Benefits

  • September 24, 2024

    Norfolk Southern Says Stock Drop Suit Based On 'Hindsight'

    Norfolk Southern Corp. is urging a Georgia federal court to throw out a proposed class action alleging it duped stockholders by misleading them about the safety of its operations, leading to a stock drop after last year's derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, saying the claims are a bid to capitalize in hindsight on the crash.

  • September 24, 2024

    Insurer Wants Quick Appeal At 8th Circ. In DOL Tax Fight

    A health insurer will seek the Eighth Circuit's review after a federal judge refused to toss a suit from the U.S. Department of Labor claiming the company unlawfully took at least $66.8 million in Minnesota state tax liability from plans it administered to pay in-network providers.

  • September 23, 2024

    AFL-CIO Backs Firefighter's Benefits Suit At High Court

    The AFL-CIO urged the U.S. Supreme Court Monday to overturn an Eleventh Circuit order finding that the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn't protect certain retirees from disability bias, arguing it erred when finding a Florida firefighter with Parkinson's couldn't contest a policy stripping her healthcare in retirement.

  • September 23, 2024

    Ex-Holtec CIO Says She's Owed More Than $500K Bonus

    The former chief investment officer for Holtec International is alleging in New Jersey federal court that she was demoted then fired earlier this year after expressing her concern over the company's bonus structure and its failure to pay her bonuses on time in violation of the state's wage payment law.

  • September 23, 2024

    Fired Sotera Exec's Vesting Suit Goes Forward In Del.

    Delaware's Court of Chancery dismissed on Monday some claims in a former Sotera Health Co. executive's suit accusing the lab-testing and sterilization firm of wrongly refusing to grant him severance benefits and equity awards worth millions, while holding other claims for trial.

  • September 23, 2024

    Vanguard Agrees To Settle Investors' Tax Liability Suit

    Vanguard agreed to settle a proposed class action by investors who accused the company of violating its fiduciary duties when it triggered a sell-off of assets that left them with massive tax bills, according to a Pennsylvania federal court order Monday.

  • September 23, 2024

    Frontier Must Face 401(k) Suit Over Verizon Investments

    Frontier Communications Corp. can't dodge a proposed class action alleging its employee 401(k) plan was overinvested in Verizon Wireless and other telecommunications stocks, a Connecticut federal judge ruled, saying the existence of other investment options in the plan couldn't defeat the case.

  • September 23, 2024

    Cargo Airliner ESOP Participants Seek OK On $14.5M Deal

    Western Global Airlines and its investment manager will pay $14.5 million to end a proposed class action from two pilots for the cargo airliner alleging the company's employee stock ownership plan was mishandled, according to filings in Delaware federal court.

  • September 23, 2024

    UPS Beats Union-Represented Workers' Pension, Wage Suit

    UPS beat back claims that it violated benefits and wage laws by depriving two union-represented workers of their seniority and related pension credits when they transferred units, with an Indiana federal judge saying that issues with the lawsuit tanked the workers' legal arguments.

  • September 23, 2024

    Mich. Justices Let Civil Servant Retirees Keep Benefits

    The Michigan Supreme Court has let stand a ruling that retired municipal employees in Allen Park, Michigan, are entitled to healthcare benefits on terms that outlast their collective bargaining agreements with the city.

  • September 23, 2024

    House Panel Subpoenas DOL For Independent Contractor Info

    The chairwoman of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce served the U.S. Department of Labor with a subpoena Monday, pointing to the department's several failures to respond to questions about its independent contractor misclassification probes.

  • September 23, 2024

    Aetna ER Payment Suit Remanded To Ohio State Court

    An Ohio federal judge remanded a suit accusing multiple Aetna health insurance entities of underpaying healthcare workers for emergency services they provide to its insureds to state court, stating that to resolve the claims in his own court "would disrupt the state-federal balance of judicial responsibilities."

  • September 20, 2024

    Judge Doubts Amazon Targeted Workers On Military Leave

    A Washington federal judge pressed an ex-Amazon employee on Friday to back up allegations that she was fired for taking military leave, saying the termination appeared to be an administrative "oops" on the company's part that it has since corrected by offering reinstatement and back pay.

  • September 20, 2024

    Del. Justices Uphold Toss Of AmerisourceBergen Syringe Suit

    Delaware's Supreme Court upheld with little comment Friday a lower court dismissal of a nearly 5-year-old shareholder derivative suit accusing AmerisourceBergen Corp. directors of failing to investigate and stop illegal repackaging of cancer drugs.

  • September 20, 2024

    BofA, Consumers Ink Deal To End COVID Card Fraud Claims

    Bank of America informed a New Jersey court on Friday it has reached a settlement in principle with three consumers who launched a proposed class action over the bank's allegedly insufficient security measures affecting prepaid debit cards for unemployment benefits during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • September 20, 2024

    Conn. Court Axes Estate's Benefit Bid For Deceased Fire Chief

    The estate of Waterbury, Connecticut's union-represented fire chief cannot collect any remaining workers' compensation benefits owed to him after his 1993 heart attack, a state appeals court ruled Friday, saying that under a city law, the chief's pension had adequately compensated him.

  • September 20, 2024

    3 Atty Takeaways On Mental Health Parity Final Rules

    Federal agencies' recently finalized rules for how employer health plans must analyze their coverage of mental health and substance use disorder treatments imposes significant new reporting and disclosure requirements, although regulators backed off more sweeping proposed network design changes. Here are attorneys' three key takeaways from the final mental health parity rules — what made it in, what's out and what to watch for next.

  • September 20, 2024

    LA Sees Retired Police Lt.'s Military Leave Suit Trimmed

    A California federal judge threw out several claims in a retired police lieutenant's lawsuit alleging the city of Los Angeles denied sick time and promotions to police officers who took military leave, although the parties have taken issue with the scope of the judge's order.

  • September 20, 2024

    Former Wilson Elser Attorney Drops 9th Circ. Benefits Appeal

    The Ninth Circuit has agreed to dismiss a federal benefits lawsuit from a former Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP partner who claimed he was owed long-term disability benefits tied to chronic fatigue, after the parties held a lengthy mediation of the dispute.

  • September 20, 2024

    FTC Accuses Drug Middlemen Of Raising Insulin Prices

    The Federal Trade Commission on Friday accused the three largest pharmacy benefits managers, Caremark Rx, Express Scripts and OptumRx, of artificially inflating insulin prices by relying on unfair rebate schemes that hurt competition.

  • September 19, 2024

    Transit Union, Worker Reach $350K Deal To End OT Claim

    A Maryland federal court approved a $350,000 settlement between an Amalgamated Transit Union affiliate and a former union employee, resolving the worker's overtime claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  • September 19, 2024

    Thermo Fisher Beats Worker's 401(k) Forfeiture Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge tossed a former Thermo Fisher worker's suit claiming it used abandoned cash in its retirement plan for its own benefit instead of cutting down administrative costs, finding Thursday the company didn't shirk any responsibilities under federal benefits law.

  • September 19, 2024

    Apple's $490M Deal Over China Sales OK'ed, Attys Get $110M

    A California federal judge approved Apple Inc.'s $490 million securities fraud settlement under which class counsel will receive $110.45 million in fees and costs plus interest, resolving years-old litigation alleging Apple and its top brass misled investors about iPhone sales in China.

  • September 19, 2024

    6th Circ. Upholds NLRB's Severance Order Against Hospital

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday affirmed a National Labor Relations Board decision that found a Michigan hospital violated federal labor law through its offer of severance agreements, but didn't weigh in on whether the board's precedent shift on pacts that include nondisparagement clauses should stand.

  • September 19, 2024

    Senate Panel Holds Steward CEO In Contempt After No-Show

    A U.S. Senate committee voted unanimously Thursday to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in civil and criminal contempt after he defied a subpoena to testify about the bankrupt health system's downfall.

Expert Analysis

  • A Closer Look At Feds' Proposed Banker Compensation Rule

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    A recently proposed rule to limit financial institutions' ability to award incentive-based compensation for risk-taking may progress through the rulemaking process slowly due to the sheer number of regulators collaborating on the rule and the number of issues under consideration, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

  • To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef

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    To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?

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    Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Perspectives

    Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys

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    As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

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    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • How HHS Discrimination Rule Affects Gender-Affirming Care

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' new final rule, which reinterprets the Affordable Care Act's anti-discrimination provision, greatly clarifies protections for gender-affirming care and will require compliance considerations from sponsors and administrators of most group health plans, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

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    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

  • Series

    Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.

  • A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System

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    As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.

  • Asset Manager Exemption Shifts May Prove Too Burdensome

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    The U.S. Department of Labor’s recent change to a prohibited transaction exemption used by retirement plan asset managers introduces a host of new costs, burdens and risks to investment firms, from registration requirements to new transition periods, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

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