Ann Cattau v. National Insurance Services of Wisconsin, Inc.
Ann Cattau v. National Insurance Services of Wisconsin, Inc.
Opinion
*518 ¶1 We review an unpublished decision of the court of appeals 1 affirming an order of the circuit court that dismissed plaintiffs' claims. 2 Plaintiffs, a group of 61 retired Neenah teachers and administrators, sued MidAmerica Administrative & Retirement Solutions, Inc. (MidAmerica) and National Insurance Services of Wisconsin, Inc. (NIS). MidAmerica and NIS moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. The plaintiffs attempted to plead breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, strict responsibility misrepresentation, and negligence, all arising from MidAmerica and NIS's alleged mismanagement of their retirement benefits.
¶2 The court of appeals affirmed the circuit court's dismissal of plaintiffs' claims against MidAmerica and NIS. The court of appeals held that our decision in
Data Key Partners v. Permira Advisers LLC
,
¶3 We granted review and unanimously conclude that our decision in
Data Key
did not change Wisconsin's pleading standard as previously articulated
*519
in
Strid v. Converse
,
¶4 To explain further, the pleading standard we set out in
Data Key
is
*759
consistent with the pleading standard in
Strid
, and is grounded in
¶5 While courts must accept all well-pleaded facts as true, courts cannot add facts to a complaint, and do not accept as true legal conclusions that are stated in the complaint.
Data Key
,
¶6 "[T]he sufficiency of a complaint depends on substantive law that underlies the claim made because it is the substantive law that drives what facts must be pled."
Id.
, ¶31. If proof of the well-pleaded facts in a complaint would satisfy each element of a cause of action, then the complaint has stated a claim upon which relief may be granted.
Id.
, ¶21 ;
see also
Strid
,
¶7 The defendants argue that by setting out the pleading standard employed by the United States Supreme Court in
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
,
¶8 Accordingly, because we unanimously conclude that our decision in
Data Key
did not change Wisconsin's pleading standard as previously articulated in
Strid
, we reverse the decision of the court of appeals' interpretation of
Data Key
. However, notwithstanding our unanimous conclusion, we are equally divided as to whether the plaintiffs have stated a claim upon which relief may be granted against MidAmerica or NIS based on the
Data Key
/
Strid
standard. Therefore, the decision of the court of appeals is affirmed by an equally divided court.
Wingra Redi-Mix
,
*521 By the Court. -The decision of the court of appeals is affirmed.
¶9 SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON, J., withdrew from participation before oral argument.
Cattau v. Nat'l Ins. Servs. of Wis., Inc.
, No. 2016AP493, unpublished slip op.,
The Honorable John A. Jorgenson of Winnebago County presided.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ann CATTAU, Thomas M. Beck, Linda Beckwith, Ardyth Bergstrom, Vicki Christman, Gail W. Cismoski, Kathleen A. Curtis, Janice DeMenter, John Dobbins, Elsie Evenson, Kris Grasley, Gary Haffeman, Kristine Haffeman, Kathy J. Hager, Gail Harrmann, Joann Harrell, Mary Louise Hildebrandt, Lexann Hitchcock, Jo Anne Holden, Karla M. Huston, Susan R. Johnson, Mary K. Jones, Dorothi A. Karisny, Chuck Knoeck, Lawrence H. Krebs, Diane D. Krueger, Helen L. Kurka, Judith J. Kurka Nagel, James Lantz, Jane E. Lantz, Thomas Marzahl, Mary Joy Mayer, Marjorie R. Murphy, Bruce C. Nufer, Anna P. Olson, Sharon O'Reilly, Patricia Ormston, Mark Peerenboom, Sue Peterson, James S. Piepenbrink, Anna Mae Prem, Jane Reimer, Mary J. Resch, Cynthia A. Rieck, Dianne Roth, Lucy Rumpf, Susan M. Schug, David K. Sebora, Suann M. Senso, Karla Sheehan, Sandra L. Smith, Robin L. Snell, Mary C. Tieman, Teresa D. Walotka, Patricia M. Waskawic, Mindy Weichmann, Susan Westphal, Vicki Wippich, Christine Wollerman, James A. Zipple and Levern J. Zwirchitz, Plaintiffs-Appellants-Petitioners, James Shipman, Plaintiff, v. NATIONAL INSURANCE SERVICES OF WISCONSIN, INC. and MidAmerica Administrative & Retirement Solutions, Inc., Defendants-Respondents, Neenah Joint School District and Community Insurance Corporation, Intervenors-Respondents.
- Cited By
- 27 cases
- Status
- Published