Analysis

ERISA Recap: 5 Litigation Developments From April

By Kellie Mejdrich

The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a bakery company's bid for review of a union multiemployer pension withdrawal bill, the Fourth Circuit held a bonus plan was exempt from federal benefits law, and the Sixth Circuit ruled federal law preempted Arkansas pharmacy benefit manager laws and regulations. Here's more on those and two other major decisions from April that benefits attorneys may want to know.

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Potato Co. Gets Defense Attys DQ'ed In Benefits Plan Suit

By Rachel Riley

A Washington federal judge disqualified Cicotte Law Firm PLLC on Tuesday from representing a consultant accused of mismanaging Oregon Potato Co.'s employee benefits plan, concluding the food processor has shown a potential conflict of interest based on the reasonable belief that it was previously a client of the firm.

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Alcoa, Retirees Reach Deal In 7th Circ. Life Insurance Fight

By Corey Rothauser

Alcoa USA Corp. and a class of retirees told the Seventh Circuit on Tuesday they had reached a tentative settlement in a long-running dispute over union retiree life insurance benefits, asking the court to cancel a scheduled May 20 oral argument while they finalize the deal.

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Worker Fights 2nd Circ.'s Toss Of Teamsters Fund ERISA Suit

By Emily Brill

The U.S. Supreme Court should revive claims that the New York State Teamsters Conference Pension and Retirement Fund was mismanaged, a Teamsters-represented worker argued, asking the justices to breathe new life into his twice-dismissed Employee Retirement Income Security Act lawsuit.

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IRS Beats Suit Claiming Secret Rule Targeted Stock Plan

By Asha Glover

A transportation company cannot pursue its claims that the IRS adopted a secret rule that targeted its stock ownership plan, a Wisconsin federal judge ruled, throwing out the company's suit.

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Idaho Farmers Group Gets DOL Approval For Health Plan

By Patrick Hoff

The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm cleared the way for the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation to establish a group health plan for its members' employees, determining the proposed plan would be covered by federal benefits law.

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BlackRock, State Street Push To Trim Red State AGs' Suit

By Katryna Perera

BlackRock and State Street have further urged a Texas federal judge to trim down antitrust claims from Republican state attorneys general accusing the asset managers of driving up coal prices, arguing that the chain from their investment activity to retail electricity prices "stretches through multiple intervening markets and countless nonparties."

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Chemours Investor Suit Over Financial Metrics Axed, For Now

By Bonnie Eslinger

A Delaware federal judge on Friday dismissed a proposed class action brought by Chemours investors alleging that the chemical company's executives manipulated financial metrics for personal gain, saying the plaintiffs didn't show the existence of a material misrepresentation.

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Sandoz, Novartis Must Face Generics Claims From GM, Others

By Bryan Koenig

A Pennsylvania federal judge largely refused to let dozens of generic-drug makers duck stand-alone price-fixing and market allocation antitrust claims from major employers like General Motors, American Airlines and Lowe's, nixing allegations against a small handful while importantly preserving them against Novartis and its former Sandoz subsidiary.

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DC Circ. Judge Jabs Pharma Atty For 10 Minutes In Price Fight

By Jeff Overley

The first D.C. Circuit showdown in widespread drug pricing litigation Tuesday appeared unlikely to deliver a badly needed win to the pharmaceutical industry, as a top manufacturer's attorney faced a cool reception generally and an extended barrage of skepticism from one judge.

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Contractor Says Early Exit Is Unsupported In Premium Hike Suit

By Elaine Briseño

Hartford Insurance members should not be granted summary judgment in a $1.7 million premium suit, a government contractor has said, arguing in Connecticut federal court the contractor has successfully pled its breach of contract claims.

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The 2026 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey: Make Your Voice Heard

How is your work-life balance? Are you content with your compensation and opportunities for advancement at work? Take the 2026 Law360 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey and share your thoughts.

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DOJ Atty Faces Possible Discipline Over DHS 'Lack Of Candor'

By Lauren Berg

A Rhode Island federal judge, whom the U.S. Department of Homeland Security criticized for releasing a noncitizen with an alleged overseas warrant for homicide, on Tuesday said she is referring an assistant U.S. attorney for disciplinary proceedings for not disclosing the warrant to her beforehand.

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Audio

Approach The Bench: Justice Bacon On School Accreditation

By Cara Bayles and Steven Trader

State high courts are responsible for regulating the legal profession in their jurisdictions, and so New Mexico Supreme Court Justice C. Shannon Bacon thinks it's only right that justices reevaluate the principles behind law school accreditation.

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Ga. Justices Sanction Asst. DA For AI Errors In Murder Case

By Lauren Berg

The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday sanctioned a Clayton County assistant district attorney for filing briefs that contained nonexistent case citations generated by artificial intelligence in a murder defendant's bid for a new trial, saying the prosecutor's misconduct has "sidetracked" the justices from delving into the merits of the appeal.

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Analysis

High Court Clarity On Subpoenas Creates Murky Path For AGs

By Carla Baranauckas

The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision that the New Jersey Attorney General's Office infringed free speech by asking an anti-abortion nonprofit to release donor names gives nonprofits and companies more leverage for challenging subpoenas at the outset, although the question remains if and how attorneys general and other enforcers can ultimately obtain sought-after information following a constitutional affront.

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Brief

FCC Chair Carr Promotes 6 In Key Legal, Policy Roles

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission's staff are playing musical chairs, and it means high-level promotions for a half-dozen legal aides of agency chief Brendan Carr.

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SEC Lifts NY Atty's Lifetime Practice Ban

By Katryna Perera

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday lifted a lifetime ban preventing a New York attorney from practicing before the agency, following an attempt to leverage a client's testimony before the SEC.

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