Benefits

  • September 04, 2025

    NC Panel Reopens 13 Asbestos Cases Against Tire-Maker

    A split panel in a North Carolina state appeals court has revived more than a dozen workers' compensation cases linked to alleged asbestos exposure at a Continental Tire factory, finding the individual claimants are not bound by the results of bellwether cases.

  • September 04, 2025

    Aetna, Optum's $8.3M ERISA Health Fee Deal Gets Final OK

    A North Carolina federal judge granted final approval to an $8.3 million class action settlement to end an employee health plan participant's allegations that Aetna conspired with OptumHealth Care Solutions to pass on administrative fees disguised as medical expenses, according to an order docketed Thursday.

  • September 04, 2025

    AARP Attys Back Suit Challenging TIAA's 401(k) Management

    AARP attorneys have offered their resources to a proposed class action claiming the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America shirked federal benefits law by failing to cut costly and underperforming proprietary investment funds from its workers' retirement plans.

  • September 04, 2025

    DOJ Moves To End Challenge To RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Directive

    The Justice Department is seeking a quick exit from a suit challenging Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s directive recommending against the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women and children, telling a Massachusetts federal court Thursday that the three women and coalition of medical associations behind the suit can't demonstrate a link between the directive and any potential injuries.

  • September 04, 2025

    RFK Renews Attacks On CDC At Fiery Capitol Hill Appearance

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense questioning from lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday, with a handful of Republicans joining Democratic senators in voicing alarm over recent turmoil in vaccine policy and in leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • September 04, 2025

    PBM Rule Included In DOL Benefits Arm's Regulatory Update

    The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm detailed several new regulations in the works Thursday, including a new fee disclosure rule involving pharmacy benefit managers and plans to revisit retirement plan fiduciary investment advice regulations, according to the administration's latest regulatory update.

  • September 03, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms Toss Of Satanists' Idaho Abortion Ban Suit

    The Ninth Circuit refused to revive the Satanic Temple's lawsuit that challenged Idaho's laws criminalizing abortion, ruling in a published amended opinion Tuesday that the religious association of more than 1.5 million Satanists lacked standing to sue, both based on its members and as an organization.

  • September 03, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Genentech Ex-Worker's 401(k) Suit

    The Ninth Circuit will not reconsider whether fiduciaries for the retirement plan of biotechnology company Genentech violated their duty to be prudent by keeping certain target date retirement funds in the company's retirement portfolio.

  • September 03, 2025

    Lumen's Bid To Move $1.4B Pension Suit Out Of Colo. Blocked

    A Colorado federal judge on Wednesday rejected Lumen Technologies' request to move to Louisiana a proposed class action alleging it wrongly transferred obligations for a $1.4 billion pension fund to a private equity-controlled insurance company, with the judge finding the venue provision in the pension plan does not apply.

  • September 03, 2025

    Insurers Argue NC Law Doesn't Apply In Tanger's COVID Suit

    Two major insurance companies shouldn't be subject to North Carolina law in a dispute over a commercial property insurance policy they penned with a Tar Heel State-based retail outlet owner, one of the insurer's counsel told North Carolina's business court in a Wednesday hearing.

  • September 03, 2025

    Ex-Air Force Worker Says Disability Bias Case Can't End Early

    A former U.S. Air Force assistant general manager told an Arizona federal court that he supported his claims that he was denied paid safety leave during the coronavirus pandemic because of his disability, urging the court to keep his case standing.

  • September 03, 2025

    Ex-Twitter Worker Fights X's Arbitration Push At 9th Circ.

    X waived its arbitration rights in a $20 million severance suit and should not be able to challenge a district court's decision keeping the case in court, Twitter's former chief marketing officer told the Ninth Circuit.

  • September 03, 2025

    Arkansas Insurance Rule Beats Union Plan's ERISA Challenge

    An Illinois federal judge has tossed a Teamsters healthcare plan's challenge to an Arkansas insurance regulation that aims to protect local pharmacies from under-reimbursement for prescription drugs, saying the regulation doesn't tread on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's territory.

  • September 03, 2025

    Claim Mistake Dooms Flutist's Benefits Suit, 7th Circ. Says

    The Seventh Circuit backed the dismissal of a musician's suit alleging an insurer wrongfully denied her long-term disability benefits claim after a COVID-19 infection caused chronic ear ringing, ruling she needs to file a new claim because she made an error in her first application.

  • September 02, 2025

    Bernstein Litowitz To Lead Hasbro Investors' Post-COVID Suit

    Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP will represent a proposed class of investors in a suit alleging toy and games giant Hasbro Inc. and some of its current and former executives concealed certain inventory level issues following a pandemic-era spike in demand for games and global supply chain disruptions.

  • September 02, 2025

    AT&T May Avoid Pension Risk Transfer Suit, Judge Says

    A Massachusetts federal judge recommended granting AT&T and State Street's motions to dismiss a proposed class action from AT&T retirees alleging the companies put their pensions at unnecessary risk through an $8 billion pension annuity deal, finding allegations failed to state a claim for violating federal benefits law. 

  • September 02, 2025

    Freddie Mac Beats Investor Suit Over Subprime Exposure

    An Ohio federal judge has tossed a nearly two-decade-old lawsuit accusing Freddie Mac of failing to warn investors about its exposure to the flagging subprime market, ruling that the lawsuit hadn't identified any material misleading statements made by the company in the lead-up to the housing crisis.

  • September 02, 2025

    Ex-Education Exec's Pension Cut After Theft Conviction

    The former director of East Haven, Connecticut's before-and-after-school program will see a $500 monthly reduction in her pension for almost nine years after a state court judge docked the payments due to her 2021 conviction for stealing from the town's board of education.

  • September 02, 2025

    Defunding Planned Parenthood Is Meant To Punish, Judge Says

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Friday refused to lift an order that keeps Medicaid reimbursements flowing to Planned Parenthood, ruling that legislation intended to halt the organization's federal funding appears to illegally target the group for punishment.

  • September 02, 2025

    2nd Circ. Backs X In Arb. Fees In Severance Case

    Courts can't sort out who pays arbitration fees, and employers' refusal to pay such fees isn't a failure to arbitrate, the Second Circuit ruled Tuesday, siding with X in a case accusing the social media platform of owing workers severance.

  • September 02, 2025

    Wells Fargo Employee Drug Cost Battle: What To Know

    A group of former Wells Fargo employees is back in federal court this week with allegations the company mismanaged their prescription drug benefits, leading to millions in overpayments. The banking giant says the case is a do-over of allegations already axed by the Minnesota court

  • September 02, 2025

    Colgate-Palmolive To Shell Out $332M In Pension Payout Fight

    Colgate-Palmolive retirees asked a New York federal judge to greenlight a $332 million class action deal in their suit claiming the household products company shorted them on lump-sum retirement payouts, signaling the end of a nearly decade-old case that reached the Second Circuit in 2023. 

  • August 29, 2025

    Federal Judge Blocks New Texas ESG Disclosure Law

    A Texas federal judge temporarily blocked the state attorney general from enforcing a new state law that requires proxy advisory firms to disclose when their advice stems from factors such as diversity and inclusion, siding with the companies that argued the law breaches the First Amendment.

  • August 29, 2025

    Kaiser Can't Ditch Bias Fight Over Hearing Aid Coverage

    A Washington federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action claiming Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. violated the Affordable Care Act's nondiscrimination provision by refusing to cover certain hearing aid prescriptions, rejecting the plan's arguments that the alleged injuries aren't fairly traceable to KFHP, among other defenses.

  • August 29, 2025

    Amazon Workers Get Class Nod In Military Leave Bias Suit

    A New York federal judge handed class certification to a group of workers alleging Amazon did not provide equal leave benefits to service members compared to those who took other forms of leave such as jury duty, although he found the class representative couldn't lead the case.

Expert Analysis

  • How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

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    As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

  • Series

    Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

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    Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • How Del. Supreme Court, Legislature Have Clarified 'Control'

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    The Delaware Supreme Court's January decision in In re: Oracle and the General Assembly's passage of amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law this week, when taken together, help make the controlling-stockholder analysis clearer and more predictable for companies with large stockholders, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Retirement Plan Suits Show Value Of Cybersecurity Policies

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    Several data breach class actions that were recently filed against retirement plan administrator The Pension Specialists in Illinois federal court are a reminder that developing and following a good written cybersecurity policy provides a blueprint for compliance and may prevent lawsuits, says Carol Buckmann at Cohen & Buckmann.

  • Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Recent Cases Highlight Latest AI-Related Civil Litigation Risks

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    Ongoing lawsuits in federal district courts reveal potential risks that companies using artificial intelligence may face from civil litigants, including health insurance coverage cases involving contractual and equitable claims, and myriad cases concerning securities disclosure claims, say attorneys at Katten.

  • Opinion

    We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment

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    As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • Series

    Performing Stand-Up Comedy Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether I’m delivering a punchline on stage or a closing argument in court, balancing stand-up comedy performances and my legal career has demonstrated that the keys to success in both endeavors include reading the room, landing the right timing and making an impact, says attorney Rebecca Palmer.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From SEC To BigLaw

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    As I adjusted to the multifaceted workflow of a BigLaw firm after leaving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, working side by side with new colleagues on complex matters proved the fastest way to build a deep rapport and demonstrate my value, says Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block.

  • Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession

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    For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.

  • Opinion

    It's Time To Fix The SEC's Pay-To-Play Rule

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    Nearly 15 years after its adoption, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's pay-to-play rule is not working as intended — a notion recently echoed by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce — and the commission should reconsider the strict liability standard, raise the campaign contribution limits and remove the look-back provision, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

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    The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

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