Benefits

  • August 19, 2025

    ​​​​​​​CSX To Shell Out $440K In DOL Retirement Plan Fee Suit

    CSX Transportation Inc. and the U.S. Department of Labor asked a Florida federal judge Tuesday to sign off on a $440,000 settlement ending the agency's lawsuit alleging the company unlawfully deducted fees from a trust devoted to funding its employee retirement plans.

  • August 19, 2025

    Trump's 'Abnormal' Use Of FCA Could Get Tricky In Court

    The Trump administration is wielding the False Claims Act in unusually narrow ways to drive policies on social and cultural issues — including gender-affirming care and diversity, equity and inclusion programs — but the government's potential theories of liability under the federal law remain largely untested and might not hold up in court, experts say.

  • August 18, 2025

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Executives and board members of Cencora Corp. tentatively settled a stockholder derivative suit for $111.25 million, VectoIQ board members reached a $6.3 million deal on stockholder claims over electric carmaker Nikola's prospects, and class attorneys who secured a $50 million derivative suit settlement saw their proposed 25% attorney fee cut by almost half. Here's the latest from the Delaware Chancery Court.

  • August 18, 2025

    Honeywell Defeats Ex-Worker's 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge tossed a proposed class action Monday alleging Honeywell violated federal benefits law by putting 401(k) forfeitures toward employer-side contribution obligations instead of defraying administrative expenses, finding an ex-worker hadn't backed up claims the spending breached fiduciary duties or caused prohibited transactions.

  • August 18, 2025

    2nd Circ. Partially Reopens Grocery Chain 401(k) Fee Suit

    The Second Circuit partially revived a proposed class action Monday against a Northeastern U.S. grocery chain alleging mismanagement of an employee 401(k) plan, finding a lower court wrongly tossed some allegations in the suit for failure to state a claim.

  • August 18, 2025

    NJ Seeks To Toss Ex-Judge's 'Second Bite' In Firing Suit

    New Jersey on Friday asked a state court to award it a victory over some claims by a former workers' compensation judge that she was unconstitutionally removed from her job after similar claims in a separate suit of hers were rejected in December.

  • August 18, 2025

    Weil Lands Kirkland Executive Compensation Pro In LA

    Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP is expanding its West Coast team, announcing Monday it is bringing in a Kirkland & Ellis LLP executive benefits expert as a partner in its year-old Los Angeles office.

  • August 15, 2025

    DOJ Backs Small Biz In Gender Dysphoria Coverage Dispute

    The U.S. Department of Justice told a New Hampshire federal court Friday that employers are not required under federal anti-discrimination laws to provide medical coverage for gender dysphoria, and that federal religious freedom law protects a turbomachinery company from covering a transgender employee's treatment for the disorder.

  • August 15, 2025

    Prudential, Microsoft Worker Settle Disability Pay Fight

    Prudential Insurance and a Microsoft employee told a Washington federal court they agreed to settle a suit in which the worker accused the company of failing to consider his stock awards when calculating his disability pay.

  • August 15, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Sun Life Can't Nix Worker's Benefits Challenge

    A split Second Circuit panel resuscitated a worker's suit challenging Sun Life's decision to deny her long-term disability benefits, ruling a release she signed with her employer didn't bar her from suing the insurance company because she was assured the agreement wouldn't block her ability to collect benefits.

  • August 15, 2025

    $111.25M Del. Settlement Proposed For Cencora Opioid Suits

    Executives and board members of Cencora Corp. — formerly AmerisourceBergen — have tentatively settled for $111.25 million a Delaware Court of Chancery stockholder derivative suit accusing them of taking a "devil may care" attitude toward the illegal distribution of opioid painkillers at the center of a nationwide addiction epidemic.

  • August 15, 2025

    NY Fines Insurer Healthplex $2M Over Cybersecurity Failures

    A dental insurance provider has agreed to pay a $2 million penalty and undergo an audit of its multifactor authentication controls in order to resolve the New York financial regulator's claims that its failure to implement robust cybersecurity safeguards led to an email phishing attack that exposed customers' sensitive data.

  • August 15, 2025

    Judge Removes Atty From Case Over 'Egregious' Citations

    An Arizona federal judge has revoked a Washington state-based attorney's ability to practice in the Grand Canyon State and removed her as counsel in a social security disability lawsuit over a court filing containing fake and misleading case citations.

  • August 15, 2025

    X Denied Early Win In Ex-Worker's WARN Act Fight

    A California federal court turned down X Corp.'s bid for an early win in a suit alleging Twitter employees weren't given proper notice of mass layoffs that followed Elon Musk's takeover of the social media company, citing disputes between the parties over why the ex-worker who sued was let go.

  • August 14, 2025

    OptumRx Flags Email Accidentally Sent To Opioid MDL Parties

    UnitedHealth subsidiary OptumRx Inc. is seeking a ban on secret communications with the Ohio federal judge overseeing sprawling national opioid litigation after the court-appointed special master accidentally sent the company an email, intended for the judge, celebrating a "gambit" that prevented objections to his decision.

  • August 14, 2025

    Energy Co. Can't Avoid 401(k) Forfeiture, Fee Fight

    A Florida federal judge refused Thursday to toss a proposed class action against NextEra Energy from an employee 401(k) participant who alleged plan forfeitures were misspent and that a recordkeeper illegally profited off retirement plan earnings, opening discovery on allegations that the conduct violated federal benefits law.

  • August 14, 2025

    Las Vegas Cos. Owe $1.2M In Union Pension Row, Judge Says

    Two window-washing companies in Las Vegas are on the hook for more than $1.2 million in withdrawal liability to a union pension plan, a Nevada federal judge determined, concluding the businesses are successors of older companies.

  • August 14, 2025

    ServiceNow Inks $925K Deal In 401(k) Target-Date Fund Suit

    Software company ServiceNow will pay $925,000 to settle a proposed class action alleging the business cost workers millions in savings by failing to trim underperforming target-date funds from its 401(k) plan, according to filings in California federal court docketed Thursday.

  • August 14, 2025

    HCA Settles Antitrust Claims Over Mission Health Contracts

    HCA Healthcare Inc. has made several commitments for the operation of its Mission Health hospital system in North Carolina and also agreed to establish a $1 million charity fund to settle claims from municipalities that it used contractual terms to thwart competition and raise prices.

  • August 13, 2025

    Dick's Sporting Goods Suit Should Be Trimmed, Judge Says

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has recommended trimming a shareholder class action that claims Dick's Sporting Goods misled investors about inventory levels and losses because of theft after the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that some of the suit's challenged statements are forward-looking and inactionable, among other things.

  • August 13, 2025

    Labcorp Wins ERISA Trial As Judge Cites Stronger Witnesses

    Medical testing chain Labcorp did not breach its duty of prudence to its multibillion-dollar employee retirement investment fund, a North Carolina federal judge ruled Tuesday after a trial, saying two plaintiffs' experts earned little credibility.

  • August 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Greenlights Expansive Use Of Discovery Statute

    The Ninth Circuit ruled for the first time that documents produced under a foreign discovery statute may be used in proceedings other than those identified in a petition, affirming an Oregon federal court decision in an acrimonious dispute over control of a Luxembourg-based investment fund.

  • August 13, 2025

    High Court's Trans Ruling Doesn't Change Insurer's ACA Loss

    A Washington federal judge has reaffirmed his finding that Premera Blue Cross' coverage policy for gender-affirming chest surgery violates the Affordable Care Act, rejecting the insurer's bid for a redo following the Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti.

  • August 13, 2025

    8th Circ. Revives Ark. Ban On Youth Gender-Affirming Care

    A split Eighth Circuit en banc panel revived an Arkansas state law banning gender-affirming care for minors, finding that a district court erred in blocking the law because it does not discriminate based on sex but instead classifies based only on age and medical procedure.

  • August 13, 2025

    Chancery OKs $7.5M Atty Fee In $50M Lutnick Bonus Battle

    Class attorneys who secured a $50 million derivative suit settlement fully offsetting a disputed bonus paid in 2021 to former Newmark Group Inc. controller and current Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saw their proposed 25% attorney fee cut to 15% by a Delaware vice chancellor on Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Recent Cases Highlight Latest AI-Related Civil Litigation Risks

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    Ongoing lawsuits in federal district courts reveal potential risks that companies using artificial intelligence may face from civil litigants, including health insurance coverage cases involving contractual and equitable claims, and myriad cases concerning securities disclosure claims, say attorneys at Katten.

  • Opinion

    We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment

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    As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • Series

    Performing Stand-Up Comedy Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether I’m delivering a punchline on stage or a closing argument in court, balancing stand-up comedy performances and my legal career has demonstrated that the keys to success in both endeavors include reading the room, landing the right timing and making an impact, says attorney Rebecca Palmer.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From SEC To BigLaw

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    As I adjusted to the multifaceted workflow of a BigLaw firm after leaving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, working side by side with new colleagues on complex matters proved the fastest way to build a deep rapport and demonstrate my value, says Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block.

  • Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession

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    For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.

  • Opinion

    It's Time To Fix The SEC's Pay-To-Play Rule

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    Nearly 15 years after its adoption, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's pay-to-play rule is not working as intended — a notion recently echoed by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce — and the commission should reconsider the strict liability standard, raise the campaign contribution limits and remove the look-back provision, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

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    The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 6th Circ. Ruling Paves Path Out Of Loper Bright 'Twilight Zone'

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright ruling created a twilight zone between express statutory delegations that trigger agency deference and implicit ones that do not, but the Sixth Circuit’s recent ruling in Moctezuma-Reyes v. Garland crafted a two-part test for resolving cases within this gray area, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • Potential Impacts Of IRS' $1M Affiliate Pay Deduction Cap

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    If finalized, a recent Internal Revenue Service proposal expanding Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code to include the highly compensated employees of affiliates would make tracking which executives may be subject to the limit from year to year far more complex, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

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