Benefits

  • June 21, 2024

    5 ERISA Cases To Watch In 2024's Second Half

    The U.S. Department of Labor will be playing defense in the second half of 2024, battling injunction bids in Texas seeking to halt the agency's recently finalized retirement security regulations, as well as fighting to uphold a DOL rule tackling social and environmental factors in retirement plan investment decisions. Here, Law360 looks at five Employee Retirement Income Security Act cases that attorneys say they will have on their radar.

  • June 21, 2024

    Attys Eye $1.4M Slice Of State Street Retirement Plan Deal

    Class counsel are requesting a one-third cut from a $4.3 million settlement with State Street Corp. to resolve claims the bank stocked its employees' 401(k) plan with imprudent funds that it managed or that were run by its subsidiaries or affiliates.

  • June 20, 2024

    UnitedHealth To Pay $1M To End NY AG Birth Control Probe

    New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday that UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc. will pay $1 million to end allegations that the company violated Empire State law by refusing to fully cover an oral contraceptive.

  • June 20, 2024

    HHS Drug Pricing Program Flouts Constitution, Boehringer Says

    An "unprecedented" new Medicare price negotiation program deprives drugmakers of their constitutional rights and forces them to make declarations on issues of public concern that reflect poorly on them, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. argued Thursday in Connecticut federal court as it echoed the industry chorus seeking to strike the initiative.

  • June 20, 2024

    Worker Says Co. Inflated Deductions To Duck Prevailing Wage

    An electrical contracting firm overdeducted fringe benefits from the pay of employees who worked on publicly funded projects, dragging down their prevailing wages, a former electrician said in a proposed class action in Pennsylvania state court.

  • June 20, 2024

    11th Circ. Backs Stryker's Defeat Of Fired Worker's Leave Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit refused Thursday to revive a suit claiming medical technology company Stryker illegally fired a worker on leave awaiting the birth of his child, ruling that because the leave didn't formally kick in until the child was born, his termination was fair game.

  • June 20, 2024

    NBA Fraud Ringleader To Plead Fifth At Doctor's Trial

    Counsel for a former NBA journeyman who pled guilty after being accused of spearheading a scheme to defraud a league healthcare plan said his client will probably invoke the Fifth Amendment if called to testify at a co-defendant's upcoming trial.

  • June 20, 2024

    DOL Benefits Head Plans To Attend House Oversight Hearing

    The head of the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm is planning to testify at a House oversight hearing called by a legislator critical of that office's regulations, a DOL spokesperson said Thursday.

  • June 20, 2024

    Boston College Settles 401(k) Participants' Suit

    Boston College and participants in the school's employee retirement plan told a Massachusetts federal court they have struck a deal to resolve claims the college mismanaged the 401(k) plan.

  • June 20, 2024

    ACLU Urges 9th Circ. To Reject Insurer's Trans Health Appeal

    The American Civil Liberties Union urged the Ninth Circuit to reject Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois' appeal seeking to overturn a lower court ruling that found denying transgender health plan participants gender-affirming care violated the Affordable Care Act, arguing federal healthcare nondiscrimination laws clearly protected against gender identity bias.

  • June 18, 2024

    Seattle Can't Stop Firefighters' COVID Vaccine Suit

    Firefighters who sued over Seattle's COVID-19 vaccine mandate have offered sufficient evidence to allege they faced religious discrimination, according to a federal magistrate judge who trimmed some claims on Tuesday but refused to toss the lawsuit.

  • June 18, 2024

    Ex-Twitter Workers Seek Class Cert. In Arbitration Fee Fight

    A group of former Twitter workers who accuse X Corp. of stalling their employment disputes by refusing to pay arbitration fees urged a California federal judge Monday to certify multiple classes of workers over allegations their arbitration efforts have been thwarted by the social media giant.

  • June 18, 2024

    DuPont, Corteva Must Face Pension Benefits Class Action

    Chemical companies DuPont and Corteva can't escape a class action claiming they illegally stripped retirement benefits from hundreds of workers following a merger and subsequent spinoff, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled, finding factual disputes that need to be sorted out at trial.

  • June 18, 2024

    Hospital Board Says Feds Underpaid Claims By $17M

    A Navajo Nation hospital board is suing the federal government, alleging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services underpaid its fiscal year 2016 funding request for contract support costs by $17.4 million without any legal justification.

  • June 18, 2024

    Kohler Inks $2.45M Deal To Wrap Up Mortality Table Suit

    Kohler struck a $2.45 million deal that aims to beef up pension payouts for about 500 married retirees to end a proposed class action claiming the manufacturing company shorted couples on pension benefits through the use of outdated data, according to a Wisconsin federal court filing.

  • June 18, 2024

    Milliman Wins 401(k) Mismanagement Suit After Trial

    Consulting company Milliman Inc. prevailed over a class action suit alleging the company violated federal benefits law by keeping poorly performing investments tied to a financial subsidiary in its employee 401(k) plan, according to a California federal judge's order entered after a 10-day bench trial.

  • June 18, 2024

    HP Escapes 'Novel' 401(k) Suit Over Use Of Forfeited Funds

    A California federal judge threw out a proposed class action that accused HP of unlawfully using former workers' forfeited 401(k) funds to satisfy its own contributions, saying nothing in federal benefits law required the company to use the funds to cover plan expenses.

  • June 18, 2024

    BDO's $2.25M Deal Ending 401(k) Suit Gets Final OK

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday gave his final sign-off to a $2.25 million settlement accounting firm BDO agreed to pay to resolve a suit alleging the company failed to verify that retirement plan funds in an employee 401(k) were evaluated properly.

  • June 18, 2024

    Va. City Can't Ax Atty's Wrongful Firing Suit Over FMLA Fraud

    A federal judge declined to toss an attorney's suit claiming the Virginia city he worked for illegally fired him and accused him of doctoring a medical form he needed to care for his sick mother, saying he showed the city may have stepped on his medical leave rights.

  • June 18, 2024

    Ex-USC Linebacker Cops To Pandemic Unemployment Fraud

    A former linebacker for the University of Southern California football team pled guilty to fraudulently seeking over $1 million in pandemic-era unemployment benefits.

  • June 17, 2024

    Teamsters Plan Says Health Network Has Monopoly In Conn.

    A Teamsters healthcare benefits plan and a Connecticut public transit provider have sued the healthcare network Hartford Healthcare Corp., accusing it of having a monopoly over healthcare in a half-dozen regions of the state.

  • June 17, 2024

    Accused NBA Fraud Leader May Testify At Doctor's Trial

    A former NBA player who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly spearheading a scheme to defraud the league's healthcare plan is likely to be called to testify at the upcoming trial of a co-defendant, a Manhattan federal judge said Monday.

  • June 17, 2024

    DOL Says Insurers Can't Block ERISA Retirement Advice Regs

    The U.S. Department of Labor urged a Texas federal court to reject a group of insurers' bid to halt the implementation of recently finalized regulations expanding which types of retirement investment advice fall under the purview of federal benefits law, arguing the challengers' request wasn't justified.

  • June 17, 2024

    Pharmacy Groups Urge High Court To Hear Okla. PBM Case

    Pharmacy industry groups asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Tenth Circuit decision that overturned portions of an Oklahoma law regulating pharmacy benefit managers, saying these intermediaries have driven up costs for patients while raising their own bottom lines, and states should be allowed to keep them in check.

  • June 17, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Proposed amendments to Delaware's General Corporation Law that were prompted by several recent Chancery Court rulings sailed through the state Senate last week despite loud opposition from corporate law professors and other Chancery Court watchers, and Tesla shareholders filed two new suits against CEO Elon Musk. 

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Securities Litigation Issues To Watch In 2024

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    There is yet another exciting year ahead for securities litigation, starting with the U.S. Supreme Court hearing argument next week in a case presenting a key securities class action question that has eluded review for the last eight years, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • 4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

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    As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.

  • 3 Compliance Reminders For Calif. Employers In 2024

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    As we enter into the new year, several recent updates to California employment law — including minimum wage and sick leave requirements — necessitate immediate compliance actions for employers, says Daniel Pyne at Hopkins & Carley.

  • What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

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    As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • 4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

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    Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.

  • Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

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    Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.

  • The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

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    A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.

  • Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

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    Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.

  • In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

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    Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.

  • Lessons Learned From 2023's Top ADA Decisions

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    This year saw the courts delving into the complexities of employee accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act in the post-pandemic workplace, going beyond bright-line rules with fact-intensive inquiries that are likely to create uncertainty for employers, says Linda Dwoskin at Dechert.

  • How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

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    Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.

  • A Review Of 2023's Most Notable Securities Litigation

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    There is much to be learned from the most prominent private securities cases of 2023, specifically the Tesla trial, the U.S. Supreme Court's Slack decision and the resolution of Goldman Sachs litigation, but one lesson running through all of them is that there can be rewards at the end of the line for defendants willing to go the distance, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • FDA's Recent Litigation Records Are Strong, But Imperfect

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notched its share of litigation wins in recent years thanks to a number of key advantages, but the FDA has been less successful in certain highly visible arenas, Jonathan Berman and Colleen Heisey at Jones Day.

  • ESG Investing Caught In Culture War Crosshairs In 2023

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    As 2023 draws to a close, ESG investing remains a raging battleground in the U.S. culture wars, as illustrated by the array of legislative efforts across the country aimed variously at restricting or promoting the use of ESG investing — but it remains to be seen what practical impact, if any, these laws will have, say Amy Roy and Robert Skinner at Ropes & Gray.

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