Chase acted negligently when it permitted Nationwide’s employee to deposit the checks.1 The district court dismissed Nationwide’s claim against Chase after finding that it was barred by the one-year statute of limitations under Section 340(c) of the California Code of Civil Procedure. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we review de novo a district court’s dismissal based on statutes of limitations. Williamson v. Gen. Dynamics Corp., 208 F.3d 1144, 1149 (9th Cir. 2000). We affirm. California state law governs this diversity action, and the California Supreme Court “is the final arbiter of what is state law.” West v. Am. Tel. & Tel. Co., 311 U.S. 223, 236 (1940). We “follow a published intermediate state court decision . . . unless we are convinced that the California Supreme Court would reject it.” Muniz v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 738 F.3d 214, 219 (9th Cir. 2013). 1. The plain language of Section 340(c) covers Nationwide’s claim. In California, an action “by a depositor against a bank for payment of a forged or raised check” must be filed within one year. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 340(c). First, the 1 The district court also dismissed Nationwide’s other two claims against Chase: (1) violation of Section 4401 of the California Commercial Code and (2) breach of contract. Nationwide did not address either of those claims in its opening brief, so we conclude that Nationwide forfeited any arguments regarding those claims. See Ind. Towers of Wash. v. Washington, 350 F.3d 925, 929 (9th Cir. 2003). 2 24-3059 district court correctly found that the checks at issue in this case were “forged” such that Section 340(c) may apply, see Union Tool Co. v. Farmers’ & Merchs.’ Nat’l Bank of Los Angeles, 218 P. 424, 429 (Cal. 1923), and Nationwide does not challenge that finding on appeal. Second, Nationwide’s claim is an action “by a depositor against a bank.” Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 340(c). We must give the statutory language its “plain and commonsense meaning.” Smith v. LoanMe, Inc., 483 P.3d 869, 872 (Cal. 2021). The plain language of Section 340(c) covers an action brought by a depositor against the bank where the depositor deposits its funds. Nationwide is a depositor with Chase, so Section 340(c) applies to its claim against Chase for “payment of a forged or raised check.” Nationwide points us to a footnote in Roy Supply, Inc. v. Wells Fargo Bank that states Section 340(c) “applies only to an action by a depositor against a payor bank.” 46 Cal. Rptr. 2d 309, 321 n.20 (Ct. App. 1995). Here, Nationwide does not allege that Chase acted negligently in its role as “payor” bank by paying the forged checks. Rather, Nationwide claims Chase negligently accepted the checks from the employee for deposit as the “depositary” bank. But the footnote in Roy Supply stating that Section 340(c) applies only in actions against payor banks is dicta, see 46 Cal. Rptr. at 323 n.25 (explaining that “the statute of limitations issue was not resolved in the trial court and is not at issue 3 24-3059 in this appeal”), and a different lower court

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS JUN 9 2025 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION No. 24-1008 INTERNATIONAL; SAFARI AVIATION, Agency No. Federal Aviation INC. DBA SAFARI HELICOPTERS Administration HAWAI‘I, MEMORANDUM* Petitioners, v. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, Respondent. On Petition for Review of an Order of the Federal Aviation Administration Submitted June 5, 2025** Honolulu, Hawaii Before: W. FLETCHER, CHRISTEN, and DESAI, Circuit Judges. Helicopter Association International and Safari Aviation dba Safari Helicopters Hawai‘i (Petitioners) petition for review of the final decision * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. ** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). implementing an Air Tour Management Plan for Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (the Volcanoes ATMP) pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40128 (the Act). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service (NPS) (collectively, the Agencies) issued the Volcanoes ATMP. The ATMP reduces the number of air tours authorized over the Park to 1,548 tours annually and restricts the routes, days, and hours that air tour operators may fly. The decision issuing the ATMP is a final order of the FAA, and Safari Aviation has its principal place of business in Hawai‘i, so we have jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 46110(a). See also 49 U.S.C. § 40128(b)(5) (“An [ATMP] developed under this subsection shall be subject to judicial review.”). We review the final order pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act’s (APA) arbitrary and capricious standard, 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A), Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Ass’n of U.S., Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 463 U.S. 29, 43 (1983). We deny the petition. The Act obligates the Agencies to satisfy the APA’s notice and comment provisions, 5 U.S.C. § 553. See 49 U.S.C. § 40128(b)(4)(B). And the APA requires the Agencies to “consider and respond to significant comments received during the period for public comment.” Perez v. Mortg. Bankers Ass’n, 575 U.S. 92, 96 (2015). Petitioners argue that the Agencies violated the APA by failing to respond to certain public comments. Specifically, Petitioners contend that the Agencies did 2 24-1008 not address two significant issues raised in public comments: (1) safety concerns regarding the route, time, and altitude restrictions; and (2) concerns that the reduction in the number of annual air tours will limit Park access for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and persons with mobility impairments. Petitioners cite several public comments located in Appendix J of the final Environmental Assessment (EA)1 and submitted during the public scoping process. Petitioners overlook a key portion of the administrative record: the Comment Summary Report located at Appendix L of the final EA and incorporated into the final decision. The Comment Summary Report responds to the specific categories of comments on which Petitioners base their petition. See Bldg. Indus. Ass’n of the Bay Area v. U.S. Dep’t of Com., 792 F.3d 1027, 1034 (9th Cir. 2015) (rejecting argument that agency did not consider economic impacts as “belied by the administrative record”). The Agencies’ FONSI/ROD also explains that the FAA reviewed all safety-related comments and details how the Agencies modified the draft ATMP to address safety concerns. The Agencies’ decision 1 The Act requires the Agencies to conduct an environmental review pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. § 4332, when developing an ATMP. 49 U.S.C. § 40128(b)(2). As a result, the record of the Agencies’ final action resembles the type of record in most NEPA cases: an EA, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), and several EA appendices incorporated into the Record of Decision (ROD). This case, however, does not involve NEPA claims. Petitioners challenge only the Agencies’ compliance with the APA’s notice and comment procedures. 3 24-1008 “both acknowledged the comments identified by [Petitioners] and provided a reasoned response which de

Case: 24-20386 Document: 102-1 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/10/2025 United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit ____________ FILED June 10, 2025 No. 24-20386 Lyle W. Cayce ____________ Clerk In the Matter of National CineMedia, L.L.C. Debtor, Cinemark Media Incorporated; Cinemark USA, Incorporated, Appellants, versus National CineMedia, L.L.C., Appellee, __________________________________________________ In the Matter of National CineMedia, L.L.C. Debtor, Cinemark USA, Incorporated, Appellant, versus National CineMedia, L.L.C., Case: 24-20386 Document: 102-1 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/10/2025 Appellee. ______________________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC Nos. 4:23-CV-2414, 4:23-CV-2485 ______________________________ Before Jones, Southwick, and Oldham, Circuit Judges. Per Curiam: * This court has carefully considered this appeal in light of the briefs, oral argument, and pertinent portions of the record. Having done so, we substantially adopt the analysis of the district court’s opinion, which affirmed the bankruptcy court’s rulings. 1 Accordingly, the Most Favored Nations (“MFN”) clause in Cinemark’s Exhibitor Services Agreements (“ESA”) with the debtor National CineMedia LLC (“NCM”) was not triggered by Regal’s entry into a Network Affiliate Transaction Agreement (“NATA”) with NCM. The MFN clause in Cinemark’s ESA provided it the right to match the terms of an “agreement, amendment or extension” between Regal and NCM “which amends any term” of Regal’s ESA. Regal, while itself a debtor in bankruptcy, terminated its ESA with NCM through a Termination Settlement Agreement (“TSA”). Regal then entered into the NATA with NCM. The TSA did not amend any term of Regal’s ESA because it _____________________ * Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Circuit Rule 47.5.4. 1 This court reviews the NCM bankruptcy court’s “Settlement Order” under Bankruptcy Rule 9019 for abuse of discretion. In re Moore, 608 F.3d 253, 257 (5th Cir. 2010). No abuse occurs unless the court made an error of law or clear error of fact. In re Yorkshire, LLC, 540 F.3d 328, 331 (5th Cir. 2008). Case: 24-20386 Document: 102-1 Page: 3 Date Filed: 06/10/2025 terminated the ESA, whereas “amend” contemplates modification of an ESA’s term that nevertheless preserves the agreement’s existence. The NATA did not amend any term of Regal’s ESA because the TSA had terminated Regal’s ESA, and the ESA must exist for the NATA to amend any of its terms. The MFN clause in Cinemark’s ESA was not triggered. 2 The judgments of the bankruptcy and district courts are AFFIRMED. _____________________ 2 NCM and AMC, the other party to the appeal, agreed to dismiss the appeal as to AMC by a joint motion for dismissal.