Seyfarth Synopsis: The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently rejected the application of the doctrine of equitable estoppel to prevent a plan trustee from enforcing the clear terms of the plan. So, it bears...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: A federal district court denied a motion to dismiss an ERISA complaint that was based in large part on secondhand “information and belief” allegations about the defendants’ business operations. The...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In a decision with major significance for ERISA plans, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld the validity of forum selection clauses in those plans....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The courts have stated that their review of fiduciary decisions is both exacting and deferential. A recent decision from the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit offers help to ERISA benefit...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Supreme Court dismissed, prior to any discovery, claims of ERISA fiduciary breach because the plan participant-plaintiffs failed to show that the alleged breaches caused them concrete injury. ...more
6/8/2020
/ Article III ,
Breach of Duty ,
Defined Benefit Plans ,
Duty of Loyalty ,
Duty of Prudence ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Injury-in-Fact ,
Investment Adviser ,
Mismanagement ,
Pensions ,
Plan Participants ,
Retirement Plan ,
SCOTUS ,
Standing ,
Thole v U.S. Bank
Seyfarth Synopsis: The central tenets of ERISA are to provide as much freedom as possible, within minimal parameters, to draft ERISA plans, and then to honor the terms of the plans. COVID-19 may very well cause increased...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Two recent lower court decisions provide a primer on when a prevailing party in an ERISA case may recover fees (as a fee award is not automatic) and a window into the future of video hearings to resolve fee...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Administrators of ERISA plans frequently receive requests from participants, beneficiaries, and their representatives for plan-related documents. A recent decision from the Court of Appeals for the Fifth...more
12/3/2019
/ Beneficiaries ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Document Management ,
Document Requests ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Failure to Produce ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Form 5500 ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
Pensions ,
Plan Administrators ,
Plan Documents ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
Statutory Penalties ,
Statutory Violations
Seyfarth Synopsis: Reversing course and overruling previous precedent, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit now holds that ERISA plan mandatory arbitration and class action waiver provisions are enforceable, and can...more
10/16/2019
/ 401k ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Breach of Duty ,
Charles Schwab ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Contract Terms ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Retirement Plan
Synopsis: A recent 4th Circuit decision reiterates the importance of aligning a plan fiduciary’s administrative claim and appeal review process with the standards for a “full and fair review” under U.S. Department of Labor...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently held that once a multi-employer pension fund accelerates withdrawal liability periodic payments into a lump sum liability, there is no statutory...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Seventh Circuit has now applied a clear error standard of review to a withdrawal liability arbitrator’s interpretation of a collective bargaining agreement, thus enhancing the role of the arbitrator in...more
1/16/2018
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitrators ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employment Litigation ,
Pension Funds ,
Pensions ,
Retirement Plan ,
Standard of Review ,
Unions ,
Withdrawal Liability
In April, the Department of Labor issued new regulations under ERISA related to individuals who offer investment advice to ERISA plans, their fiduciaries, or participants for a fee.
The DOL now says that a fiduciary is...more