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Sarah Adams

Sarah Adams

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Groom Law Group, Chartered

Groom Law Group, Chartered

United States • Labor and employment

1

ERISA litigation

Based in Washington DC, Groom Law Group, Chartered provides clients with a nationwide service focused in the defense of ERISA class actions, with expertise in a broad range of matters covering breach of fiduciary duty litigation, including 401(k) and excessive fee and investment litigation, to ESOP-related lawsuits. Lawyers, including co-chair Lars Golumbic, have been active in representing health plan sponsors and health insurers in actions brought under under the Affordable Care Act and Mental Health Parity, as well as representing plan fiduciaries and other stakeholders in matters concerning plan funding, restructuring, withdrawal liability and plan termination. Michael Prame benefits from his accounting background and experience with actuarial principles to help clients with defined benefit plans, as well as working through the legal and financial issues raised by the PBGC or other parties in M&A activity. Sarah Adams represents clients in class actions and government investigations, having represented defendants in employer stock, imprudent investment, 401(k) and 403(b) litigation, while William Delany is noted for his focus on defending clients against ERISA class actions.
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Profile
groom.com

Profile

Position

Principal

Career

Sarah Adams is an experienced litigator whose primary practice involves representing clients in class actions and government investigations. She litigates on behalf of ERISA plan sponsors, fiduciaries, alleged fiduciaries, and service providers facing allegations of ERISA violations and related claims. In particular, Sarah represents defendants in employer stock, affiliated funds, imprudent investment, 401(k) and 403(b) litigation, actuarial malpractice, and church plan putative class action litigation.

She devotes a significant portion of her practice to working on behalf of fiduciaries and others involved in employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) litigation and Department of Labor investigations.

In addition to her litigation practice, Sarah advises multiemployer plans with respect to funding and restructuring issues, including withdrawal liability issues and compliance with Pension Protection Act requirements. She focuses her efforts on finding solutions for very troubled multiemployer plans, offering them guidance with respect to rehabilitation plans and funding improvement plans. Sarah was instrumental in filing the first petition for modification of benefits under the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act.

Sarah also advises clients with respect to retiree health issues, including litigating on behalf of a major airline in bankruptcy proceedings. She also represents fiduciaries responsible for administering retiree health plans, providing day-to-day counseling as well as litigating on their behalf when necessary.

Sarah is a frequent speaker and writer on recent developments in both the multiemployer plan world and the ERISA class action defense arena.

CLERKSHIPS

  • Law Clerk, The Honorable Robert B. King, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Memberships
  • Member, American Bar Association
Education

University of Michigan Law School
J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif

Drew University
B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

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Key clients

  • Aerotech
  • AMPAM Parks Mechanical
  • BAE Systems
  • Hess Corporation
  • Lift
  • MidAtlantic Trust Company
  • North Highland
  • Regents of the University of California
  • Schnader Harrison
  • Telephone & Data Systems
  • Aetna Life Insurance Company
  • Alerus Financial