Funkhouser v. Wells Fargo Bank

289 F.3d 1137 Karla FUNKHOUSER and Suzanne Pearce, on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, Plaintiffs-Appellees, Cross-Appellants, v. WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., Wells Fargo Bank, a corporation, and Norwest Corporation, Defendants-Appellants, Cross-Appellees. No. 00-35397. No. 00-35410. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Submitted March 8, 2002. 1 Submission Deferred March 26, 2002. Resubmitted April 17, 2002. Filed May 15, 2002. COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED William Guas, Eduardo G. Roy, John Hurley, Natalia A. Beccia, Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP, San Francisco, CA; Stacey E. Mark, Lori Irish Bauman, Portland, OR, for the defendants-appellants-cross appellees. John P. Crowell, Portland OR; Douglas G. Combs, William D. Robinson, Morse & Bratt, Vancouver, WA, for the plaintiffs-appellees-cross appellants. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Oregon; Anna J. Brown, District Judge, Presiding. D.C. No. CV-99-01259-AJB. Before: B. FLETCHER, O'SCANNLAIN, and BERZON, Circuit Judges. OPINION O'SCANNLAIN, Circuit Judge. 1 We must decide whether a federal court may rule on ERISA preemption of a state law claim when it ultimately…