Hospital Escapes Ex-Workers' 401(k) Forfeiture, Fund Suit

By Kellie Mejdrich

A New York federal judge on Friday tossed a proposed class action against a healthcare company alleging mismanagement of an employee 401(k) plan, concluding that ex-workers who sued lacked standing to bring some claims while the remaining allegations weren't sufficiently backed up to state a claim for violating federal benefits law.

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Weak Data Dooms Brookfield 401(k) Fund Suit, Judge Says

By Grace Elletson

An Ohio federal judge tossed a former Brookfield Asset Management employee's suit claiming the company held on to lackluster investment funds in its retirement plan that cost workers millions in savings, ruling the underperformance he identified wasn't significant enough to carry the case.

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Lockheed's 'DIY' 401(k) Funds Lagged Rivals, Court Told

By Jared Foretek

An attorney for Lockheed Martin employees blasted the aerospace giant's in-house retirement investment funds in Maryland federal court Friday, arguing that it failed in its fiduciary duty to change course when its investment arm kept fees high and consistently underperformed a market full of comparable options.

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General Motors Can't Get Early Win In EEOC Age Bias Suit

By Grace Elletson

An Indiana federal judge refused to let General Motors escape a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming the business unlawfully withheld disability pay from workers who received Social Security benefits, calling GM's argument that its policy hinged on benefit eligibility rather than age premature.

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Brief

United Bank's $2M Deal In ESOP Suit Clears Final Hurdle

By Kellie Mejdrich

A Georgia federal court granted final approval Friday to United Bank Corp.'s $2 million class action settlement ending allegations that it unlawfully ousted ex-workers from an employee stock ownership plan and cut them out of proceeds from a $23.3 million dividend.

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Brief

Pa. Health Network's $1.15M 401(k) Suit Deal Gets Final OK

By George Woolston

A Pennsylvania federal judge gave the green light to a $1.15 million deal resolving a proposed class action alleging a healthcare system misused workers' forfeited employee retirement plan funds and failed to rein in administrative fees.

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Guardsman Says Partners Pushed Him Out Of Biz Venture

By Kelcey Caulder

An Oklahoma National Guard member told a Georgia federal court his business partners violated federal law by trying to boot him from their company after he was called up for duty and by starting a new venture when they couldn't get rid of him. 

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Starbucks Inks $325K Deal To End Florida COBRA Notice Suit

By David Minsky

Starbucks has agreed to pay $325,000 to settle a proposed class action in Florida federal court brought by employee health plan participants and their beneficiaries alleging lapses in the coffee chain retailer's post-employment medical insurance notices. 

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NRA Strikes Deal With Its Ex-President In Florida Suit

By David Minsky

The National Rifle Association and its former president reached a settlement in her Florida federal lawsuit alleging the organization misappropriated her name, image and likeness. 

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Series

Watching Hallmark Movies Makes Me A Better Lawyer

I realize you may be judging me for watching, and actually enjoying, Hallmark Channel movies, but the escapism and storylines actually demonstrate qualities and actions that lead to an efficient, productive and positive legal practice, says Karen Ross at Tucker Ellis.

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Pillsbury Asks To Toss Suit Over Nonclient Data Breach

By Matt Perez

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP sought dismissal of a consolidated data breach action in New York federal court Friday due to the plaintiffs' alleged lack of relationship with the firm and inability to identify any cognizable damages.

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Burford Considers Arbitration After 2nd Circ. Tosses $16B Win

By Nadia Dreid

Burford Capital Ltd. says it is contemplating taking its $16 billion fight with Argentina into international arbitration after the Second Circuit wiped out a judgment the litigation funding firm had won against the nation in New York federal court, sending its stock prices tumbling.

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'Is It Kafka?' Judge Presses Pentagon On Press Restrictions

By Jared Foretek

A D.C. federal judge requested additional briefing Monday from the Trump administration before deciding whether to toss the U.S. Department of Defense's revised rules restricting journalists' access to the Pentagon but said some new allegations from reporters read like the revisions came from a Franz Kafka novel.

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Ex-Laffey Bucci Atty Accused Of Stealing Over $1.3M

By James Boyle

Laffey Bucci D'Andrea Reich & Ryan has accused a former name partner in a Pennsylvania state court suit of misdirecting more than $1.3 million in referral and case fees through a secret agreement with another firm and misusing the plaintiffs firm's resources for personal expenses, including an affair with a client.

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Analysis

Exchanges Are First Line In CFTC Prediction Market Policing

By Aislinn Keely

As the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission insists it will be the primary cop for the growing expanse of prediction markets, experts said the agency is signaling that its first line of defense will be the internal enforcement programs of registrants like Kalshi.

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FCA Qui Tams Are Unconstitutional, Eli Lilly Tells Justices

By Mark Payne

The False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, drugmaker Eli Lilly has told the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to overturn a Seventh Circuit decision upholding a $183 million trial win for a whistleblower who claimed the drug company hid how much it charged for Medicaid-covered drugs. 

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Justices Wary Of 'Odd' Arbitration Jurisdiction Theory

By Caroline Simson

A lawyer urging the U.S. Supreme Court to find that federal courts that have sent a dispute to arbitration do not automatically have jurisdiction to confirm or vacate a subsequent award faced heavy skepticism Monday from the justices, who called his argument during oral arguments "odd" and "peculiar."

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court's docket this past week featured disputes involving globally recognized companies, high-dollar contract fights, revived claims from the state's high court and the resolution of a closely watched de-SPAC case.

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Blumenthal Questions SEC Over Crypto Cases, Ryan Exit

By Katryna Perera

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is demanding answers from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins about the sudden resignation of the regulator's enforcement director and whether her departure was related to cryptocurrency cases, including one touching on the Trump family's ventures.

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