James Smith v. Board of Directors of Triad Ma, et al

  1. September 13, 2021

    7th Circ. Refuses To Kick ERISA Class Action To Arbitration

    The Seventh Circuit rejected a St. Louis manufacturing company's push to send a would-be class action from workers who say they were overcharged for company stock to individual arbitration, saying a "rare" exception to federal law applied.

  2. June 25, 2021

    Benefits Cases To Watch In The Remainder Of 2021

    Benefits litigators have no shortage of cases to watch in 2021's second half, as courts consider high-profile questions such as when a retirement plan's investments are adequately diversified, how suits over plan fees can clear dismissal bids, and whether plans can make workers arbitrate claims of plan mismanagement.

  3. March 30, 2021

    7th Circ. Judge Doubts Arbitration Can Resolve ERISA Suit

    A Seventh Circuit judge on Tuesday pushed a St. Louis manufacturing company to explain how workers alleging retirement plan mismanagement can use individual arbitration to seek relief including the removal of directors, which would inevitably benefit other participants, when the plan's arbitration provision says any relief can only benefit the claimant.

  4. February 22, 2021

    7th Circ. Told ERISA Individual Arbitration Clauses Are Legal

    A St. Louis manufacturing company's board of directors has encouraged the Seventh Circuit to let it push an ERISA class action alleging retirement plan mismanagement into individual arbitration, saying the federal benefits law doesn't forbid companies from closing courthouse doors to their workers.

  5. January 27, 2021

    7th Circ. Told Forced Arbitration At Odds With ERISA's Goals

    A legal advocacy nonprofit has become the latest group to fight forced arbitration of ERISA class actions in a high-profile Seventh Circuit suit, urging the court to back an Illinois federal judge's decision that the arbitration clause in Triad Manufacturing Inc.'s retirement plan was invalid.

  6. January 22, 2021

    AARP Backs 7th Circ. Bid To Keep ERISA Suit In Court

    The AARP and its charitable arm threw their support behind a former Triad Manufacturing Inc. worker's bid to keep his proposed ERISA class action in the courthouse, telling the Seventh Circuit that the arbitration clause in Triad's employee retirement plan was illegal.

  7. January 20, 2021

    Workers Ask 7th Circ. To Keep ERISA Suit In Court

    A proposed class of current and former Triad Manufacturing Inc. employees urged the Seventh Circuit to keep their ERISA suit in the courthouse, saying an Illinois federal judge correctly ruled that companies can't compel individual arbitration of class actions alleging benefit plan mismanagement.

  8. January 03, 2021

    ERISA Arbitration, New Legal Theories To Be Tested In 2021

    In 2021, courts stand poised to consider whether employers can kick benefit plan mismanagement suits to arbitration and whether two novel theories in class actions over retirement plans hold water. Here, Law360 highlights six ERISA cases to watch in the new year.