Hillel Aronson v. Resolution Trust Corporation

This is an appeal brought by Plaintiff-Appellant Hillel Aronson (“Aronson”) to recover $1.5 million in pension benefits he alleges are owed him by the Resolution Trust Corporation (“RTC”), as receiver for Columbia Savings and Loan Association (“Columbia”), a federally insured savings association. After the RTC denied Aronson’s claim for payment of the alleged benefits, he brought the present action in federal court. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we affirm.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Aronson was hired by Columbia as Senior Vice President — Tax and Financial Planning, on May 24, 1985. Aronson contends that he entered into an oral agreement with Thomas Spiegel, chief executive officer of Columbia, whereby Columbia agreed to pay Aronson a salary of $175,000 per year and retirement benefits of $100,000 per year for a period of 15 years, the latter to commence when Aron-son reached the age of 65. Aronson further claims that his rights vested subject to a condition subsequent at the time the agreement was made. The agreement between Aronson and Columbia was never reduced to writing, although Aronson claims he made unavailing attempts to accomplish this…