Mennen v. Wilmington Trust Company

IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE KATHRYN MENNEN, SARAH MENNEN, AL_EXANDRA MENNEN, SHA_WN MENNEN, and JOHN l\/TENNEN, Plaintiffs, v. C.A. No. 8432-VCL WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, a Delaware cor oration GEORGE JE_FP MENNE , and FiDUCIARY TRUST INTERNATIONAL OF DELAWARE, m its eapacit as the cor orate trustee of the TR ST ES ABLISHED BY GEORGE S. MENNEN FOR THE BENEFIT OF GEORGE JEFF MENNEN u/a/d/ 1 1/25/1970, a Delaware trust, Defendants. REPORT PURSUANT TO DELAWARE SUPREME COURT RULE 19(c) WHEREAS: A. On March 22, 2013, plaintiffs Kathryn Mennen, Sarah Mennen, Alexandra Mennen, ShaWn Mennen, and John Mennen filed a complaint in the Delaware Court of Chaneery naming as defendants Wilmington Trust Company, George Jeff Mennen (“Jeff Mennen”), and the Trust established by George S. Mennen for the benefit of George Jeff Mennen and his issue by agreement dated Novernber 25, 1970 (the “J eff Mennen Trust”). B. On July 25, 2013, OWen Roberts, then the individual trustee of the Jeff Mennen Trust, Was substituted as a defendant in place of the Jeff Mennen Trust. C. On November l, 2013, Roberts moved for summary judgment on the claims against the J eff Mennen Trust. D. On January l7, 2014, the Honorable Abigail M. LeGroW of the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, then serving as a Master in Chancery, issued a draft report Which recommended that this court grant Roberts’ motion for summary judgment E. Trial took place before then-Master LeGroW on February 12-14, 2014. F. On December 8, 2014, then-Master LeGrow issued a draft report on the merits. G. On April 24, 2015, after considering the plaintiffs’ exceptions to her drafts, then-Master LeGroW issued (i) a final report on the motion for summary judgment and (ii) a final report on the merits. The Delaware Supreme Court has referred to the final report on the motion for summary judgment as the “Spendthrift Ruling.” H. On April 27, 2015, then-Master LeGroW issued a revised final report on the merits (the “Merits Report”). I. On June 10, 2015, this court entered an order holding that the plaintiffs’ exceptions to the Spendthrift Ruling Were untimely and adopting the Spendthrift Ruling as a decision of this court. The Delaware Supreme Court has referred to this order as the “Stril