Thole v. U. S. Bank N. A.

Decided June 1, 2020. Brett M. Kavanaugh delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 17-1712 · 590 U.S. 538 (2020) · Cited 430 times

Holding

Because petitioners, whose defined-benefit retirement plan guarantees them a fixed payment each month regardless of the plan’s value or its fiduciaries’ investment decisions, have no concrete stake in this Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 lawsuit against the fiduciaries, they lack Article III standing.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–4.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Varity Corp. v. Howe · 516 U.S. 489 (1996)
• LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Associates, Inc. · 552 U.S. 248 (2008)
• Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins · 578 U.S. 330 (2016)
• Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance v. Russell · 473 U.S. 134 (1985)
• Hughes Aircraft Co. v. Jacobson · 525 U.S. 432 (1999)
• Harris Trust & Savings Bank v. Salomon Smith Barney Inc. · 530 U.S. 238 (2000)
• Sprint Communications Co. v. APCC Services, Inc. · 554 U.S. 269 (2008)
• Hollingsworth v. Perry · 570 U.S. 693 (2013)
• United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 751 v. Brown Group, Inc. · 517 U.S. 544 (1996)
• Craig v. Boren · 429 U.S. 190 (1976)
• Vermont Agency of Natural Resources v. United States Ex Rel. Stevens · 529 U.S. 765 (2000)
• Gollust v. Mendell · 501 U.S. 115 (1991)
• Whitmore Ex Rel. Simmons v. Arkansas · 495 U.S. 149 (1990)
• Heckler v. Mathews · 465 U.S. 728 (1984)
• Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Environment · 523 U.S. 83 (1998)
• Blair v. Commissioner · 300 U.S. 5 (1937)
• Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund v. Central Transport, Inc. · 472 U.S. 559 (1985)
• Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife · 504 U.S. 555 (1992)
• Warth v. Seldin · 422 U.S. 490 (1975)
• Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services (TOC), Inc. · 528 U.S. 167 (2000)
• Valley Forge Christian College v. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Inc. · 454 U.S. 464 (1982)
• Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder · 425 U.S. 185 (1976)
• Clapper v. Amnesty International USA · 568 U.S. 398 (2013)
• Powers v. Ohio · 499 U.S. 400 (1991)
• Lewis v. Continental Bank Corp. · 494 U.S. 472 (1990)
• Honig v. Doe · 484 U.S. 305 (1988)
• Havens Realty Corp. v. Coleman · 455 U.S. 363 (1982)
• Raines v. Byrd · 521 U.S. 811 (1997)
• Schlesinger v. Reservists Committee to Stop the War · 418 U.S. 208 (1974)
• Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena · 515 U.S. 200 (1995)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Diamond Alternative Energy, LLC v. EPA · 606 U.S. 100 (2025)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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Brett M. Kavanaugh’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2020). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).