Howard Shapiro > Jackson Lewis P.C. > New Orleans, United States > Lawyer Profile
Jackson Lewis P.C. Offices

601 Poydras Street
Suite 1400
New Orleans, LA 70130
LOUISIANA
United States
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Howard Shapiro

Work Department
ERISA Litigation
Position
Principal and Co-Leader of the ERISA Litigation practice group
Career
Howard Shapiro is a principal in the New Orleans, Louisiana, office of Jackson Lewis P.C., and is co-leader of the firm’s ERISA Complex Litigation group. Howard focuses his practice on the defense of large, sophisticated ERISA class actions.
Howard defends “bet-the-company” litigation where damages are potentially material. His cases involve the defense of Defined Benefit plans, 401(k) Plans, and 403(b) Plans. He also defends litigation involving health and welfare plan issues. His practice is nationwide, and throughout his career, Howard has appeared as counsel across the entire country. Typically, his cases involve damage allegations in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars. Howard has defended cases involving: breach of fiduciary duty; breach of the duty of loyalty; Prohibited Transactions; 401(k) Plan asset performance, fees, and expense issues; 403(b) Plan asset performance, fees, and expense issues; defined benefit plan asset issues, accrual issues, and cut-back issues; Cash Balance Plan issues; ESOP litigation; fiduciary misrepresentation claims; sophisticated preemption issues; Executive Compensation litigation, both pension and welfare claims; Directed Trustee claims; retiree rights litigation; severance plan class actions; Section 510 cases; and complex benefit claim cases. He has appeared in federal courts from coast to coast while maintaining an active national ERISA litigation practice.
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Labor and employment > ERISA litigation
(Hall of Fame)Jackson Lewis P.C. covers a full spectrum of ERISA litigation, including defending employers, plan sponsors, plan administrators and fiduciaries in class actions, as well as defending private pension plans across multiple jurisdictions. The team works closely with its colleagues in the Employee Benefits Practice Group to advise clients in all aspects revolving around benefits, plan design and ERISA litigation. Howard Shapiro co-leads the practice with René Thorne, and is a key name in defending bet-the-company litigation, including the defense of defined benefit plans, 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Stacey C.S. Cerrone is the office litigation manager and focuses on the defense of ERISA class actions filed against public and private single employer ERISA plan sponsors and fiduciaries, which is also an area of strength for Lindsey H. Chopin, alongside church and government plan claims. Robert W. Rachal focuses on ERISA fiduciary and benefits matters across the country, alongside covering all types of ERSIA litigation, from ESOP stock overvalue claims to claims that 401(k) fees were excessive. Charles Seemann III is experienced in defending ERISA plans and plan fiduciaries for both public and private companies, and is active in defending large COBRA and ERISA class actions in addition to ESOP litigation. All lawyers mentioned are based in New Orleans.
Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame United States > Labor and employment > ERISA litigation
- ERISA litigation United States > Labor and employment
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Labor and employment > ERISA litigation
- Labor and employment > Labor-management relations
- Labor and employment > Immigration
- Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions)
- Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design