May 20, 2026
The Ninth Circuit appeared reluctant Wednesday to revive a suit alleging that HP Inc. violated federal benefits law by using forfeited 401(k) funds to defray employer-side contribution obligations, with judges questioning whether plan participants backed up allegations that the tech company hadn't been sufficiently loyal or prudent.
May 01, 2025
An Arizona federal judge nixed a proposed class action from workers who claimed a trucking company illegally used abandoned cash in its retirement fund to pay down its own contributions rather than covering plan fees, saying the workers' "novel theory" wasn't in line with federal benefits law.
March 05, 2025
It remains unclear whether a California federal judge keeping alive a proposed class action that challenges the use of forfeited funds in a Clorox employee 401(k) plan means similar cases will gain traction, but experts say plans are already getting tweaked to stave off forfeiture claims.
February 06, 2025
A California federal judge dismissed a proposed class action claiming HP Inc. should have used forfeited funds in its 401(k) plan to pay down administrative fees instead of its own contributions, stating the former worker behind the case hasn't shown the tech company did anything wrong.
August 16, 2024
A California federal judge's recent decision refusing to toss a federal benefits lawsuit alleging Intuit misspent 401(k) plan forfeitures shows how a novel pleading under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act has gained a foothold in some district courts, attorneys say. Here's a rundown with attorneys on the Intuit ruling and what to expect as more large employers are being targeted with proposed class action litigation challenging 401(k) forfeiture spending.
July 18, 2024
A former HP employee retooled his lawsuit accusing the company of unlawfully using former workers' forfeited 401(k) funds to satisfy its own contributions, telling a California federal court the company was presented with a conflict of interest in deciding how to use the money.
June 18, 2024
A California federal judge threw out a proposed class action that accused HP of unlawfully using former workers' forfeited 401(k) funds to satisfy its own contributions, saying nothing in federal benefits law required the company to use the funds to cover plan expenses.
April 11, 2024
Several recent lawsuits challenging how employers use 401(k) forfeitures — which occur when a worker leaves before an employer's matching contributions fully vest — are approaching critical early tests, with rulings expected on dismissal bids in the coming months. Here, Law360 looks at how this area of Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation has gained traction, and what to look out for next.