ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ

Benefits

  • July 21, 2025

    States Say Noncitizen Benefit Restrictions Are Creating Chaos

    A coalition of 20 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration on Monday for "upending" noncitizens' access to publicly funded programs like Head Start and food banks.

  • July 21, 2025

    Aetna's Price-Fixing Suit 'Like Forum Shopping,' Judge Says

    Aetna Inc.'s lawsuit alleging 23 pharmaceutical companies fixed prices for generic drugs seems like an attempt to work around a pause in similar Pennsylvania litigation, a Connecticut state judge said Monday, appearing sympathetic to the defendants' argument for dismissal or a stay.

  • July 21, 2025

    Mismanagement Cost Nokia 401(k) Plan $100M, Suit Alleges

    Two former Nokia workers have hit their ex-employer with a proposed Employee Retirement Income Security Act class action in New Jersey federal court, accusing the company of mismanaging its 401(k) plan.

  • July 21, 2025

    DOL Rescinds ERISA Guidance On Citi Racial Equity Program

    The U.S. Department of Labor rescinded a Biden-era opinion letter Monday that had backed Citi's commitment to pay fees for diverse investment managers overseeing Citi-sponsored benefit plans regulated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, saying the letter no longer reflected the department's views.

  • July 21, 2025

    2nd Circ. Backs Union Win Over Concrete Cos. In CBA Fight

    The Second Circuit on Monday refused to revive a fringe contributions dispute between two concrete companies and a group of union fringe benefit funds, affirming a lower court's decision to hand the union an early win that was partially based on the companies' failure to respond to discovery requests.

  • July 18, 2025

    Law360 Names 2025's Top Attorneys Under 40

    Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2025, our list of more than 150 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.

  • July 18, 2025

    4th Circ. Remands Insurance Award Feud Over FAA Confusion

    In a published decision that refers to the Federal Arbitration Act as "not a triumph of legislative draftsmanship," the Fourth Circuit on Friday overturned the enforcement of an arbitral award favoring health insurance service providers that is being challenged over an arbitrator's alleged conflict of interest.

  • July 18, 2025

    Judge Questions Basis For Planned Parenthood Funding Cuts

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Friday pressed the government for any plausible rationale, besides retaliation, for a provision in Congress' budget reconciliation that will prevent Planned Parenthood and its affiliates from receiving Medicaid reimbursements if any one of them offers abortion services.

  • July 18, 2025

    3rd Circ. Won't Halt Corteva Pension Judgment For Appeal

    The Third Circuit has refused to halt judgment against Corteva Inc. and DuPont while they challenge a verdict in favor of employees who claimed the chemical companies failed to inform them about benefit changes stemming from a merger and spinoff, which netted the plaintiffs' counsel nearly $6.4 million in fees and costs.

  • July 18, 2025

    6th Circ. Won't Revive Ex-Ruby Tuesday Execs' Benefits Fight

    The Sixth Circuit refused to reopen a suit from former Ruby Tuesday managers and executives alleging Regions Bank inadequately protected their retirement plan benefits that were liquidated in bankruptcy, concluding a lower court was right to end the case in the bank's favor.

  • July 18, 2025

    2 Firms Score $35.5M Atty Fees In $71M Rate-Swaps Deal

    Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP have been awarded $35.5 million for their work on scoring $71 million in settlements of multidistrict litigation with top international investment banks, ending claims they allegedly schemed to limit market competition over interest rate swaps.

  • July 17, 2025

    COVID Fraudster Says State Can't Rescind Firefighter Pension

    A former Connecticut firefighter who pled guilty in relation to a West Haven COVID-19 relief fund scam says he should keep the pension he earned through 26 years of service in a neighboring city, arguing his crime bore no connection to his onetime employment and did not breach his union contract.

  • July 17, 2025

    REI Escapes 401(k) Suit Over Recordkeeping Fee Threshold

    REI defeated a proposed class action claiming it unlawfully only charged 401(k) participants for administrative costs if they had at least $5,000 in their accounts, with a Washington state federal judge saying federal benefits law doesn't require fiduciaries to distribute expenses equally.

  • July 17, 2025

    Problematic Fund Harmed Health Tech Co. 401(k), Court Told

    Health technology company Philips North America cost workers millions by retaining a stable value investment fund in its $5 billion retirement plan that produced dismal returns for workers and by mismanaging forfeited funds, three workers told a Massachusetts federal court.

  • July 17, 2025

    Firm Seeks NC Top Court's Take On Ex-Partner's Benefits Fight

    Cranfill Sumner LLP asked North Carolina's top court on Thursday to take up its case challenging a former partner's workers' compensation award, saying a lower court made a mistake in ruling his equity stake in the firm doesn't offset the amount he's owed.

  • July 17, 2025

    Equinix OKs $41.5M Settlement Of Capital Spending Claims

    Data center developer Equinix has agreed to pay $41.5 million to settle class claims from a pension fund saying the company mislabeled spending on maintenance expenses over a five-year period to earn executives bonuses of $150 million.

  • July 16, 2025

    8th Circ. Sends Part Of OptumRx Pricing Fight To Arbitration

    The Eighth Circuit partially reversed a ruling Wednesday that denied pharmacy benefits manager OptumRx's bid to send a drugstore's proposed class action over generics prescription reimbursements to arbitration, finding that OptumRx waived arbitration as to three claims, but an arbitrator must decide the fate of two recently pleaded claims.

  • July 16, 2025

    Pharmacy Benefit Managers Say Ohio Can't Recast Suit

    The state of Ohio can't "recast its complaint on appeal" in order to convince the Sixth Circuit that its enforcement suit accusing two pharmacy benefit managers of working to raise the cost of prescription drugs belongs in state court, those managers have told the appellate court.

  • July 16, 2025

    Union Pension Fund Says Cos. Can't Get Fees In ERISA Row

    A Tennessee federal judge should deny two companies' "extraordinary" request for a union pension fund to cover their attorney fees in an Employee Retirement Income Security Act dispute, the union argued Wednesday, saying the section of ERISA the lawsuit was lodged under doesn't allow for attorney fee awards.

  • July 16, 2025

    Cornell Workers Urge 2nd Circ. Remand Suit Justices Revived

    Cornell University workers urged the Second Circuit to remand their sweeping class action alleging retirement plan mismanagement to New York federal court, arguing that the lower court should decide whether to hold a jury trial on a claim that the U.S. Supreme Court revived in April.

  • July 16, 2025

    Arby's Parent Says Workers' Tobacco Fee Suit Lacks Support

    The parent company of Arby's, Dunkin' and other fast-food chains urged a Georgia federal court to toss a proposed class action claiming employees in its health plan were unlawfully charged more for using tobacco, arguing workers didn't allege their premiums stayed elevated after completing a wellness program.

  • July 16, 2025

    Utility Co. Inks $7M Deal To End Pension Mortality Data Suit

    An electric utility holding company has agreed to pay $7 million to resolve a proposed class action alleging it underpaid retirees in pension benefits by calculating their payments using outdated mortality data, according to an Arizona federal court filing.

  • July 16, 2025

    Speaker's Aide Won't Rule Out 'Secure 3.0' Retirement Bill

    An aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson told tax attorneys in Washington, D.C., Wednesday that he's not ruling out Congress passing a retirement policy overhaul that's known informally as Secure 3.0, though exact timing on such an effort remains unclear because of the busy year-end schedule.

  • July 15, 2025

    Pool Supply Co. Escapes Investor Suit Over COVID-Era Sales

    Arizona-based pool supply company Leslie's Inc. won dismissal, for now, of an investor class action led by North Carolina's state treasurer that alleged the company botched disclosures about waning demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the court finding the allegations failed to state a claim for federal securities law violations.

  • July 15, 2025

    Biz Groups Urge 5th Circ. To Reverse BP's Pension Suit Loss

    Multiple business groups filed amici briefs with the Fifth Circuit asking the court to do away with a judgment in favor of 7,000 BP retirees who alleged that the oil giant underpaid their retirement benefits, saying the lower court's decision conflicts with "black letter law."

Expert Analysis

  • Philly Law Initiates New Era Of Worker Protections

    Author Photo

    A new worker protection law in Philadelphia includes, among other measures, a private right of action and recordkeeping requirements that may amount to a lower evidentiary standard, introducing a new level of accountability and additional noncompliance risks for employers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Volunteering At Schools Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Speaking to elementary school students about the importance of college and other opportunities after high school — especially students who may not see those paths reflected in their daily lives — not only taught me the importance of giving back, but also helped to sharpen several skills essential to a successful legal practice, says Guillermo Escobedo at Constangy.

  • Attacks On Judicial Independence Tend To Manifest In 3 Ways

    Author Photo

    Attacks on judicial independence now run the gamut from gross (bald-faced interference) to systemic (structural changes) to insidious (efforts to undermine public trust), so lawyers, judges and the public must recognize the fateful moment in which we live and defend the rule of law every day, says Jim Moliterno at Washington and Lee University.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Appreciating Civil Procedure

    Author Photo

    If you’re like me, law school’s often complex and theoretical approach to teaching civil procedure may have contributed to an early struggle with the topic, but when seen from a practical perspective, new lawyers may find they enjoy mastering these rules, says Chloe Villagomez at Foster Garvey.

  • Calif. Bar Exam Fiasco Shows Why Attys Must Disclose AI Use

    Author Photo

    The recent revelation that a handful of questions from the controversial California bar exam administered in February were drafted using generative artificial intelligence demonstrates the continued importance of disclosure for attorneys who use AI tools, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Del. Corporate Law Rework May Not Stem M&A Challenges

    Author Photo

    While Delaware's S.B. 21 introduced significant changes regarding controllers and conflicted transactions by limiting what counts as a controlling stake and improving safe harbors, which would seem to narrow the opportunities to challenge a transaction as conflicted, plaintiffs bringing shareholder derivative claims may merely become more resourceful in asserting them, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • What Parity Rule Freeze Means For Plan Sponsors

    Author Photo

    In light of a District of Columbia federal court’s recent decision to stay litigation challenging a Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act final rule, as well as federal agencies' subsequent decision to hold off on enforcement, attorneys at Morgan Lewis discuss the statute’s evolution and what plan sponsors and participants can expect going forward.

  • In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable

    Author Photo

    The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • SEC Signals Opening For Private Fund Investment Reform

    Author Photo

    At SEC Speaks in late May, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission made clear that it's considering allowing registered funds of private funds to be offered broadly to true retail investors, meaning existing funds should review their disclosures focusing on conflicts of interest, liquidity and fees, say attorneys at Stradley Ronon.

  • How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity

    Author Photo

    As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Law School.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

    Author Photo

    While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • At 'SEC Speaks,' Leaders Frame New Views

    Author Photo

    At the Practising Law Institute's recent SEC Speaks conference, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leadership highlighted the agency's significant priority changes, including in enforcement, crypto and artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

    Author Photo

    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Benefits archive.