Benefits

  • December 08, 2025

    11th Circ. Vacates Benefits Ruling In Black Lung Case

    The Eleventh Circuit on Monday vacated a ruling that awarded survivors benefits to the widow of a railroad engineer who died after yearslong exposure to coal dust, finding the U.S. Department of Labor review board wrongly determined that a preparation plant was part of an underground coal mine. 

  • December 08, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs EIDP In Dispute Over Annuity Reductions

    The Fourth Circuit backed agricultural chemical giant EIDP Inc. and its retirement plan administrator in a Monday opinion, finding that unambiguous contract language doomed the revival of a lawsuit from a retired employee who said his monthly benefit was unfairly reduced.

  • December 08, 2025

    Ex-Kellogg Worker's Suit Over 401(k) Fees Tossed For Good

    Kellogg escaped a former employee's proposed class action alleging the food manufacturer lost its workers millions in retirement savings because of excessive recordkeeping fees, after a Michigan federal judge ruled Monday that the allegations failed to state a claim for violating federal benefits law. 

  • December 08, 2025

    NY Hotel Ordered To Pay $4.1M In Union Benefits Dispute

    A Manhattan hotel operator must hand over $4.1 million to a hotel and hospital workers union, a New York federal judge ruled, finding that the operator has failed to respond to accusations that it owes money to multiple health benefit funds.

  • December 08, 2025

    Schnader Harrison ERISA Class Attys Seek Cut Of $675K Deal

    Class members who scored a $675,000 settlement resolving their case alleging the defunct firm Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP misdirected money meant for attorneys' retirement accounts have asked a Pennsylvania federal judge for counsel fees in the amount of one-third of the settlement.

  • December 08, 2025

    Smith & Nephew Settles 401(k) Fee Dispute

    A Massachusetts federal judge stayed a proposed federal benefits class action Monday against Smith & Nephew that accused the medical device company of imposing excessive fees on an employee 401(k) plan, after the parties told the court they had agreed to settle their dispute.

  • December 08, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Pause Medicaid Rule Amid Fla. Hospital Audit

    An Eleventh Circuit panel revived Florida's lawsuit against a federal rule that reduces Medicaid funding based on agreements between hospitals, but upheld a lower court's decision to deny the state's request for an injunction after finding it wouldn't likely succeed on the merits of its complaint. 

  • December 08, 2025

    'Red Flags' Give 2nd Circ. Pause In NBA Health Fraud Appeal

    A Second Circuit panel appeared skeptical Monday of arguments by two former NBA players convicted of defrauding a league healthcare plan that they were tricked into participating by the scheme's leader, saying the trial evidence included "red flags."

  • December 08, 2025

    Hilton Retirees Push DC Circ. To Reopen Pension Case

    A panel of D.C. Circuit judges appeared to agree Monday that a class of over 20,000 Hilton employees hadn't justified its request for detailed discovery on the hotel chain's compliance with a 14-year-old injunction requiring it to pay additional retirement benefits.

  • December 05, 2025

    10th Circ. Won't Stay Order In Union Early Retirement Case

    A union pension plan must comply with an order compelling it to restore benefits to certain early retirees while it appeals the ruling that required it to do so, the Tenth Circuit held, denying the plan's request for a stay of the order.

  • December 05, 2025

    BofA Says Northrop 401(k) Suit Toss Backs 4th Circ. Appeal

    Bank of America urged a North Carolina federal court Friday to let it appeal an earlier decision denying dismissal of a proposed class action alleging forfeitures were misspent from workers' employee 401(k) plan, arguing a Virginia federal court's decision tossing similar claims against Northrop Grumman supported its bid.

  • December 05, 2025

    ERISA Recap: 4 Rulings Worth Paying Attention To From Nov.

    The Ninth Circuit striking down a class action win for transgender employee health plan participants who said their gender-affirming care denials were discriminatory is just one noteworthy Employee Retirement Income Security Act ruling from November. Here's a recap of that ruling and three others.

  • December 05, 2025

    Mortgage Insurer's $650K ERISA Deal Clears First Hurdle

    A North Carolina federal judge gave the initial nod Friday to a $650,000 deal a mortgage insurance company reached with a worker to close a proposed class action claiming the business didn't do enough to prevent a retirement profit sharing plan from facing a $1.3 million loss.

  • December 05, 2025

    Divided DC Circ. Backs Trump's NLRB, MSPB Firings

    A split D.C. Circuit panel on Friday upheld President Donald Trump's firings of two labor agency officials in spite of their statutory job protections, saying they wield enough executive power that Congress can't restrict the president's authority to fire them.

  • December 04, 2025

    Snap Investors' $65M Deal OK'd, But Attys Face 'Cheap' Judge

    A California federal judge said Thursday he will grant preliminary approval of a $65 million deal to resolve a proposed securities class action against Snapchat, but warned the plaintiffs' side they will "have to see" about the request for 30% of the settlement in attorney fees because he is "notoriously cheap."

  • December 04, 2025

    9th Circ. Says ERISA Preempts UnitedHealth Claims Fight

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday backed a California federal court's decision to toss a medical collector's allegations of underpaid claims and state contract law violations by a UnitedHealth Group unit, agreeing that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act preempted the collector's suit.

  • December 04, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Rehear NCR Corp. Compensation Fight

    The Eleventh Circuit denied on Wednesday software company NCR Corp.'s request to rehear a case in which the court ruled that the company cannot issue lump-sum payments to deferred compensation plan participants as alternatives to promised life annuities.

  • December 04, 2025

    $1M AAA Club Settlement Gets Final Nod In COBRA Suit

    A Michigan federal judge granted final approval Thursday to a $1 million settlement an American Automobile Association club brokered with a class of workers to resolve their suit claiming they weren't notified on time that they could extend their health insurance after their benefits ended.

  • December 04, 2025

    Pond Lehocky Plans 8th Pa. Office, Adds Workers' Comp Atty

    Workers' compensation firm Pond Lehocky Giordano is preparing to expand its Pennsylvania footprint with the launch of an office in York, with the addition of an attorney who moved her practice from defense firm Moore Ingram Johnson & Steele.

  • December 04, 2025

    Lawmakers Debate Higher Pay, Health Benefits For Boxers

    An effort to revamp American boxing got underway on Capitol Hill on Thursday as lawmakers deliberated over legislation to provide better pay and workplace protections for fighters, with Democrats expressing concern over the potential for corruption to flourish in the sport.

  • December 04, 2025

    Mortgage Insurer Inks $650K Deal To End ERISA Suit

    A mortgage insurance company has agreed to pay $650,000 to close a worker's proposed class action filed in North Carolina federal court claiming its mismanagement of an employee retirement profit sharing plan caused a $1.3 million loss.

  • December 04, 2025

    Former Live Nation Workers See 401(k) Fee Suit Tossed

    A California federal judge tossed a suit from two Live Nation ex-workers alleging excessive fees in their employee 401(k) plan, following the Ninth Circuit in August saying the workers hadn't specifically appealed the lower court's holding that the ticket sales company could enforce a class action waiver.

  • December 03, 2025

    5th Circ. Skeptical Ex-NFL Player Can Keep $1.86M Fee Award

    A Fifth Circuit panel expressed skepticism that ex-NFL running back Michael Cloud can collect $1.86 million in attorney fees from the National Football League's retirement plan, saying Wednesday that even if Cloud won a "moral victory," he needed a merits victory to collect the fees.

  • December 03, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Adidas Investors' Suit Over Ye Collab

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed an Oregon federal court's decision to toss investors' proposed class action accusing Adidas of failing to disclose the risks of relying on the rapper Ye for a multibillion-dollar fashion partnership, concluding a lower court properly tossed the dispute.

  • December 03, 2025

    Baxter Defeats Suit Over Stable Value Fund In $4B 401(k) Plan

    An Illinois federal judge tossed a suit Wednesday from a worker who said medical products company Baxter International Inc. violated federal benefits law by retaining a lackluster stable value fund in its $4 billion retirement plan, ruling the data backing his case failed to capture long-term performance.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Navigate NYC's Stricter New Prenatal Leave Rules

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    On top of the state's prenatal leave law, New York City employers now face additional rules, including notice and recordkeeping requirements, and necessary separation from sick leave, so employers should review their policies and train staff to ensure compliance with both laws, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

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    As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

  • Opinion

    SEC Should Restore Its 2020 Proxy Adviser Rule

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    Due to concerns over proxy advisers' accuracy, reliability and transparency, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should reinstate its 2020 rule designed to suppress the influence that they wield in shareholder voting, says Kyle Isakower at the American Council for Capital Formation.

  • Series

    Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

  • Opinion

    The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable

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    As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.

  • What Dismissal Rulings May Mean For ERISA Forfeiture Cases

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    Following an influx of Employee Retirement Income Security Act class actions challenging the long-standing practice of plan sponsors using plan forfeitures to offset employer contributions, recent motion to dismiss rulings and a U.S. Department of Labor amicus brief may encourage more courts to reject plaintiffs' forfeiture theories, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Relevance Redactions

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    In recent cases addressing redactions that parties sought to apply based on the relevance of information — as opposed to considerations of privilege — courts have generally limited a party’s ability to withhold nonresponsive or irrelevant material, providing a few lessons for discovery strategy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    Section 1983 Has Promise After End Of Nationwide Injunctions

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the practice of nationwide injunctions in Trump v. Casa, Section 1983 civil rights suits can provide a better pathway to hold the government accountable — but this will require reforms to qualified immunity, says Marc Levin at the Council on Criminal Justice.

  • Justices' Decision Axing Retiree's ADA Claim Offers Clarity

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's holding in Stanley v. City of Sanford that protections under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act don't extend to retirees potentially limits liability by giving employers additional support to challenge complaints, and highlights the need for proactive policy management to mitigate risk, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Series

    Playing Soccer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Soccer has become a key contributor to how I approach my work, and the lessons I’ve learned on the pitch about leadership, adaptability, resilience and communication make me better at what I do every day in my legal career, says Whitney O’Byrne at MoFo.

  • DOJ-HHS Collab Crystallizes Focus On Health Enforcement

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    The recently announced partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to combat False Claims Act violations, following a multiyear trend of high-dollar DOJ recoveries, signals a long-term enforcement horizon with major implications for healthcare entities and whistleblowers, say attorneys at RJO.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Learning From Failure

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    While law school often focuses on the importance of precision, correctness and perfection, mistakes are inevitable in real-world practice — but failure is not the opposite of progress, and real talent comes from the ability to recover, rethink and reshape, says Brooke Pauley at Tucker Ellis.

  • Lessons On Parallel Settlements From Vanguard Class Action

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    A Pennsylvania federal judge’s unexpected denial of a proposed $40 million settlement of an investor class action against Vanguard highlights key factors parties should consider when settlement involves both regulators and civil plaintiffs, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From ATF Director To BigLaw

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    As a two-time boomerang partner, returning to BigLaw after stints as a U.S. attorney and the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, people ask me how I know when to move on, but there’s no single answer — just clearly set your priorities, says Steven Dettelbach at BakerHostetler.

  • What To Know As SEC Looks To Expand Private Fund Access

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    As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission considers expanding retail access to private markets, understanding how these funds operate — and the role of financial intermediaries in guiding investors — is increasingly important, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

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