Filed: May 13, 2016
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 15-2184 BRIAN A. EISEN, Intervenor - Appellant, v. DCG&T, f/b/o Jack Battaglia/IRA; JACK BATTAGLIA; DCG&T f/b/o Lori Battaglia/IRA, Plaintiffs – Appellees, and GLADE M. KNIGHT; MICHAEL S. WATERS; ROBERT M. WILY; BRUCE H. MATSON; JAMES C. BARDEN; APPLE REIT NINE, INC., now known as Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc., Defendants – Appellees, KRISTAN GATHRIGHT; JUSTIN KNIGHT; DAVID MCKENNEY; BRYAN PERRY; DOES 1-10, Defendants. No. 15-2
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 15-2184 BRIAN A. EISEN, Intervenor - Appellant, v. DCG&T, f/b/o Jack Battaglia/IRA; JACK BATTAGLIA; DCG&T f/b/o Lori Battaglia/IRA, Plaintiffs – Appellees, and GLADE M. KNIGHT; MICHAEL S. WATERS; ROBERT M. WILY; BRUCE H. MATSON; JAMES C. BARDEN; APPLE REIT NINE, INC., now known as Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc., Defendants – Appellees, KRISTAN GATHRIGHT; JUSTIN KNIGHT; DAVID MCKENNEY; BRYAN PERRY; DOES 1-10, Defendants. No. 15-22..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 15-2184
BRIAN A. EISEN,
Intervenor - Appellant,
v.
DCG&T, f/b/o Jack Battaglia/IRA; JACK BATTAGLIA; DCG&T f/b/o
Lori Battaglia/IRA,
Plaintiffs – Appellees,
and
GLADE M. KNIGHT; MICHAEL S. WATERS; ROBERT M. WILY; BRUCE H.
MATSON; JAMES C. BARDEN; APPLE REIT NINE, INC., now known as
Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc.,
Defendants – Appellees,
KRISTAN GATHRIGHT; JUSTIN KNIGHT; DAVID MCKENNEY; BRYAN
PERRY; DOES 1-10,
Defendants.
No. 15-2262
DCG&T, f/b/o Jack Battaglia/IRA; JACK BATTAGLIA; DCG&T f/b/o
Lori Battaglia/IRA,
Plaintiffs - Appellants,
v.
BRIAN A. EISEN,
Intervenor – Appellee,
and
GLADE M. KNIGHT; MICHAEL S. WATERS; ROBERT M. WILY; BRUCE H.
MATSON; JAMES C. BARDEN; APPLE REIT NINE, INC., now known as
Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc.; KRISTAN GATHRIGHT; DAVID
MCKENNEY; JUSTIN KNIGHT; BRYAN PERRY; DOES 1-10,
Defendants.
Appeals from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia, at Richmond. John A. Gibney, Jr.,
District Judge. (3:14-cv-00067-JAG)
Submitted: April 29, 2016 Decided: May 13, 2016
Before KING, FLOYD, and THACKER, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Michael L. Donner, Sr., CARRELL BLANTON FERRIS & ASSOCIATES,
PLC, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellant/Cross-Appellee. Jeffrey
Hamilton Geiger, SANDS ANDERSON PC, Richmond, Virginia; Kevin
Peter Roddy, WILENTZ, GOLDMAN & SPITZER, PA, Woodbridge, New
Jersey, for Appellees/Cross-Appellants. Elizabeth F. Edwards,
MCGUIREWOODS, LLP, Richmond, Virginia; Charles William McIntyre,
Jr., MCGUIREWOODS, LLP, Washington, D.C., for Appellees.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
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PER CURIAM:
Brian A. Eisen appeals from the district court’s order
approving the settlement of a shareholder derivative action
filed by Jack Battaglia and DCG&T, for the benefit of the IRAs
of Jack and Lori Battaglia (collectively “Plaintiffs”), against
the directors and officers of Apple REIT Nine, Inc. now known as
Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. The Plaintiffs cross-appeal,
asserting that Eisen lacked standing to challenge the settlement
in the district court and lacks standing to appeal. Pursuant to
section 13.1-735.1(A) of the Code of Virginia, once a
stockholder signs and returns an appraisal form seeking fair
value for his shares, he loses all right as a shareholder and
the appraisal becomes his only remedy. * Va. Code Ann. § 13.1-
735(A); see Adams v. U.S. Distrib. Corp.,
34 S.E.2d 244 (Va.
1945).
Accordingly, once Eisen opted to pursue his appraisal
rights, he no longer had standing to challenge the settlement of
the shareholder derivative action, and he does not have standing
to appeal from the settlement of that action. See Lujan v.
* Eisen is a member of the class that will receive a
distribution under the terms of the settlement. However, as was
discussed during the Fairness Hearing in the district court, any
recovery Eisen receives from the settlement will likely be
applied against the value he receives for his shares in the
appraisal action because the appraisal proceeding is Eisen’s
exclusive remedy. See
Adams, 34 S.E.2d at 245.
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Defenders of Wildlife,
504 U.S. 555, 560-61 (1992) (discussing
elements of standing). We therefore dismiss appeal No. 15-2184.
In light of the dismissal of Eisen’s appeal, we dismiss as moot
appeal No. 15-2262. We dispense with oral argument because the
facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the
materials before this court and argument would not aid the
decisional process.
DISMISSED
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