In a decision made public on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan said the awards should be classified as equity, subject to being wiped out, rather than as contract claims entitling the workers to cash payouts from Lehman’s estate.

The decision covers an estimated $200 million or more of restricted stock units (RSUs) that Lehman awarded as an incentive to perform well over the long-term, before its Sept. 15, 2008 bankruptcy helped trigger that year’s global financial crisis.

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