ERISA litigation in United States
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP’s ERISA litigation practice has carved out a reputation as a leader in the highly publicized field of 403(b) university plan litigation, with Philadelphia-based practice heads Brian Ortelere and Jeremy Blumenfeld, and Chicago-based Deborah Davidson obtaining favorable rulings for clients such as Washington University, the University in St. Louis and Duke University. Stock-drop litigation is another field of expertise, with the team currently defending class actions against 401(k) plan sponsors in the aerospace and retail sectors. Christopher Boran and Melissa Hill, based in Chicago and New York respectively, regularly represent clients in the financial services, technology and public sectors in ERISA class actions involving breach of fiduciary and excessive fee claims. The team is also acting on unique cases concerning the calculation of mortality rates in the payout of defined benefit plans.
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Key clients
Cigna Corporation
City of New York
Honeywell
Jeffrey Slocum & Associates
Johns Hopkins University
FMC Corporation
Wawa
State of Hawaii
OSF Healthcare System
University of Pennsylvania
Work highlights
- Defending Boeing in stock-drop class action litigation filed against its Employee Benefit Plans Committee, Employee Benefit Investment Committee.
- Obtained full dismissal of a putative class action filed against Washington University in St. Louis which alleged excessive fees and other breaches of fiduciary duties.
- Successfully defended New York City Department of Education in withdrawal liability litigation (involving assets of $100m) filed by Division 1181 Amalgamated Transit Union-New York Employees Pension Fund.
- Represented PepsiCo in an ERISA class action filed by participants of the client’s pension plans alleging a miscalculation of annuity payments.
- Obtained a motion to compel arbitration for defendant JPMorgan Case, ending a putative class action alleging a failure to disclose mandatory information in the client’s COBRA notices.
O'Melveny & Myers LLP
The Washington DC-based ERISA litigation practice at O'Melveny & Myers LLP is a highly active defense counsel for 401(k) fiduciary breach claims against financial institutions, such as Brian Boyle, Shannon Barrett and Meaghan VerGow’s successful representation of Morgan Stanley in litigation concerning its proprietary investment strategies. Other recent matters in this field saw Los Angeles-based Catalina Vergara defending claims of retirement fund mismanagement and the usage of mutual funds in 401(k) plan investment choices, while the team also routinely handles excessive fee litigation. Gregory Jacob has a noteworthy practice in health plan disputes, having recently defended the recovery of overpayments to healthcare service providers.
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Shannon Barrett; Meaghan VerGow; Catalina Vergara; Gregory Jacob
Testimonials
‘I have worked the firm close to a dozen firms in the labor, employment and ERISA areas. There is no other firm that comes close to the superior knowledge, advice & counsel that they provide.‘
‘O’Melveny & Meyers has a unique ERISA litigation practice with outstanding, bright lawyers.‘
‘Gregory Jacob is a superior lawyer. He represented me personally and also gave advice to my company, which is a 100% employee owned ESOP. He provided superior and knowledgeable guidance, counsel and advice.‘
‘Brian Boyle, Greg Jacob, and Meaghan VerGow are absolute stand outs. The three compliment each other so well, with different demeanors, strengths and experiences. They are creative and highly collaborative, both among themselves and with other firms, when asked. They provide excellent client service.‘
Key clients
American Airlines
Chevron Corporation
Fidelity Management Trust Company
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Morgan Stanley Providence Health & Sciences
Prudential Insurance Company
T. Rowe Price
The Walt Disney Company
UnitedHealth Group
Work highlights
- Successfully represented Morgan Stanley in a putative class action case challenging the client’s reliance on proprietary investment strategies in its 401(k) plan.
- Representing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a putative class action filed by plaintiffs alleging a violation of fiduciary duties leading to excessive administrative fees.
- Obtained a dismissal of a putative class action for the Walt Disney Company which alleged fiduciary breaches in the management of the client’s 401(k) plan.
- Successfully represented Chevron Corporation in excessive fee litigation concerning prohibited transactions in its 401(k) plan comprising over $19bn of assets.
- Represented UnitedHealth Group in class action litigation challenging procedures used by the client to recover overpayments to healthcare providers.
Goodwin
Goodwin’s Boston-based ERISA litigation practice is currently engaged in significant class actions for plan sponsors, which concern the usage of proprietary funds in their investment strategies – a rapidly developing trend in ERISA litigation. Typical clients for practice head James Fleckner and Alison Douglass in this space are sourced from the asset management, healthcare and financial services sectors. High-profile insurance entities are counted on the client roster, which retain the team for disputes concerning loan practices and the pay out of lifetime insurance benefits. Fleckner and Jack Cleary are also handling a suite of stock-drop cases, including unique allegations concerning the mismanagement of failed ESOP plans. The team also enjoys a steady stream of mandates involving excessive fee charges and challenges to the denial of retirement health benefits.
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Testimonials
‘Goodwin’s ERISA litigation team has tremendous depth and experience, both with ERISA and with complex class actions and trials.‘
‘Goodwin’s ERISA litigation team is deservedly viewed as one of the best. They have exceptional depth and breadth of experience with exceptional knowledge of the law and litigation strategy.‘
‘The stand out here is Alison Douglass- a young partner who is bright, knowledgeable, and a tremendous partner for clients to work with.‘
‘Jamie Fleckner is an incredible litigator. He is quick on his feet and is able to explain complex subjects to the court in an easy-to-understand fashion.‘
‘Alison Douglass is an excellent litigator. She thrives at working with the client to develop the strongest possible case. Her knowledge of the law and understanding of the specifics of a case make her a powerful force.‘
‘Jamie Fleckner is the quarterback and MVP- known and respected in the industry, strategic and detail oriented and always available.‘
‘Matthew Riffee is timely, detailed, and works well with co-defendant counsel.‘
Key clients
American Century Investments
FirstGroup America, Inc.
Putnam Investments
Massachusetts Financial Services
Newport Trust Company
John Hancock Life Insurance Company
Stadion Money Management
BTG International
State Street Bank and Trust Company
Mercer Trust Company
Work highlights
- Successfully represented American Century Investments in an ERISA class action alleging fiduciary breaches brought by former participants in its 401(k) plan.
- Defending FirstGroup America in a $10m suit alleging mismanagement of 401(k) plan assets.
- Representing MFS Investment Management in a class action concerning the management of its $600m 401(k) plan.
- Representing Newport Trust Company in litigation concerning its administration of an ESOP, with damages of over $800m claimed.
- Representing healthcare company BTG International in a putative class action concerning the management of its $60m 401(k) plan.
Groom Law Group, Chartered
As the most comprehensive benefits boutique in the US, Groom Law Group has an expansive ERISA litigation team available to its client roster of plan sponsors, retirement funds and service providers. Michael Prame, Sarah Adams and practice head Lars Golumbic defend high-value class actions concerning breach of fiduciary and 401(k) fee litigation, claims involving executive compensation plans (including rabbi trusts and top-hat plans), contested plan terminations brought by the PBGC, and also cover withdrawal liability litigation. Adams also brings experience in church plan litigation, while class actions arising from ESOP investigations brought by the DOL are another strong point for Golumbic. The firm has an expansive health plan litigation offering through Mark Nielsen, who regularly acts on benefits disputes under the Americans with Disability Act. The firm is based in Washington DC.
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Testimonials
‘Best in class ESOP litigation practice with real experience of victories in litigation and unmatched familiarity with Labor Department.‘
‘Lars Golumbic is the top ESOP litigator in the country.‘
Key clients
Wilmington Trust, N.A.
Principal Financial Group
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Bankers Trust Company
Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan
Zander Group Holdings
EmblemHealth
Franciscan Alliance, Inc.
Stout Risius Ross
Financial Engines
M&T Bank
The Segal Company and Segal Advisors, Inc.
Supplemental Benefit Committee of the Navistar International Transportation Corp. Retiree Supplemental Benefit Program
GreatBanc Trust Company
Adventist Health System
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Matson Navigation Company, Inc.
Lowe’s Companies
New York State Teamsters Conference Pension and Retirement Fund
Catholic Health Initiatives
Greystar Management Services
West Corporation
McBride & Son Homes, Inc.
Procter & Gamble
Aetna
Work highlights
- Representing the Retirement Board of the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan in a five-count class action alleging breaches of fiduciary duties.
- Defended Financial Engines in a class action challenging the fee arrangements of the client’s investment advisory services.
- Defending Aetna in a class action claiming wrongfully denied coverage for proton beam therapy.
- Representing Principle Financial Group in two class actions alleging breach of fiduciary duty arising from the operation of target-date funds.
- Representing Lowe’s Companies in a class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty arising from investment options by the client.
Jenner & Block LLP
Recent innovative cases for Jenner & Block LLP’s Chicago-based ERISA litigation team involved defending asset managers in class actions concerning the management of multibillion dollar stock funds, and allegations of RICO violations in a plan sponsor’s 401(k) plan management. High-profile plan sponsors routinely entrust the team to handle fiduciary breach claims, stock-drop litigation and anti-cutback matters. Joseph Torres recently joined from Winston & Strawn LLP, and is currently representing clients in the chemical and energy sectors regarding vested lifetime benefits claims. Craig Martin and Amanda Amert left the firm for Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in March 2020.
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Testimonials
‘Jenner & Block’s ERISA litigation practice has unparalleled depth of experience.‘
‘I have been impressed with the entire team staffed to our case. Among the associates, Alexis Bates has been a particular stand out. She demonstrated a mastery of the facts of the case, and has impressed me in all of our interactions.‘
Key clients
The Northern Trust Company
Northwestern University
Morningstar
Alight Solutions
Associated Industries Management Services
Financial Engines
John Hamilton
Clair Couturier
United Refining Corporation
American Benefits Council
Aon Corporation
CenturyLink
PPG Industries
CONSOL Energy
Former Directors and Officers of Appvion Corporation
Work highlights
- Defending CenturyLink and CenturyLink Investment Management Company in fiduciary breach allegations brought by an investor in its 401(k) plan.
- Representing Northwestern University in a class action challenging administrative and investment management fees charged to the client’s 403(b) plan.
- Defended Morningstar in a class action suit alleging RICO violations arising from the administration of investment services in its 401(k) plan.
- Representing participants (both current and former employees) of Kroger’s pension plan in a breach of fiduciary claim against the fund’s trustees.
- Defending Associated Industries Management Services and affiliated parties in excessive fee litigation filed by the DOL.
Mayer Brown
Mayer Brown’s ERISA litigation experts are involved in a number of cutting-edge suits concerning 403(b) university plan litigation, with practice heads Nancy Ross and Brian Netter (based in Chicago and Washington DC, respectively) defending the likes of Georgetown University and Cornell University against high-value claims of fiduciary breaches. The team represents plan sponsors of publicly-listed companies in class actions challenging the administration of 401(k) plans, as well as novel matters involving the transferal of assets between defined contribution plans. Ross and Chicago-based Richard Novak are also engaged by ESOP trustees in litigation involving prohibited transaction claims.
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Testimonials
‘This team is simply outstanding- knows this area extremely well and are in high demand for their expertise. This is a complex area of law and the team is able to explain things in simple terms. Very responsive and pleasant to work with.‘
‘Nancy Ross and Deborah Hoffman are fantastic. They are experts in this area and able to break things down for non-ERISA attorneys to understand.‘
Key clients
AIG Insurance Company
AT&T
Columbia University
Cornell University
Georgetown University
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Northrop Grumman Corporation
University of Rochester
Whirlpool Corporation
Yale University
Work highlights
- Represented Northrop Grumman’s senior management in two class actions challenging the administration of its $16bn 401(k) plan.
- Obtained a dismissal for George Washington University in 403(b) plan litigation.
- Obtained a favorable summary judgement for Cornell University in litigation challenging the administration of its 403(b) plan.
- Representing AT&T in a class action challenging the administration of its $34bn 401(k) plan.
- Represented the National Production Workers Union Severance Trust in a novel suit concerning the transferal of assets from one 401(k) plan to another.
Miller & Chevalier Chartered
Health benefits litigation is a strong focus for Miller & Chevalier Chartered’s Washington DC-based ERISA litigation team, owing to its extensive roster of health insurance clients. Typical work in this field sees practice head Anthony Shelly defending claims of wrongful denial of ERISA benefits, violations of lifetime benefit limits and violations of the Affordable Care Act. On the pension plan front – a growing practice for the team – Theresa Gee often represents defined benefit plan sponsors in litigation against the PBGC concerning withdrawal liabilities and enforcement actions brought by the DOL; the latter reinforced by Gee’s long-serving role at the DOL. On that note, Michael Khalil recently departed the firm for a position as trial attorney at the DOL.
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Key clients
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Company
Caring for Montanans
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
The ERISA Industry Committee
Delphi Salaried Retiree Association (DSRA)
Delta Pilot’s Pension Preservation Organization
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
American Benefits Council
Estate of Phyllis Wyeth
Work highlights
- Defended health plan administrator Caring for Montanans (formerly known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana) in a $10m breach of fiduciary claim brought by The Depot.
- Representing the ERISA Industry Committee — on behalf of certain employers including Marriott International and Hyatt Corp. — in a challenge to the City of Seattle’s initiative to require large hotels to provide additional worker compensation unless they are provided health benefits of a certain value.
- Representing the Delta Pilots’ Pension Preservation Organization in a breach of fiduciary duty challenge to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation’s administration of the plan’s assets.
- Defending insurance company Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield in litigation brought by Air Vac EMS concerning alleged violations of ERISA’s provisions incorporating Affordable Care Act regulations.
- Representing Berkshire Hathaway in a putative ERISA class action suit challenging the client’s administration of its defined benefit and 401(k) plans.
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP’s ERISA litigation practice maintains a high profile by defending financial services clients in class action suits concerning their 401(k) investment plan management strategy; representative examples include New York-based Russell Hirschhorn’s representation of Wells Fargo in fiduciary breach allegations (a mandate which he took over from the recently retired practice co-head Howard Shapiro) concerning its $35bn plan. Also on this front, New York-based practice head Myron Rumeld is currently defending allegations of prohibited transaction violations involving proprietary investments. Another stand-out aspect of the team is its stock-drop litigation expertise, having obtained favourable results for plan sponsors in a number of cases before the Supreme Court.
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Testimonials
‘The team is staffed with ERISA experts whose careers are devoted to this work. They take great care in understanding their client and the unique facts that can be distinguished from other cases. They do not have a cookie cutter model for their cases; they are creative thinkers.‘
‘The team works together extremely well and everyone has a specific role with very little duplication of effort. Everyone on the team has ERISA expertise, but they take that expertise further and uniquely apply it to the facts of the case and the client’s specific circumstances. They are not afraid to try novel or untested arguments.‘
Key clients
Charles Schwab Corp.
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Neuberger Berman Group LLC
Wells Fargo & Co.
American Federation of Musician and Employers’ Pension Fund
Princeton University
Intel Corporation
Interpublic Group of Companies
Lockheed Martin
The New York Times
National Basketball Association
Work highlights
- Defended Wells Fargo in breach of fiduciary claims concerning the usage of target-fate funds.
- Successfully defended Neuberger Berman Group in excessive fee litigation
- Obtained a dismissal for The National Basketball Association in a class action alleging a short changing of pension benefits.
- Defending the Trustees of the American Federation of Musician and Employers’ Pension Fund in a class action lawsuit alleging a breach of fiduciary duty by engaging in risky, international emerging markets investments, among other allegations.
- Obtained a motion to dismiss for Wells Fargo concerning the usage of company stock as an investment option at a time when the plan fiduciaries allegedly knew or should have known about alleged improper sales practices.
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Spearheaded by San Francisco-based Kathleen Cahill Slaught and Chicago-based Ian Morrison, the vast geographical reach of Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s ERISA litigation offering makes it a choice for third-party plan administrators and service providers with a national footprint. The department works closely with the firm’s broader benefits practice to provide risk-mitigation advice and pre-litigation support, and handles the full scope of excessive fee, breach of fiduciary and prohibited transaction litigation. San Francisco-based Ward Kallstrom often represents plan sponsors and fiduciaries in claw-back claims against healthcare service providers, while Chicago-based Mark Casciari and Ronald Kramer are currently handling withdrawal liability litigation for defined benefit plan sponsors. The team is also experienced in disputes arising from cash-balance plan conversions.
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Testimonials
‘Kathleen Cahill Slaught is an excellent advisor- she is smart, knowledgeable, and is able to distill very complex issues into understandable, simple terms for our in-house team.‘
Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Nationally-recognized ERISA litigation expert Paul Ondrasik leads the team at Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Ondrasik is particularly experienced in stock-drop litigation, having defended household-name plan sponsors in high-profile class actions. Eric Serron and Sara Pikofsky routinely handle breach of fiduciary cases concerning the management of 401(k) plans, defined benefit plans and ESOPs, while Gwendolyn Prothro Renigar has a notable practice in representing health and welfare plan service providers in actions brought by the DOL. The team is also known for defending suits arising from the offering of employer securities as investment options, and is based out of Washington DC.
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Key clients
Express Scripts
National Indemnity Company
Allina Health System
Republic Services
Macys
Teamsters Joint Council No 83 of Virginia Pension
Work highlights
- Defending Express Scripts in a putative nationwide class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty from a failure to negotiate lower EpiPen prices for ERISA plan members.
- Defending National Indemnity Company in a class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA for a failure to remove the Sequoia Fund as an investment option in its 401(k) plan.
- Defending Allina Health System in excessive fee litigation.
- Defending Macy’s in claims brought by the Secretary of Labor alleging Title 1 violations in the operation of the client’s welfare benefits programs.
- Representing Republic Services and various individuals serving as plan fiduciaries in defense of a class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty and ERISA violations.
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Greenberg Traurig LLP’s ERISA litigation expertise spans the breadth of withdrawal liability, breach of fiduciary, stock-drop and healthcare plan disputes. Atlanta-based co-head Todd Wozniak has a notable practice in defending large-scale plan sponsors in fiduciary breach claims against their health and wellness plans concerning the provision of out-of-network services. Wozniak also has extensive ESOP litigation expertise, with recent issues involving high-value actions filed by the DOL. Practice co-heads Jeffrey Mamorsky and James Nelson, based in New York and Phoenix respectively, are also noteworthy contacts.
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Key clients
Stiefel Laboratories
GlaxoSmithKline
Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.
Henny Penny Corporation
Provident Trust Group
RVR, Inc.
RVNB Holdings, Inc.
Xilinx
VMware
Work highlights
- Representing Henny Penny Corporation in breach of fiduciary duty proceedings filed against the company’s ESOP trustee.
- Defending Stiefel Laboratories in a case brought by a former CFO alleging an undervaluation of his stock held in an employee stock bonus plan.
- Representing Provident – an individual retirement account (IRA) administrator – in a class action brought by IRA holders alleging breach of fiduciary duty. Potential damages are estimated at $100m.
- Represented consulting firm RVR as ESOP sponsor in a suit filed by the Secretary of Labor alleging a failure of due diligence and other ERISA violation upon to the sale of the company.
- Defending RVNB Holdings in a class action filed by former ESOP participants alleging ERISA violations connected to the termination of the ESOP.
Jackson Lewis P.C.
New Orleans-based firm Jackson Lewis P.C. experienced considerable growth in the ERISA litigation department with the high-profile additions of Howard Shapiro and Stacey Cerrone enhancing the firm’s status in this field. Shapiro co-heads the practice with René Thorne out of the New Orleans office; they provide expertise in church plan litigation, breach of fiduciary cases, prohibited transaction allegations and cash-balance litigation. Cerrone often represents health and welfare fund trustees, with a recent matter concerning an allegedly improper termination of a Health Reimbursement Account. Charles Seemann and Greenville-based Robert Wood are noted for handling disputes concerning the provision of medical and workplace-injury and benefits.
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Key clients
Honeywell, Inc.
Volvo North America, Inc.
DuPont
Franciscan Ministries
Sutter Health
LHC Group
Pfizer, Inc.
Work highlights
- Represented Volvo North America in ERISA litigation concerning a claim for medical benefits.
- Defended Franciscan Ministries in a suit alleging a substantial under funding of its pension plan.
King & Spalding LLP
Atlanta-based firm King & Spalding LLP is retained by a roster of clients in the financial services, energy and consumer goods sectors to handle the breadth of ERISA litigation matters. Recent highlights in the health plan space for practice head David Tetrick involved high-value liability claims to lifetime-vested benefits. On the plaintiff side, Washington DC-based Bobby Burchfield often represents healthcare service providers against plan administrators. Tetrick and Darren Shuler regularly defend plan sponsors in breach of fiduciary litigation, class actions concerning prohibited transactions, and novel class actions concerning the usage of proprietary funds in 401(k) investment strategy.
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Testimonials
‘Has breadth and depth of experience and the ability to not only spot potential issues ahead of time, but to think through a strategy to deal with them under different scenarios.‘
‘The firm brings an unprecedented amount of knowledge and experience to the ERISA litigation area. The value of such experience in this area cannot be overstated.‘
Key clients
The Coca-Cola Company
The Home Depot
SunTrust Banks, Inc.
Peabody Energy Corporation
Mueller Water Products
Moen, Inc. (a subsidiary of Fortune Brands)
Aramco Services Company
Chevron Corporation
CNH Industrial
Meritor Inc.
Borg Warner
Work highlights
- Representing The Home Depot in a class action challenging excessive fees of chosen investment advisors and poor investment returns of its 401(k) plan.
- Defending SunTrust Banks in a class action concerning the usage of proprietary funds as investment alternatives in its 401(k) plan.
- Successfully defended Solvay U.S.A. in breach of fiduciary claims against its health and welfare benefit plans.
- Defending The Coca-Cola Company in a dispute involving an ERISA top-hat plan for senior executives. The claims concern the entitlement to a deceased employee’s benefits.
- Representing DaVita and its dialysis services clinics in litigation against several group health benefit plans for violations of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act and ERISA.
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
The growing ERISA litigation practice at McDermott Will & Emery LLP is headed up by Ted Becker and Christian Nemeth in Chicago, and Brian Cousin in New York. A lengthy roster of ESOP trustees calls upon the team to handle complex litigation and DoL investigations, as well as matters involving wrongful plan terminations, prohibited transactions and fiduciary breaches. The firm’s ERISA Health & Welfare Fiduciary Task Force was recently established in response to the growing field of health plan litigation; the team represents significant health insurance clients including Cigna and Aetna in this field.
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Key clients
Aetna
Banner Health
Chrysler
Cigna
Demoulas Super Markets
Ericsson
Houlihan Lokey Capital
Reliance Trust Company
The American Society of Appraisers
Trinity Industries
Work highlights
- Represented health insurance client Cigna in litigation brought by numerous hospitals alleging an unlawful denial of benefits claims.
- Represented health insurance client Aetna in an ERISA litigation case concerning the provision of benefits under a medical plan.
- Representing Ericsson in a case concerning the provision of disability benefits under ERISA.
- Defended DeMoulas Super Markets in a case concerning the management of assets in a profit-sharing retirement plan.
- Represented Cigna in a high-value ERISA class action brought by a nursing facility.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
A solid portfolio of financial services institutions and public companies call upon Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP’s ERISA litigation experts to handle high-stakes disputes. Practice head Lewis Clayton leads the team on cases involving fiduciary breach allegations, high-value stock-drop claims and actuarial malpractice disputes. Clayton and commercial litigator Jeffrey Recher are handling disputes surrounding the usage of third party investors in a client’s plan investment strategy. The team is based in New York.
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Key clients
Bank of New York Mellon
ExxonMobil Corporation
Citigroup/Salomon Smith Barney
SS&C Technologies, Inc.
Dave & Buster’s Entertainment
The Kraft Heinz Company
Work highlights
- Defending DST Systems against allegations of ERISA violations relating to the diversification of its 401(k) plan and performance of the Valeant investment.
- Representing the Employee Benefits Administration Board of Kraft Heinz in an ERISA class action concerning $15.4bn in non-cash impairment charges reported by Kraft Heinz to its goodwill and intangible assets.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Representative matters for Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP’s ERISA litigation practice involve defending plan sponsors in challenges to the administration of health benefits plans, 401(k) fiduciary breach allegations and enforcement actions by the DOL. Employment litigation practice head Jeffrey Klein and Nicholas Pappas, both based in New York, are key contacts.
Arent Fox LLP
Arent Fox LLP’s ERISA litigation team focuses on healthcare disputes, with a steady stream of managed care litigation on behalf of healthcare service providers. Recent work in this field saw Washington DC-based practice head Caroline English handling both multimillion-dollar out-of-network reimbursement and surprise-billing disputes. The team also has a more modest pension plan offering for plan sponsors (including 401(k) fiduciary breach and stock-drop litigation), while English regularly represents debtors in bankruptcy proceedings involving retirement plan assets.
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Key clients
Suffolk School Employees Health Plan and Trustees
Work highlights
- Representing the Suffolk School Employees Health Plan and Trustees in withdrawal liability litigation brought by the Sayville School District.
Baker McKenzie LLP
San Francisco-based practice co-head James Baker and Chicago-based co-head Lisa Brogan are go-to names at Baker McKenzie LLP for ERISA litigation. Typical mandates involve ERISA fiduciary litigation for insurance companies, lawsuits involving the denial of severance pay, healthcare plan disputes and defending defined benefit plan sponsors in withdrawal liability litigation. Baker also cites a niche expertise in acting for employer-sponsored plan participants against health plan service providers. 401(k) stock-drop litigation, ESOP disputes and cash-balance plan disputes are also handled.
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Key clients
UA Local 38 ERISA Trust Funds
Quest Diagnostics
EVI
Allied Universal
Headlands Technologies
Covington & Burling LLP
Covington & Burling LLP handles high-profile ERISA litigation cases involving annuity contracts, breach of fiduciary claims, prohibited transactions and actions by the DOL. Key contacts include Jeffrey Huvelle, Robert Newman and Christian Pistilli, all based in Washington DC.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
ERISA litigation cases at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP are handled by the broader litigation team which includes the Los Angeles-based Christopher Chorba and Richard Doren, along with Washington DC-based Jason Schwartz. The team has experience in cases involving the recovery of overpayments to healthcare service providers and withdrawal liabilities. Former practice co-head Eugene Scalia now acts as the United States Secretary of Labor.
Jones Day
Considerable expertise in withdrawal liability disputes makes Jones Day’s ERISA litigation offering a preferred choice for plan sponsors of multiemployer funds; recent engagements for Washington DC-based practice head Evan Miller involved questions relating to actuarial assumptions for The New York Times, as well as successor liabilities for a national grocery supplier. The team is also engaged in disputes concerning the provision of health benefits and breach of fiduciary claims.
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Key clients
Reynolds American, Inc. No
General Motors No
C&S Wholesale Grocers
The New York Times
Peabody Energy Corporation
Timken
MillerCoors
United Natural Foods Inc.
Work highlights
- Representing C&S Wholesale Grocers in contesting a $60m withdrawal liability claim brought by the NY Teamsters Pension Fund.
- Obtained a dismissal for Halliburton of a class action filed by former employee alleging an unlawful denial of early-retirement benefits.
- Defending Flowers Foods in a suit brought by medical provider Experience Infusion Center alleging a failure to properly pay for medical treatments provided to the spouse of a company employee.
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Based in New York and leveraging the firm’s significant roster of multiemployer clients, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP’s ERISA litigation leader Ronald Richman represents plan sponsors and administrators in disputes concerning the withdrawal liabilities of multiemployer funds. A recent stand-out matter saw Richman representing the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers’-Publishers’ Pension Fund in a high-profile dispute against The New York Times.
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Key clients
Newspaper and Mail Deliverers’-Publishers’ Pension Fund
NRF and Laundry Dry Cleaning Workers Allied Industries Retirement Fund
Work highlights
- Represented the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers’ Publishers’ Pension Fund in a landmark $26 million withdrawal liability dispute against The New York Times and the New York Daily News.
- Represented NRF and Laundry Dry Cleaning Workers Allied Industries Retirement Fund in a $60m withdrawal liability dispute.
Sidley Austin LLP
Sidley Austin LLP provides a full-service ERISA litigation practice, fielding expertise in stock-drop litigation, breach of fiduciary class actions, excessive fee claims, and health and welfare plan litigation. Mark Block, Joel Feldman and Eric Mattson – all based in Chicago – are key contacts.