September 04, 2026
The Seventh Circuit kept an Arkansas pharmacy benefit manager rule in place as not preempted by federal benefits law, the Fourth Circuit revived an Altria ex-worker's dispute over benefit plan documents, and the Eleventh Circuit reversed a pretrial win for Royal Caribbean in cruise workers' suit challenging 401(k) funds. Here, Law360 looks at those and two other major appellate decisions from August involving ERISA that benefits attorneys may want to know.
August 14, 2026
A recent Fourth Circuit decision in a retirement plan dispute between tobacco giant Altria and an ex-worker underscored how service provider contracts can introduce snags in litigation, with benefits attorneys warning that employers may want to review documents with the potential for disclosure in mind.
August 10, 2026
The Fourth Circuit revived part of an ex-Altria worker's suit claiming the company didn't move quick enough to liquidate his 401(k) assets so he could invest the cash in anticipation of a stock market bump, finding Monday he was improperly denied a contract document for the plan's record keeper.