Benefits

  • February 22, 2024

    American Airlines Can't Ground 401(k) Suit Over ESG Funds

    A Texas federal judge has refused to toss a pilot's proposed class action accusing American Airlines of packing its $26 billion retirement plan with investments that focused too heavily on environmental, social and governance factors, like climate change, and too little on financial returns.

  • February 22, 2024

    Locke Lord Settles Failed Health Plan Malpractice Suit

    Locke Lord LLP has reached a settlement to resolve a health plan fiduciary's malpractice suit alleging the firm provided bad legal advice that doomed the plan, permanently ending an Illinois federal suit first filed in 2018.

  • February 21, 2024

    39 AGs Call For Federal Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform

    The list of critics of pharmacy benefit managers continues to grow as nearly 40 attorneys general have thrown their weight behind a trio of federal bills they say would force more transparency into an "opaque" industry that has "been a cause of rising drug prices."

  • February 21, 2024

    Talen Energy Strikes $20M Deal To End Unpaid Pensions Suit

    A group of Talen Energy Corp. retirees urged a Pennsylvania federal judge Wednesday to give the initial green light to a $20 million deal that would shutter their suit alleging the company withheld early retirement benefits from workers following a company spinoff.

  • February 21, 2024

    Twitter Severance Fight Paused To Facilitate Settlement Talks

    X Corp., the social media entity formerly known as Twitter, and a group of ex-employees have paused their dispute over severance compensation, as a Delaware federal court signed off Wednesday on a proposal to stay litigation deadlines pending settlement talks.

  • February 21, 2024

    JPMorgan Got $400M Before Inovalon Sale, Del. Justices Hear

    Inovalon didn't properly disclose that investors that bought the healthcare data company in 2021 paid $400 million in fees to its financial adviser, a JPMorgan unit, before the transaction, a reason enough to revive a lawsuit challenging the $7.3 billion acquisition, counsel for stockholders told Delaware's Supreme Court Wednesday.

  • February 21, 2024

    3rd Circ. Lets J&J Appeal Class Cert. In Talc Concealment Suit

    Johnson & Johnson can appeal a New Jersey federal court's class certification order from December, the Third Circuit ruled Wednesday, in an investor action alleging the company artificially inflated its stock price by failing to disclose cancer risks associated with its talcum powder products.

  • February 20, 2024

    SocGen's $35M Yen-Libor Rigging Suit Deal Gets 1st OK

    A New York federal judge Tuesday granted preliminary approval of a $35 million settlement to resolve a yearslong dispute involving a class of Societe Generale investors who accused the French financial services provider of being involved in a conspiracy to rig the London interbank offered rate for the Japanese yen.

  • February 20, 2024

    Ryder Investors' $45M Securities Deal Gets First Green Light

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday granted the first green light to a $45 million cash settlement ending a suit against truck rental company Ryder System Inc., alleging it knowingly overstated the residual value of its trucking fleet, which caused its stock price to plummet after the truth was revealed.

  • February 20, 2024

    DOL Says Fringe Benefits Cos., Execs Mismanaged Funds

    The U.S. Department of Labor accused two fringe benefits administration companies and their executives of mismanaging funds destined for government contractor employees' benefits, telling a Maryland federal court Tuesday that more than $4 million in withdrawals remains missing.

  • February 20, 2024

    Amentum Can Claim Some COVID Leave Costs From Air Force

    The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals has ruled that Amentum Services can partially claim increased costs under an Air Force contract based on California's COVID-19 sick leave laws but that sovereign immunity bars claims based on a military quarantine requirement.

  • February 20, 2024

    Cedars-Sinai Can't Escape Ex-Worker's Retirement Fee Suit

    A California federal judge refused to toss a proposed class action against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center alleging mismanagement of an employee retirement plan, finding an ex-worker sufficiently backed up claims the California hospital system should have done more to lower fees and offer better investment choices to retirees.

  • February 20, 2024

    Wagner Law Adds Atty With Union-Side Background In LA

    Benefits boutique Wagner Law Group added a partner with two decades of experience advocating for unions and workers to its ranks in Los Angeles, bringing on a veteran who said he'll still be "sticking up for employees" even though he'll no longer be representing labor.

  • February 20, 2024

    High Court Won't Wade Into CSX Medical Leave Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected former CSX Transportation employees' push for review of a Fourth Circuit ruling that ended their suit claiming they were unlawfully fired for requesting medical leave.

  • February 20, 2024

    Justices Won't Touch UBH Mental Health Coverage Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to hear United Behavioral Health's challenge to a Tenth Circuit decision that found the company violated federal benefits law by refusing to cover a teenage girl's inpatient mental health treatment claims.

  • February 16, 2024

    11th Circ. Upholds Insurer's Win In Worker's Health Bias Fight

    The Eleventh Circuit on Friday rejected a former Alfa Mutual Insurance Co. worker's bid to reopen her disability discrimination suit accusing the insurer of illegally firing her to sidestep high healthcare costs related to her multiple sclerosis and severe migraines.

  • February 16, 2024

    ​​4th Circ. Revives COVID Benefits Class Action Against BofA

    The Fourth Circuit on Friday resurrected a proposed class action brought by a recipient of government COVID-19 assistance that alleges Bank of America didn't protect his unemployment benefits, reasoning the bank account was subject to a federal law that guards government benefits.

  • February 16, 2024

    Ex-Yellow Corp. Workers Push WARN Class Cert In Ch. 11

    Former employees of trucking firm Yellow Corp. told a Delaware bankruptcy court that recognizing them as a class is the best way to handle their claim that the bankrupt company didn't give them adequate warning of layoffs.

  • February 16, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    News broke last week that Delaware's Court of Chancery will say goodbye to its current longest-serving jurist, a development that quickly overshadowed a busy week of new merger and board disputes, fee rulings, settlements, and books-and-records demands.

  • February 16, 2024

    Insurer Seeks To Cancel $15M Policy Over 'Human Life Wager'

    A life insurance company has urged a New Jersey federal court to void a $15 million policy it calls an illegal "human life wager" on a man whose death benefits a bank, rather than his own family.

  • February 16, 2024

    2nd Circ. Shows How To Shut Down ERISA Self-Dealing Suits

    A recent Second Circuit decision affirming Goldman Sachs' win in a class action that took aim at proprietary funds in the bank's 401(k) plan provides an employer-side "road map" for staving off or defeating legal challenges to allegedly subpar in-house investment options, attorneys say.

  • February 16, 2024

    No Coverage For Conn. Firm's Malpractice Fight, Insurer Says

    The law firm Evans & Lewis LLC and partner Douglas J. Lewis should lose a breach of contract suit against their malpractice carrier because they were already in the early stages of battling a professional misconduct claim when the relevant policy went into effect, the insurer told the Connecticut Superior Court in seeking summary judgment.

  • February 16, 2024

    TIAA Unit To Pay SEC $2.2M In Regulation Best Interest Case

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday announced that a brokerage subsidiary of financial services firm Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America has agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle allegations that it failed to steer investors toward lower-cost products in violation of Regulation Best Interest.

  • February 15, 2024

    'Body Sculpting' Device Co. Faces Investor Suit Over Pricing

    Cosmetic medical device maker InMode Ltd. and certain members of its brass face claims in California federal court that they hurt investors, after trading prices for InMode shares sank because they allegedly misrepresented its product pricing and its U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory compliance.

  • February 15, 2024

    SpaceX Heads To Texas After Musk's Tesla Pay Package Axed

    Elon Musk announced Wednesday that he is taking SpaceX's business incorporation from Delaware to Texas, after Delaware's chancellor last month struck down his proposed $55 billion Tesla pay package.

Expert Analysis

  • How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth

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    Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Corporate Compliance Lessons From FirstEnergy Scandal

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    Fallout from a massive bribery scheme involving Ohio electric utility FirstEnergy and state officeholders — including the recent sentencing of two defendants — has critical corporate governance takeaways for companies and individuals seeking to influence government policymaking, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Asset Manager Considerations For Soliciting Calif. Pensions

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    With California public pension and retirement plans representing close to $1 trillion in assets, managers must understand the lobbying laws that may be applicable to soliciting investments from the state's plans, say Chelsea Childs and Catherine Skulan at Ropes & Gray.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

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    X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.

  • Why It's Time To Regulate Plan Data As An Asset

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    With cyberattacks on the rise and the availability of artificial intelligence technology to the public, now is the time for the U.S. Department of Labor to regulate plan data as a plan asset to help protect participants from cybertheft and misuse, say attorneys at Michael Best.

  • ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act

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    While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • Opinion

    9th Circ.'s Latest UBH Ruling Ignores Case's Core Issue

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    The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision to vacate its earlier opinion in Wit v. United Behavioral Health frustratingly disregards the case’s key issue of benefits coverage for mental health treatment, and illogically elevates an insurer's discretionary authority over the medically necessary needs of patients, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • $735M Tesla Settlement Drives Home Lessons For Boards

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    As one of the largest settlements of its kind, the recent $735 million deal between Tesla and 11 nonemployee directors highlights the increased scrutiny placed on compensation practices and director independence, and provides further caution to members of boards and their compensation committees, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • 2nd Circ. Goldman Ruling May Hinder Securities Classes

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    The Second Circuit's recent Arkansas Teacher Retirement System v. Goldman Sachs decision, decertifying a class of investors and seemingly resolving a decadelong dispute, makes it substantially more difficult for plaintiffs to certify securities classes based on generic misstatements — a significant win for the defense bar, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Perspectives

    More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap

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    Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.

  • Opinion

    10th Circ. Remand Of ERISA Claims To Insurer Is Problematic

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    The Tenth Circuit recently gave the defendant another bite at the apple in David P. v. United Healthcare by remanding Employee Retirement Income Security Act claims for reprocessing, but the statute lacks any provision authorizing remands of ERISA cases, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

  • Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure

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    Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.

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