⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Sixth Circuit hears Daniel Means's appeal in a dispute over his late father's retirement funds. His father named Daniel and Daniel's brother to receive equal shares of the accounts at his death. Daniel alleges that his brother used a power of attorney to drain those funds, and that Hamilton Capital ignored warning signs. He sued the firm for negligence, but the district court dismissed his case. The appeal asks whether Daniel can pursue that alleged loss himself as a beneficiary, rather than through his father's estate. For context, a power of attorney authorizes an agent to act for another person, called the principal. A transfer-on-death designation identifies who receives account assets when the owner dies; it does not transfer ownership during the owner's life. The lawyers also discuss privity: a legally recognized relationship between parties, such as the relationship created by a contract. They dispute whether Daniel's relationship to his father and the accounts gives him a claim against Hamilton Capital.

Means v. Hamilton Capital, LLC (No. 26-3146) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, argued October 20, 2026.