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A case before the Indiana Supreme Court centers on incentive bonuses for retail managers at an Indianapolis-based retailer. Vice Dean Antony Page discussed the case for a story published in Indiana Lawyer.

The issue is whether key HHGregg managers were entitled to bonuses that were triggered when the company received $40 million in a company executive’s life insurance proceeds. The company had an insurance policy on the executive, which Vice Dean Page noted in the story is not an unusual occurrence for companies.

“I can’t say I’ve ever seen a dispute on an incentive plan based upon key-person insurance,” Vice Dean Page said in the story. “The lower court has a long analysis as to whether it’s a contract or not, and the appellate court just assumes it’s a contract without really deciding. There’s a fair bit of dispute as to whether these incentives are binding contractual issues or whether they aren’t. There is a dispute between the trial court and the appellate court about the plain meaning of this contract.”

Vice Dean Page is an expert in corporate law. Prior to joining the faculty at IU McKinney, he worked in mergers and acquisitions, securities and corporate finance law at the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell in their London and Los Angeles offices. Vice Dean Page also worked for the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, serving as Second Secretary & Vice Consul in Thailand, Laos and Burma; Trade Commissioner in the Asia-Pacific South Division; and Assistant Trade Commissioner in the European Union Trade and Economic Relations Division.