Benefits

  • August 09, 2024

    Aetna Illegally Axed Exec's Disability Benefits, Judge Says

    A California federal judge said Aetna was wrong to end an executive's disability benefits after it found he suffered from a mental illness instead of a physical disability, stating the insurer used flawed doctor opinions and may have been motivated by cutting costs.

  • August 09, 2024

    Kraft-Heinz Investor Can't Revive Del. Insider Trading Suit

    Attorneys for a Kraft Heinz stockholder lost a bid to convince Delaware's Court of Chancery that new evidence justified reopening a dismissed suit alleging that company insiders with ties to a controlling investor, Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital Inc., sold $1.2 billion worth of shares on nonpublic information.

  • August 09, 2024

    Energy Transfer Investors Get Partial Win In $3B Pipelines Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge granted a class of investors a partial win in a class action claiming that Energy Transfer misled them about its $3 billion Mariner East 2 and Revolution pipeline projects, ruling that the investors have raised genuine issues of material fact with at least one of their claims.

  • August 09, 2024

    Liberty Mutual Must Face Eatery's Suit Over Injury Claim

    The Connecticut state appeals court on Friday revived a restaurant's lawsuit against Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. stemming from a workers' compensation claim, ruling that an administrative board that initially sided with the insurer lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

  • August 09, 2024

    DOL Settles White Mountain Apache Tribe's ERISA Suit

    A D.C. federal judge has signed off on an agreement between the U.S. Department of Labor and the White Mountain Apache Tribe that settles its ERISA suit claiming the agency unlawfully slapped it with $140,000 in penalties after abruptly enforcing certain pension reporting requirements.

  • August 09, 2024

    Home Depot's ERISA Win At 11th Circ. Deepens Circuit Split

    The Eleventh Circuit's recent ruling backing Home Depot's defeat of a suit from workers who showed their 401(k) plan was mismanaged, but couldn't tie those lapses to financial losses, adds to a growing circuit split that attorneys say warrants guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • August 08, 2024

    Uber's $200M Deal To End Investors' 'Train Wreck' IPO Suit OK'd

    A California federal judge granted preliminary approval Thursday to Uber's $200 million class action deal with investors who claim the ride-hailing giant made false and misleading statements ahead of its $8.1 billion initial public offering regarding its passenger safety record, financial condition and the legality of its business model.

  • August 08, 2024

    Video Game Co. Can't Beat All Of Investors' Fraud Claims

    Digital entertainment and e-commerce company Sea Ltd. can't fully defeat a pension fund's lawsuit alleging that the company misled the market to stop a free fall in its share price after a subsidiary lost publishing rights in Southeast Asia to the popular League of Legends video game, among other things.

  • August 08, 2024

    CenterPoint Accused Of Mishandling Worker Retirement Plan

    A group of CenterPoint Energy employees hit the company with a proposed class action on Wednesday, alleging the entity mismanaged their employee retirement plan and cost participants millions of dollars.

  • August 08, 2024

    Block & Leviton, Bernstein Litowitz To Lead WWE-UFC Suit

    Block & Leviton LLP and Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP pinned down counsel leadership duties Thursday for a pending, high-profile Delaware Court of Chancery stockholder challenge to World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.'s $21.4 billion merger with Ultimate Fighting Championship.

  • August 08, 2024

    NJ Chief Justice Escapes Depo In Ex-Jurist's Pension Suit

    Chief Justice Stuart Rabner of the New Jersey Supreme Court will not have to sit for a deposition in a suit brought by a former Superior Court judge over the denial of her disability pension application, a Garden State judge ruled Thursday.

  • August 08, 2024

    Liberty U., Ex-President Falwell Resolve Benefits Battle

    A Virginia federal judge dismissed Thursday former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.'s suit that asked for $8.5 million in retirement benefits in the aftermath of his resignation and a sex scandal, after Falwell and the school said they had reached a settlement.

  • August 07, 2024

    Abbott Brass Trim But Can't Nix Investors' Formula Recall Suit

    A Chicago federal judge on Wednesday substantially trimmed a derivative suit accusing Abbott Laboratories leaders of concealing known safety issues related to recalled infant formula but rejected the defendants' argument that tossing the suit in its entirety was in shareholders' "best interest."

  • August 07, 2024

    Santos, Feds Agree Jurors' Identities Should Be Secret

    Expelled congressman George Santos wants jurors' identities protected for his trial next month on theft and identity theft charges, telling a New York federal judge on Tuesday that prosecutors feel the same given the "astounding" media attention on the case.

  • August 07, 2024

    Republican Lawmakers Target Union Pension Overpayments

    Two struggling union pension plans have returned excess bailout funds they received because deceased pensioners weren't removed from their directories, but the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. hasn't said whether 60 other plans with deceased pensioners in their directories returned any extra funds, two Republican congresspeople said.

  • August 07, 2024

    Japanese Space Co. Slips Ex-Exec's $8M Stock Suit

    A Colorado federal judge threw out a lawsuit Wednesday that a former executive lodged against a Japanese space and robotics company accusing it of withholding from him stock options worth about $8 million, saying the dispute belongs in Japan.

  • August 07, 2024

    Insurer Can't Dodge $13.4M Conn. Death Verdict, Estate Says

    A mother who won a $13.4 million judgment after her son died in a Connecticut group home says its insurer, Hanover Insurance Co., is trying to use "misplaced" arguments to escape her bid to collect a portion of the judgment, urging a judge not to dismiss her compensation request.

  • August 07, 2024

    Thompson Coburn Adds Willkie Benefits Atty

    Thompson Coburn LLP has brought on an employee benefits litigator from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP as a partner in Chicago, picking up a lawyer with over two decades of experience advising and representing employers, plan administrators and fiduciaries.

  • August 07, 2024

    Tyson Foods Escapes 401(k) Recordkeeping Fee Suit

    An Arkansas federal judge agreed to toss a proposed class action federal benefits lawsuit from participants in a 401(k) plan for employees of Tyson Foods Inc., concluding allegations of high recordkeeping fees weren't backed up with sufficient comparisons to better-managed plans as required in the Eighth Circuit.

  • August 06, 2024

    Florida Asks 11th Circ. To Let Gender Law Take Effect Now

    Florida officials have implored the Eleventh Circuit to allow enforcement of the state's recently enacted law restricting gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors and adults, arguing that a federal judge's order to enjoin enforcement of the law was erroneous.

  • August 06, 2024

    KKR & Co., 2 Founders Sued In Del Over $500M Exit Deal

    A union pension fund has sued KKR & Co. Inc. founders Henry Kravis and George Roberts and 14 others in connection with no-tax share conversion payment rights lined up in connection with the company's October 2021 switch from an umbrella partnership "C" company into a regular corporation.

  • August 06, 2024

    Investment Adviser Must Face Union Fund's $30M ERISA Suit

    A union pension fund has carried its $30 million Employee Retirement Income Security Act lawsuit against an investment advisory firm past the motion-to-dismiss phase on its second try, with a California federal judge holding that the fund qualified for an extension to its deadline to sue over pre-2016 conduct.

  • August 06, 2024

    Amazon Seeks Early Exit From Military Service Bias Suit

    Amazon asked a Washington federal judge to end a proposed class action accusing it of demoting or terminating workers who take time off for military service, arguing that one of the plaintiffs was inadvertently fired while the other wasn't qualified for a promotion because he was "unprofessional."

  • August 06, 2024

    Ex-Honeycomb Manager Wants Benefits Case Reopened

    Attorneys for a former Savannah Bee Co. honeycomb manager urged the Georgia Court of Appeals on Tuesday to reverse the Georgia Department of Labor's decision to deny her unemployment benefits on the grounds that her appeal was not timely, arguing circumstances caused her to file late with "good cause."

  • August 06, 2024

    10th Circ. Says Union Contract Legally Imposed On Okla. Co.

    An Oklahoma electric company must accept the successor contract imposed on it by an arbitration board, the Tenth Circuit said Tuesday, upholding an Oklahoma federal court's decision that the pact between Brent Electric Co. and an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local was imposed lawfully.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    In the month since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 26 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Opinion

    FIFA Maternity Policy Shows Need For Federal Paid Leave

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    While FIFA and other employers taking steps to provide paid parental leave should be applauded, the U.S. deserves a red card for being the only rich nation in the world that offers no such leave, says Dacey Romberg at Sanford Heisler.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Air Ambulance Ruling Severely Undermines No Surprises Act

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision in Guardian Flight v. Health Care Service — that the No Surprises Act lacks a judicial remedy when a health insurer refuses to pay the amount established through an independent review — likely throws a huge monkey wrench into the elaborate protections the NSA was enacted to provide, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • What DOL Fiduciary Rule Means For Private Fund Managers

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    Attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss how the U.S. Department of Labor's recently released final fiduciary rule, which revises the agency's 1975 regulation, could potentially cause private fund managers' current marketing practices and communications to be considered fiduciary advice, and therefore subject them to strict prohibitions.

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

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    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

  • High Court's Abortion Pill Ruling Shuts Out Future Challenges

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine maintains the status quo for mifepristone access and rejects the plaintiffs' standing theories so thoroughly that future challenges from states or other plaintiffs are unlikely to be viable, say Jaime Santos and Annaka Nava at Goodwin.

  • Emerging Trends In ESG-Focused Securities Litigation

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    Based on a combination of shareholder pressure, increasing regulatory scrutiny and proposed rulemaking, there has been a proliferation of litigation over public company disclosures and actions regarding environmental, social, and governance factors — and the overall volume of such class actions will likely increase in the coming years, say attorneys at Mintz.

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