Hunter

Hunter v. Lockheed Martin Corp.

Good Law
73 F. App'x 968
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitAugust 22, 2003No. 02-16407; D.C. No. CV-99-20996-RMW(PVT)California318 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Plaintiff Phyllis Hunter (“Hunter”) appeals from the district court’s judgment denying Hunter’s claims against Lockheed Martin Corporation (“Lockeed”), as Administrator and Fiduciary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation Retirement Plan, for ERISA disability retirement benefits.

Because Hunter has failed to meet her burden of providing “ ‘material, probative evidence, beyond the mere fact of the apparent conflict,’ ” tending to show that Lockheed’s self-interest caused a breach of its fiduciary obligations to her, Lockheed’s decision is reviewed for an abuse of discretion. Friedrich v. Intel Corp., 181 F.3d 1105, 1109 (9th Cir.1999) (quoting Atwood v. Newmont Gold Co., 45 F.3d 1317, 1323 (9th Cir.1995)). Under this standard, it is inappropriate to consider additional evidence outside the administrative record. See Thomas v. Or. Fruit Prods. Co., 228 F.3d 991 , 997 (9th Cir.2000). Here, Lockheed had before it a claim that was filed in August 1998, approximately three and one-half years after the January 1995 deadline. Clearly, Lockheed did not abuse its discretion in determining that Hunter’s claim was not timely filed under the terms of the plan.

*970 Nor did…

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