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Benefits
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July 12, 2024
Loper Bright Is Shaking Up Dozens Of Regulatory Fights
In the two weeks since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference, the landmark decision has emerged as a live issue in dozens of administrative challenges, with federal courts already pausing agency regulations expanding LGBTQ+ rights in education and healthcare and with a wave of parties seeking to use the new decision to win their cases.
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July 12, 2024
Judge Swipes Left On Match Group Investors' Suit
A Delaware federal judge has dismissed, for now, investor allegations that dating website operator Match Group Inc. misled the market about an integration process.
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July 12, 2024
Military's IVF Policy Defense Fails Post-Chevron, Group Says
A nonprofit that's challenging the U.S. military's in vitro fertilization coverage policy for service members told a New York federal judge that federal agencies cannot claim they're entitled to Chevron deference in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision overturning the decades-old precedent.
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July 12, 2024
Ex-Thermo Fisher Worker Fights For 401(k) Forfeiture Suit
A Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. retirement plan participant told a California federal judge Friday she has standing to claim the company violated federal benefits law by using forfeited plan money to aid its own contributions instead of slimming expenses, arguments aimed at fending off the company's dismissal bid.
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July 12, 2024
Plaintiffs Want Opioid MDL Bellwethers Cut For Lost Emails
Plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation arising from the opioid epidemic again asked an Ohio federal court on Friday to sever two of four bellwethers, accusing pharmacy benefit managers of preferring to "foster a sideshow" to further draw out litigation after learning of deficiencies in evidence preservation by some of the cities and counties that initiated cases.
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July 12, 2024
Chancery Tosses Centene Shareholders' Medicaid Fraud Suit
The Delaware Chancery Court on Friday dismissed a Centene stockholder derivative lawsuit seeking damages from company directors and officers over allegations of a multistate Medicaid pharmacy benefit billing fraud scheme that the investors said could result in a $1.25 billion liability for the healthcare giant.
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July 12, 2024
American Airlines Pilot Pushes For $16M Win After ERISA Trial
An American Airlines pilot urged a Texas federal court to make the airline cough up nearly $16 million following a June bench trial in a retirement savings class action, arguing the company breached its fiduciary duties to its retirement plan by focusing too heavily on environmental and social factors in investments.
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July 12, 2024
7 Gender-Affirming Care Cases To Watch In 2024's 2nd Half
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a constitutional challenge by the federal government to Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors, while other appeals courts are weighing the constitutionality of states' and employers' restrictions on gender dysphoria treatment. Here are seven cases involving gender-affirming care access that attorneys will be tracking in the second half of the year.
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July 12, 2024
Cadwalader Adds Ex-Simpson Thacher Corporate Atty In NY
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP announced the hiring of an executive compensation and employee benefits partner in New York with previous stops at Simpson Thacher and the Blackstone Group.
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July 12, 2024
Retired MSU Law Profs' Fraud Claims Get Tossed
Two ex-law professors can't sue their former employer for allegedly not honoring a benefits agreement because the law school ceased to exist when it merged with Michigan State University, a Michigan Court of Appeals panel ruled Thursday.
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July 11, 2024
Judge Won't Permit Florida's Trans Care Ban Pending Appeal
A federal judge denied Florida's request Thursday to pause a court order blocking a state law that bans or restricts gender-affirming care for transgender minors and adults while it challenges the ruling at the Eleventh Circuit, finding the state hasn't shown it would be harmed by the law's stagnation.
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July 11, 2024
4 Big Gender-Affirming Care Decisions From 2024's 1st Half
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed an Idaho law banning gender-affirming care for minors to become effective, the Eleventh Circuit upheld a trial court win for a transgender public safety employee in a healthcare discrimination suit and a Florida federal judge blocked as unconstitutional a state law restricting gender-affirming care for minors and adults.
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July 11, 2024
Calif.'s Insulin Cost Suit Belongs In Fed. Court, 9th Circ. Told
Express Scripts and Caremark PCSHealth urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to reverse a lower court's order sending California's antitrust suit over skyrocketing insulin prices back to state court, with both appellants' counsel arguing the state's claims involve disputes over federal contracts and regulations that must be resolved in federal court.
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July 11, 2024
Opiate MDL Judge Flags Evidence Preservation Shortfall
An Ohio federal judge has said "at least some" of the plaintiff local government entities in four chosen bellwether cases against pharmacy benefit managers for the multidistrict litigation over the opioid epidemic failed to preserve documents and evidence for trial, warning the parties he may replace those cases.
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July 11, 2024
Biden Taps Cohen Weiss Atty As PBGC Director
President Joe Biden on Thursday tapped an attorney who most recently served as of counsel at Cohen Weiss & Simon LLP to head the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.
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July 11, 2024
Trans Worker Seeks Facial Hair Removal In ERISA Suit
A transgender woman said her employer's health benefit plan administered by UnitedHealthcare refused to cover facial hair removal as part of her gender-affirming care in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, according to a complaint filed in Washington federal court.
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July 11, 2024
DOL Wants ERISA Investment Advice Regs Kept Afloat
The U.S. Department of Labor is urging a Texas federal court to reject a bid from insurance industry groups to block its new regulations that broaden who qualifies as a fiduciary under federal benefits law, saying the groups are "grasping for a reason" to evade the law.
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July 11, 2024
Insurer Can Tap Trust Fund For Old Claims, Mass. Court Says
A Massachusetts intermediate appellate court concluded Thursday that workers' compensation insurers who are no longer selling policies in the state but still paying benefits on older claims are entitled to seek partial reimbursement from an employer-funded state trust fund, reversing its own prior holding on the question.
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July 11, 2024
3rd Circ. Backs Toss Of $427K Arbitration Liability Award
The Third Circuit upheld a lower court's nix of an arbitration award of more than $427,000 against a painting company over a union pension fund's withdrawal liability claims, determining Thursday that the fund waited too long to request payment under federal benefits law.
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July 10, 2024
Rite Aid, DOJ Craft $410M Settlement Of Opioid Sale Claims
Rite Aid agreed to a nearly $410 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, the bulk of which will be an unsecured claim in the company's Chapter 11 case, that will put to bed allegations the pharmacy chain dispensed opioids illegally, the DOJ announced Wednesday.
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July 10, 2024
Drug Pricing, Overreach Dominate IP Disclaimer Feedback
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has received heated feedback regarding its proposal to make follow-on patents easier to invalidate, with drug pricing advocates applauding it, top technology and pharma companies decrying it, and high-profile officials calling the proposal an overstep of the agency's authority.
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July 10, 2024
Ex-CEO Of Mogul-Tied Co. Fired For Failures, Fraud Suit Says
A European IT company tied to convicted mogul Greg Lindberg struck back against a lawsuit by its former CEO who alleges he was fired abruptly, accusing the former executive of shirking his leadership duties in a counterclaim.
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July 10, 2024
Utility Locating Co.'s Ex-CEO Sues For Severance After Firing
The former CEO of a utility locating company in North Carolina is suing for severance after he was unexpectedly fired, saying he was never told the grounds for his termination and should be paid his base salary plus a bonus under the terms of his employment contract.
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July 10, 2024
AdaptHealth Investor Attys Get 25% Of $51M Deal, With Caveat
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday granted final approval to a $51 million settlement between AdaptHealth and investors over allegations tied to its merger with a blank check company, but the plaintiffs' counsel must wait for certain shares to be sold before they can collect their $12.8 million fee.
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July 10, 2024
Buyers Say Teva Had Multipart Scheme To Delay Inhaler Rivals
Employee benefit funds accusing Teva of orchestrating a decadelong scheme to delay generic competition for its QVAR asthma inhalers told a Massachusetts federal court the drugmaker is trying to end the case by addressing merely one aspect of a multipart scheme.
Expert Analysis
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How FTC's Noncompete Rule May Affect Exec Comp Packages
In the event the Federal Trade Commission's final noncompete rule goes into effect as currently contemplated, companies will need to take stock of how they structure post-employment executive compensation arrangements, such as severance agreements and clawbacks, says Meredith O'Leary at King & Spalding.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data
Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Series
Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.
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Opinion
SEC Should Be Allowed To Equip Investors With Climate Info
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rule to require more climate-related disclosures will provide investors with much-needed clarity, despite opponents' attempts to challenge the rule with misused legal arguments, say Sarah Goetz at Democracy Forward and Cynthia Hanawalt at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Series
Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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Series
Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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9th Circ. Ruling Puts Teeth Into Mental Health Parity Claims
In its recent finding that UnitedHealth applied an excessively strict review process for substance use disorder treatment claims, the Ninth Circuit provided guidance on how to plead a Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act violation and took a step toward achieving mental health parity in healthcare, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
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Del. Match.com Ruling Maintains Precedent In Time Of Change
Despite speculation that the Delaware Supreme Court could drive away corporations if it lowered the bar for business judgment review in its Match.com stockholder ruling, the court broke its recent run of controversial precedent-busting decisions by upholding, and arguably strengthening, minority stockholder protections against controller coercion, say Renee Zaytsev and Marc Ayala at Boies Schiller.
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Inside OMB's Update On Race And Ethnicity Data Collection
The Office of Management and Budget's new guidelines for agency collection of data on race and ethnicity reflect societal changes and the concerns of certain demographics, but implementation may be significantly burdensome for agencies and employers, say Joanna Colosimo and Bill Osterndorf at DCI Consulting.
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.