Benefits

  • September 11, 2026

    3 Takeaways From EBSA's New Health Parity Guidance Docs

    The U.S. Department of Labor's recent guidance on how to comply with federal laws requiring parity in health plan coverage between behavioral and physical healthcare provides critical new details on the agency's narrowed set of enforcement priorities. Here are three takeaways from the guidance.

  • September 11, 2026

    Ex-Tech Co. Workers Nab Class Cert. In 401(k) Fee Suit

    A duo of former NCR Corp. workers can represent a 15,000-member class in their lawsuit accusing the company's retirement plan committee of saddling the employee 401(k) plan with excessive recordkeeping fees, a Georgia federal judge ruled.

  • September 10, 2026

    NJ Judge Cuts NFL Doctors From Ex-Player's Disability Fight

    A New Jersey judge on Thursday dismissed claims against two NFL doctors named in a lawsuit by a former player over medical benefits, finding the league's plan does not give the physicians fiduciary authority.

  • September 10, 2026

    Insurer Wants Quick 8th Circ. 401(k) Forfeiture Suit Appeal

    UnitedHealth Group asked a Minnesota federal court to allow a quick appeal of the court's June decision refusing to completely toss allegations that the company misallocated forfeitures from an employee 401(k) plan, arguing differing opinions on the validity of the claims nationwide justified early Eighth Circuit review.

  • September 10, 2026

    Drone Co., Ex-VP Reach Deal Resolving Pay, Sabotage Claims

    A company that makes emergency response drones and its former vice president of sales have settled a dispute in which the executive alleged he was stiffed on pay and the company accused him of trying to sabotage its business, court records show.

  • September 10, 2026

    Hospitals Say Mich. BCBS Unit Owes For Out-Of-State Care

    A Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield unit owes a group of hospitals more than $800,000 in reimbursement for health services they provided to patients covered under out-of-state BCBS plans, the hospitals allege in a complaint in Michigan federal court.

  • September 10, 2026

    Calif. Certifies Gig Union To Represent Ride-Share Drivers

    A state agency has certified the California Gig Workers Union as the representative for hundreds of thousands of ride-share drivers working in California, according to a recent announcement posted by the agency.

  • September 10, 2026

    Yellow Corp.'s Ch. 11 Agreements With Pension Funds Approved

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge has approved agreements between former trucking giant Yellow Corp.'s liquidating trust and certain pension funds totaling $525.9 million, resolving withdrawal liability claims and adding to an earlier batch of settlements approved in the company's Chapter 11 case.

  • September 10, 2026

    PwC Will Pay $96M To Settle Valeant Investor Class Claims

    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has agreed to pay $96 million to end a long-running securities fraud suit over an alleged market manipulation scheme by Bausch predecessor Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the plaintiffs told a New Jersey federal court Thursday.

  • September 10, 2026

    Haynes Boone Adds Employment Attys From Toyota, Ashurst

    Haynes Boone has bulked up its labor and employment practice with two Dallas-based hires, one who joined from an in-house role at Toyota and another who came aboard from Ashurst Perkins Coie.

  • September 09, 2026

    Trump Exec Order Aims To Speed Up Vets' Access To Benefits

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that looks to expedite veterans' access to benefits — including healthcare, job opportunities and education — by modernizing how the federal government handles veterans' data.

  • September 09, 2026

    Bikini Barista Owner Owes Class $1.8M Over Wage Violations

    The owner of Seattle-area "bikini barista" company Beehive Espresso is on the hook for more than $1.8 million after a Washington state judge found him liable for numerous pay violations, including tip theft, limits on moonlighting, improper sick leave accounting and failure to pay minimum wage.

  • September 09, 2026

    Texas Justices Deny Bid To Undo $37M Arbitration Award

    The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to take up a bid by a Dallas-based alternative investment company seeking to toss a $37 million arbitration award in favor of the company's former director.

  • September 09, 2026

    Liberty Mutual Gets Green Light For $13.4M 401(k) Suit Deal

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday signed off on a $13.4 million settlement that wraps up a lawsuit accusing Liberty Mutual of loading its employee 401(k) plan with excessive fees and underperforming investments.

  • September 09, 2026

    3rd Circ. Stands By Upholding Lipitor Pay-For-Delay Suit Toss

    The Third Circuit has refused to rethink its decision backing a New Jersey district court's dismissal of an antitrust suit alleging Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. conspired to delay a generic version of the cholesterol drug Lipitor.

  • September 09, 2026

    Biz Group Says Centene 401(k) Suit Threatens Investor Choice

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supported Centene Corp.'s effort to toss a suit claiming it mismanaged its $4.7 billion retirement plan through excessive management fees and opaque trusts, arguing the suit is improperly attempting to cast certain investment vehicles as inherently untrustworthy.

  • September 09, 2026

    Faulty Fee Comparisons Doom Ameritas Workers' 401(k) Suit

    Life insurance giant Ameritas defeated a proposed class action alleging an employee 401(k) plan was saddled with excessive fees, after a Nebraska federal judge held workers' allegations that management lapses cost millions failed to state a claim for violating federal benefits law.

  • September 09, 2026

    5th Circ. Appears Skeptical Of La. Abortion Pill Suit

    Louisiana's solicitor general faced tough questions Wednesday from a Fifth Circuit panel about the state's standing to challenge federal regulations that allow abortion medication to be mailed to patients in the state.

  • September 08, 2026

    11th Circ. Says ACA Trans Care Rule Fight Is Moot

    The Eleventh Circuit refused to revive a challenge to a gender-affirming care rule from the Biden administration that was later reversed by the Biden administration, concluding that the issue has become moot while the appeal was pending.

  • September 08, 2026

    Freddie Mac Asks 6th Circ. To Rehear Financial Crisis Case

    Freddie Mac is urging the Sixth Circuit to reconsider its recent revival of a shareholder lawsuit dating to the 2008 financial crisis, arguing an appellate panel "usurped" the lower court's authority by allowing investors to argue for class certification a third time.

  • September 08, 2026

    Biz Groups Ask 8th Circ. To Nix Wells Fargo ERISA Suit

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and two benefit advocacy groups urged the Eighth Circuit to back the dismissal of a suit claiming Wells Fargo allowed a pharmacy benefit manager to overcharge workers for generic drugs, arguing that employers shouldn't be penalized for general gripes about healthcare costs.

  • September 08, 2026

    Auto Industry Group Gets DOL Green Light For Health Plan

    The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm said Tuesday that a group of retailers and repair centers associated with Napa Auto Parts is clear to establish a group health plan for its member employers, concluding the arrangement would be covered by federal benefits law.

  • September 08, 2026

    DOL Issues Mental Health Parity Enforcement Guidance

    The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm issued guidance Tuesday on how to comply with federal laws that require employer health plans to produce an analysis of their mental health and substance use disorder coverage, which remains subject to litigation in D.C. federal court.

  • September 08, 2026

    SEC Sues Proxy Adviser Firm ISS For Client Voting Records

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a Pennsylvania federal court to enforce a subpoena against Institutional Shareholder Services, alleging the proxy advisory firm is improperly withholding information about the voting advice ISS gives institutional investors due to fears of retaliation.

  • September 08, 2026

    $2.3M Nemours Foundation's ERISA Deal Clears 1st Hurdle

    A Florida federal judge has granted initial approval to a $2.3 million deal the Nemours Foundation reached with ex-workers who claimed their retirement plan was weighed down by excessive fees, nearly a year after the deal was first rejected by the court.

Expert Analysis

  • Attorneys Using AI May Have Ethical Duty To Redact Docs

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    The trajectory of legal ethics guidance in recent years strongly suggests that as redaction technology becomes more accessible, the failure to use it when uploading highly confidential materials into artificial intelligence tools will become increasingly difficult to defend as reasonable, say attorneys at Lewis Brisbois.

  • Series

    Juggling And Unicycling Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Because I juggle (sometimes with fire) and ride the unicycle, friends and family used to joke that I should join the circus, but I pursued the practice of law instead and learned that my hobbies benefit my profession in several important ways, says Morgan Eddy at Smith Currie.

  • Series

    Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Series

    Taekwondo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Taekwondo has taught me to recognize when to fight for a position and when to focus on finding a solution, and that the best outcomes are often achieved by solving problems — all of which has improved my work as a bankruptcy lawyer, mediator and Subchapter V trustee, says Amy Denton Mayer at Berger Singerman.

  • Target's ERISA Win Doesn't Ax Tobacco Surcharge Questions

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    Though a Minnesota federal court's recent dismissal of a putative class action challenging Target's tobacco surcharge wellness program offers employers a defense road map, courts' differing conclusions about the Employee Retirement Income Security Act versus U.S. Department of Labor requirements leave the legal landscape unsettled, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • What To Know As Legal Duty To Consider AI Takes Shape

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    While the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce’s recent statement on liability for artificial intelligence harms is nonbinding for both U.K. and U.S. lawyers, it highlights the importance of being able to distinguish between the availability of a tool and a professional obligation to use it, say Jonny Frank and Michael Costa at StoneTurn.

  • WWE Sanctions Ruling Pins Down Spoliation Lesson

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    The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent verdict in favor of WWE investors may be the most carefully calibrated spoliation sanctions decision in recent memory, and it should reshape how counsel approach their motions — including in federal court, says Ricky Weingarten at Slarskey.

  • Series

    Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    After 2026's second quarter, there is more authority rejecting class certification on total loss valuation theories from courts at the federal circuit, federal district and state appellate level — along with a resolution of a novel issue of depreciation on a wildfire claim, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Surviving A Long Trial

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    Most of law school trial advocacy is geared toward the sprint of trying a short case, but beyond managing a cross-examination or closing argument, effectively handling the marathon of a lengthy trial requires the ability to maintain composure, organization and credibility with the jury, says Mihir Elchuri at Hirschler.

  • Series

    Going To Hardcore Shows Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While government contracts law and the hardcore scene may seem entirely unrelated, in my experience, both are about community, focus, being prepared for the unexpected and managing chaos, says Isaac Natter at Fluet.

  • Navigating The Limits Of Calif. Justices' Public Pension Ruling

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    Despite the California Supreme Court's recent holding that counties and cities wield discretion over classification and salary decisions for their public retirement board staff, it is important to remember that such authority is not unchecked as unreasonable rejections remain subject to judicial review, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Justices' FTC Ruling Weakens Qui Tam's Constitutional Base

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s holding in Trump v. Slaughter, expanding presidential control over those exercising executive power, suggests that courts may be receptive to arguments challenging the constitutional foundations of the False Claims Act’s qui tam mechanism, says Daniel Passeser at Wiggin.

  • Series

    Being A Sommelier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a sommelier has quietly shaped how I practice law by changing the way I think, communicate and connect with people, and offers a constant reminder that expertise is about making your knowledge useful and accessible to others, says Kara Du at Sheppard.

  • A Shift In How Policymakers Are Approaching PBM Regulation

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    Recent federal and state legislative and regulatory activity involving pharmacy benefit managers represent a change in focus from transparency to PBM compensation structures, vertical integration and competitive effects, say attorneys at Barclay Damon.

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