Plaintiffs Lack Standing To Bring ERISA Fee Litigation Case

A federal district court in Georgia dismissed claims by participants in Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s 401(k) plan who alleged that Delta breached its ERISA fiduciary duties by allowing the plan to invest in funds that allegedly charged excessive fees and unperformed against comparable funds. Consistent with rulings in other jurisdictions, the court held that plaintiffs lacked Article III standing because they failed to allege that they were invested in the challenged funds or that they paid excessive fees. In so holding, the court explained that personal injury is a prerequisite to standing even when plaintiffs purport to bring their claims on behalf of a 401(k) plan. The court also rejected plaintiffs' argument that the mere fact that defendants allegedly violated ERISA rights creates an injury to them. The case is Johnson v. Delta Air Lines, Inc., No. 1:17-cv-02608, ECF No. 53 (N.D. Ga. Dec. 12, 2017).