Benefits

  • January 07, 2025

    Amazon Says Worker's $1.6M Atty Fees Are Excessive

    An Amazon employee hasn't prevailed in his claims that the e-commerce giant hurdled his promotions for his U.S. Marine Corps Reserve leave, the company said, urging a Washington federal court to deny his $1.63 million in attorney fees requested as part of his settlement.

  • January 07, 2025

    Bass Pro To Pay $5M To End Worker's Tobacco Penalty Suit

    Bass Pro Shops has agreed to pay $4.95 million to settle a proposed class action claiming the retailer unlawfully charged employees who use tobacco an extra $2,000 per year for health insurance without properly telling them how to avoid the charge, according to a Missouri federal court filing.

  • January 07, 2025

    Davis Polk, Kirkland Guide Paychex's $4.1B Paycor Buy

    Human capital management company Paychex Inc., advised by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, on Tuesday unveiled plans to buy fellow human capital management, payroll and talent acquisition software company Paycor, led by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, in a deal with an enterprise value of $4.1 billion.

  • January 06, 2025

    Hospital Escapes Investment Underperformance Suit, For Now

    A Colorado federal judge on Monday agreed to initially toss a proposed class action alleging mismanagement of a faith-based nonprofit hospital's retirement plan, finding the plaintiffs haven't backed up their allegations of investment underperformance.

  • January 06, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Revives DEA Agent's Challenge To Promotion Denial

    The Merit Systems Protection Board must reevaluate a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent's case alleging a promotion was unlawfully delayed because he took time off for military service, the Federal Circuit said Monday, ruling an administrative judge used the wrong standard to evaluate his claim.

  • January 06, 2025

    Prepared Foods Co. Accused Of Duping CEO With Stock Plan

    The former CEO of the American arm of a U.K.-based food manufacturer says the company deluded him with misleading promises about stock options during the recruitment process to get him to join and then refused to pony up the shares when he left.

  • January 06, 2025

    5th Circ. Iffy On Humana, Blue Cross Allergy Meds Denials

    A Fifth Circuit panel seemed poised Monday to side with an allergy services provider accusing insurance giants Blue Cross Blue Shield and Humana of colluding to deny claims and drive the company out of the market.

  • January 06, 2025

    Biden OKs Social Security Fix In Move Cheered By Unions

    Former government employees who have had their Social Security checks slashed because they receive a pension will see larger payouts this year now that President Joe Biden signed a bill repealing the decades-old benefit cuts, a move applauded by government employee unions.

  • January 06, 2025

    Northern Trust Inks $6.9M Deal To Shutter 401(k) Suit

    Northern Trust Co. has agreed to pay $6.9 million to end a proposed class action claiming it tapped underperforming proprietary investment funds for its $2.8 billion retirement plan, according to a Monday filing in Illinois federal court.

  • January 06, 2025

    Ga. Physician Assistant Sues Insurer Over Disability Benefits

    A former physician assistant at Emory Healthcare Inc. filed suit Friday against Unum Life Insurance Co. of America, alleging that the company wrongfully terminated her long-term disability benefits despite her continued suffering from long COVID, which rendered her "unable to sustain almost any level of physical activity."

  • January 06, 2025

    Ex-NFL Pro Abandons 5th Circ. Bid To Renew Benefits Suit

    Former Denver Broncos fullback Detron Smith has dropped his Fifth Circuit appeal of a ruling that denied his bid to receive full disability benefits, days before arguments were set in the case.

  • January 06, 2025

    Outpatient Surgery Co. Strikes $1.5M Deal To End 401(k) Suit

    United Surgical Partners International Inc. will pay about $1.48 million to end a proposed class action alleging the outpatient surgery network loaded its employee 401(k) plan with expensive investment options and excessive fees, according to a filing in Texas federal court.

  • January 06, 2025

    Conn. Justices Won't Hike Benefits Cut For Law Partner's Ex

    The ex-husband of a law firm partner cannot secure a bigger cut of the partner's retirement funds because the payments from the firm are too "speculative" to qualify as property, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled 5-1 on Monday.

  • January 06, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Argent Can't Force ESOP Suit To Arbitration

    The Second Circuit knocked down Argent Trust Co.'s bid to arbitrate a case alleging the wealth management company sold inflated shares to a barbecue chain's employee stock ownership plan, after ruling in a similar case that identical arbitration contract language wasn't enforceable.

  • January 03, 2025

    George Santos Wants Fraud Sentencing Delayed For Podcast

    Expelled U.S. Rep. George Santos on Friday urged a New York federal judge to delay sentencing in his federal fraud case for six months, saying he needs time to earn money through his new "Pants On Fire" weekly gossip podcast to pay roughly $580,000 owed in restitution and forfeiture.

  • January 03, 2025

    PBMs 'Wasting' Time in Opioid MDL Discovery Spat: Judge

    An Ohio federal judge overseeing multidistrict opioid litigation on Friday denied pharmacy benefit managers a stay to appeal a discovery order and said he believed the PBMs were "wasting" the court's time.

  • January 03, 2025

    NY Nursing Home Blames AG's 'Crusade' For Ch. 11

    The owner of a 588-bed nursing facility on Long Island has filed for Chapter 11 protection in a New York bankruptcy court with more than $58 million in debt, saying it was the victim of a "crusade" and "smear campaign" launched by the state attorney general's office.

  • January 03, 2025

    Biden Signs Bill To Stop Convicted Lawmakers' Pensions

    President Joe Biden has signed a law that would close a "loophole" to prevent former members of Congress convicted of certain crimes from receiving pensions during their appeals process.

  • January 03, 2025

    Laborers Benefit Funds Get OK For $4.7M Class Settlement

    A New York federal judge signed off on a $4.7 million settlement of a long-running dispute between a class of workers and two union benefit funds, giving final approval to a deal that ends 16 years of litigation over a transfer of money between funds in the 2000s.

  • January 02, 2025

    Tesla Investors Appeal Chancery Rulings In Musk Pay Suit

    Three Florida-based Tesla Inc. stockholders have moved ahead with Delaware Supreme Court appeals aimed at Court of Chancery decisions that short-circuited the electric car company's 10-year, $56 billion compensation plan for Elon Musk and granted a $345 million cash award for class attorneys who won the decision.

  • January 02, 2025

    1st Private Co. Joins Insulin Price-Fixing MDL

    A Florida-based car dealer is the first private company to join a multidistrict litigation accusing Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi-Aventis of fixing the prices of insulin and other drugs to treat diabetes.

  • January 02, 2025

    ERISA Can't Shield Packaging Co. From Genetic Privacy Suit

    A food packaging company must face a former employee's lawsuit claiming it unlawfully asked about her family medical history, an Illinois federal judge ruled, saying the claims weren't preempted by federal benefits law because it wasn't clear a corporate wellness plan was involved.

  • January 02, 2025

    Amazon Used Forfeited 401(k) Cash For Self Gain, Suit Says

    Amazon violated federal benefits law by using millions in abandoned retirement plan funds to its own benefit by offsetting its own contributions instead of using the extra cash to cut down on expenses, according to a worker's proposed class action filed in Washington federal court.

  • January 02, 2025

    Conn. High Court Slams Insurer's 'Conflicting' Policy Letters

    An insurance company violated basic contract law by mailing four "conflicting" letters to a roofing contractor purporting to end worker's compensation coverage while also explaining how to keep it, Connecticut's highest court has ruled.

  • January 02, 2025

    Aetna Sues Drugmakers In Conn., Alleging Generics Price-Fixing

    Health insurer Aetna has sued 23 drugmakers, including Novartis and Pfizer, over an alleged scheme to fix the prices of 111 generic medications, citing information gleaned from a congressional probe, lawsuits by state attorneys general, a Pennsylvania multidistrict litigation proceeding, and U.S. Department of Justice findings.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • 5 Employer Defenses To Military Status Discrimination Claims

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    A Colorado federal court's recent ruling, finding a Navy reservist wasn't denied promotion at his civilian job due to antimilitary bias, highlights several defenses employers can use to counter claims of violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, say attorneys at Littler Mendelson.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

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    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Expand Investment Options For 403(b)s

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    Lawmakers should pass pending legislation to give 403(b) plan participants access to collective investment trusts, leveling the playing field for public sector retirement investors by giving them an investment option their private sector counterparts have had for decades, says Jason Levy at Great Gray Trust Company.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

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    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

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    Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Justices Mull Sex-Based Classification In Trans Law Case

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in U.S. v. Skrmetti this week, it appears that the fate of the Tennessee law at the center of the case — a law banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender adolescents — will hinge on whether the majority read the statute as imposing a sex-based classification, says Alexandra Crandall at Dickinson Wright.

  • Every Dog Has Its Sick Day: Inside NYC's Pet Leave Bill

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    In what would be a first-of-its-kind law for a major metropolitan area, a recent proposal would amend New York City's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act to include animal care as an accepted use of sick leave — and employers may not think it's the cat's meow, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • Rethinking Clawback Policies For 2025 Compensation Season

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    The start of a new year presents an opportunity for companies to reassess their executive compensation clawback policies, and while mandatory Dodd-Frank clawbacks are necessary, discretionary policies can offer companies greater flexibility to address misconduct, protect their reputations and align with shareholder priorities, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • ERISA Ruling Is A Win For DOL Regulatory Authority

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    In Rappaport v. Guardian Life Insurance, a New York federal court recently issued a notable disability benefits ruling in finding that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright opinion does not affect how existing U.S. Department of Labor regulations apply in Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Unpacking Arguments From High Court's Rural Hospital Case

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    During oral arguments in Advocate v. Becerra, the U.S. Supreme Court justices focused questions on the meaning of being "entitled to" supplementary security income assistance, and there's reason for optimism that the likely split decision will break in favor of hospitals, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

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