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Benefits
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August 07, 2025
Anthem Seeks Exit From Lab's $3.8M Insurance Suit
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Connecticut again asked a federal judge to let it out of a lab's $3.8 million suit alleging the company failed to pay 3,000 insurance claims for medical tests, arguing that the lab's second amended complaint didn't make up for the deficiencies that got most of the first one dismissed.
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August 07, 2025
2nd Circ. Axes Challenge To Medicare Drug Price Negotiations
In a published opinion Thursday, the Second Circuit turned away Boehringer Ingelheim's constitutional and administrative challenge to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, finding that the program is voluntary and it was lawfully implemented under the Inflation Reduction Act.
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August 07, 2025
Rising Star: Skadden's Mary E. Grinman
Mary E. Grinman of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP has defended several large employers in proposed class actions alleging retirement plan mismanagement, including Liberty Mutual and JPMorgan, earning her a spot among benefits practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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August 07, 2025
Trump Greenlights Private Equity, Crypto 401(k) Investing
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that aims to make it easier for retirement plans to invest in a wider range of assets, including cryptocurrency, private equity and real estate.
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August 07, 2025
7th Circ. Backs $75M In Chicken Price-Fixing Settlements
The Seventh Circuit rejected an appeal from restaurants challenging $75 million in settlements inked in the broiler chicken price-fixing litigation with Koch Foods Inc. and House of Raeford Farms Inc., after finding an analysis of prices failed to show the deals were unreasonable.
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August 07, 2025
Vanguard, Investors Agree To Settle After Axed $40M Tax Deal
Vanguard and investors have reached a second deal in a suit over allegations of surprise tax bills from a fund restructuring after a Pennsylvania federal judge scrapped a previous settlement in which the class would have fetched $40 million, the parties said Thursday.
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August 07, 2025
Alcoa Can't Stop Order Reinstating Retirees' Lifetime Benefits
Alcoa USA Corp. lost its bid to pause an injunction reinstating lifetime healthcare benefits for a class of unionized retirees, their surviving spouses and dependents, with an Indiana federal judge finding the Seventh Circuit is likely to uphold the lower court's reasoning.
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August 07, 2025
Mass. High Court Affirms $1M Pension Loss For OT Fraud
The forfeiture of $1 million in pension and health benefits following a Massachusetts state trooper's conviction in an overtime fraud scheme is not so grossly disproportionate to the offense that it violates the state constitution's prohibition on excessive fines, Massachusetts' highest court concluded on Thursday.
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August 07, 2025
Defense Cos. Get Forfeiture Claims Cut From 401(k) Suit
A Kansas federal judge largely declined to toss two ex-workers' claims that defense contractors improperly retained costly investment options in their retirement plans but threw out allegations that the companies violated federal benefits law by using forfeited plan funds to cover their contribution obligations.
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August 06, 2025
6th Circ. Rips 'Stalking Horse' Ploy In Drug Negotiation Suit
The pharmaceutical industry will feel the sting of a Wednesday loss in a wide-ranging war over Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices, as the Sixth Circuit tossed a suit and accused one major company of utilizing a "stalking horse" to sue in a more favorable forum.
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August 06, 2025
6th Circ. Orders Redo Of Pension Fund Withdrawal Liability
The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday said a pension fund's actuary must redo his estimate of a Michigan-based paving company's withdrawal liability, likening the actuary to an oddsmaker giving a bad estimate of how many points a college basketball team will give up in a game because he is "just rude."
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August 06, 2025
Compelling ERISA Arbitration No Sure Thing, 9th Circ. Shows
The Ninth Circuit aligned with several other federal appeals courts when it recently struck down a clause in a food service company's employee health plan that barred class or representative actions, marking the latest in a series of setbacks for employers looking to push federal benefits suits into solo arbitration.
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August 06, 2025
Masimo Drops Founder Joe Kiani From 'Empty Voting' Suit
Masimo Corp. has agreed to free its founder, Joe Kiani, from the medical technology company's suit alleging he manipulated a shareholder vote through an "empty voting" scheme, pointing to "the interest of judicial efficiency and economy."
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August 06, 2025
Texas Hospital Should Face Retirement Plan Suit, Judge Says
A Houston hospital shouldn't dodge a proposed class action claiming it failed to remove a J.P. Morgan fund from its $2.8 billion employee retirement plan despite the investment option's consistent underperformance, a Texas federal magistrate judge recommended Wednesday, saying the allegations are solid enough to stay in court.
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August 06, 2025
Wells Fargo Worker To Pay $3M To Settle ESOP Class Claims
A Wells Fargo employee will pay $3 million to resolve claims against her in a class action alleging owners of an electrical component company and managers of its employee stock ownership plan undervalued the plan's shares when the program shut down, according to a filing in Massachusetts federal court.
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August 06, 2025
Rising Star: Cohen Milstein's Ryan Wheeler
Ryan Wheeler of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC has recovered millions of dollars for his clients in benefits cases, like one claiming that Citgo shorted retirees in pension payments, and another saying that an Illinois casino used an employee stock ownership plan to craft a shady company sale, earning him a spot among the benefits law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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August 06, 2025
LA Seeks To Nix Attys In Ex-Cop's Military Leave Bias Suit
Attorneys for a former Los Angeles Police Department lieutenant improperly obtained and tried to use a privileged email between a city attorney and a current LAPD lieutenant in a military bias suit, the city said, urging a California federal court to disqualify them from the case.
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August 05, 2025
Wash. Judge Questions Injunctions' Scope In Head Start Case
A Washington federal judge asked attorneys Tuesday to explain how the U.S. Supreme Court's decision concerning nationwide injunctions might impact efforts by a group of Head Start associations to halt federal directives restricting noncitizen access to the program and use of funds for diversity initiatives.
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August 05, 2025
OptumRx Urges Panel To DQ Motley Rice In LA Opioid Suit
OptumRx told a California appellate panel Tuesday that Motley Rice should be disqualified from representing Los Angeles County in a lawsuit alleging it colluded with drugmakers to fuel the opioid crisis, saying the firm violated state law by using confidential information obtained in the case in other lawsuits it's handling against Optum.
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August 05, 2025
UBH Patients Score Partial Win In Mental Health Claims Fight
A California federal judge handed a partial win Tuesday to a class of participants in employee health benefit plans who sought coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatments from United Behavioral Health, holding the company's overly restrictive guidelines breached fiduciary duties under federal benefits law.
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August 05, 2025
Law Profs Urge 11th Circ. To Toss Judge-Shopping Sanctions
A group of seven law school professors is urging the Eleventh Circuit to toss a sanctions ruling against three attorneys for judge shopping, arguing that federal law does not forbid the practice and citing the "potentially chilling effect the order will have on counsel, especially those involved in pro bono representation."
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August 05, 2025
White & Case Lands Baker Botts Benefits Chair
The firmwide executive compensation and employee benefits chair at Baker Botts LLP became the 20th U.S. lateral partner to join White & Case LLP this year, according to a Tuesday announcement.
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August 05, 2025
Rising Star: Proskauer's Justin S. Alex
Proskauer Rose LLP partner Justin S. Alex has tackled the benefits aspects of a slew of major sports industry deals over the past 15 years, including the sales of three NFL teams, earning him a spot among the benefits law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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August 05, 2025
Ex-Officer Says LAPD Withheld Info In Military Leave Bias Suit
A former Los Angeles Police Department officer claiming he was passed over for a promotion because of his military status said he has not received the records he requested containing information about similarly situated employees.
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August 05, 2025
Teva Settles Claims Over Delayed Generic Asthma Inhalers
Teva Pharmaceuticals has settled a 2023 lawsuit by a coalition of union healthcare funds accusing the company of thwarting the introduction of a generic version of its QVAR inhalers to the market, according to a filing in Massachusetts federal court.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence
Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.
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Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises
“No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.
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Partially Faulting Airline For 401(k) ESG Focus Belies ERISA
A Texas federal court's recent finding that American Airlines breached its fiduciary duty of loyalty, but not of prudence, by letting its 401(k) pursue environmental, social and governance investments, misinterprets the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's standard of care, says Jeff Mamorsky, a Cohen & Buckmann partner and ERISA drafter.
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How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work
Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.
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10 Issues To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting
This year, in addition to evergreen developments driven by national security priorities, disruptive new technologies and competition with rival powers, federal contractors will see significant disruptions driven by the new administration’s efforts to reduce government spending, regulation and the size of the federal workforce, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.
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Series
Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.
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Opinion
Undoing An American Ideal Of Fairness
President Donald Trump’s orders attacking birthright citizenship, civil rights education, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs threaten hard-won constitutional civil rights protections and decades of efforts to undo bias in the law — undermining what Chief Justice Earl Warren called "our American ideal of fairness," says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Opinion
Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice
A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.
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In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege
Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.
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Disability Ruling Guides On Cases With Uncertain Causation
In Dime v. MetLife, a Washington federal court’s recent ruling in favor of a disability claimant instructs both claimants and insurers on the appropriate standard for establishing and making a disability determination when there is limited medical evidence explaining the disability’s cause, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
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Tax-Free Ways To Help Employees After The LA Wildfires
Following the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, there are various tax-free ways to give employees the resources and flexibility they need, including simpler methods like disaster relief payments under Internal Revenue Code Section 139 and leave-sharing programs, and others that require more planning, says Ligeia Donis at Baker McKenzie.
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Series
Collecting Rare Books Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My collection of rare books includes several written or owned by prominent lawyers from early U.S. history, and immersing myself in their stories helps me feel a deeper connection to my legal practice and its purpose, says Douglas Brown at Manatt Health.
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Rethinking How To Engage Shareholders, Activists Via Proxies
This proxy season, companies should consider visually driven proxy statements that highlight the board's strengths, the alignment between executive compensation and performance, and a commitment to sustainability and risk management to earn the support of investors and fend off hostile acquirers, say Craig Clay and Ron Schneider at DFIN.
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Opinion
Judge Should Not Have Been Reprimanded For Alito Essay
Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor's New York Times essay critiquing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for potential ethical violations absolutely cannot be construed as conduct prejudicial to the administration of the business of the courts, says Ashley London at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.
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Lights, Camera, Ethics? TV Lawyers Tend To Set Bad Example
Though fictional movies and television shows portraying lawyers are fun to watch, Hollywood’s inaccurate depictions of legal ethics can desensitize attorneys to ethics violations and lead real-life clients to believe that good lawyers take a scorched-earth approach, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.