Prior the Wall Street collapse of 2008, Commerzbank of Germany informed employees of how much they could expect their bonuses to be at the end of the year, which amounted to $500 million in total. But Commerzbank’s profits nosedived after the financial crisis, causing executives to pull back their bonus plans and instead give out only 10% of the original payout. Eight of the bank’s New York City employees sued the bank claiming breach of contract, which prompted Commerzbank to countersue, in New York, arguing that the bonuses were discretionary, not mandatory.