News & Analysis as of

Fiduciary Duty Retirement Plan Compensation & Benefits

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Don’t Count on PEPs to Deliver Big for Amazon’s DSPs

Vestwell made headlines today by announcing a new partnership with Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program to offer Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) to delivery associates. Sounds impressive, right? Let’s slow down. I’ve...more

Carlton Fields

Unsafe Harbor? Deregulation and the Limit of the Secure Act Safe Harbor for Selection of Lifetime Income Provider

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On January 31, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14192, titled“ Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation.” Its stated purpose was to encourage the reduction of private expenditure required to comply with federal...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Texas Federal Court Allows an ERISA Fiduciary Challenge Against Alleged "ESG Investing" Without Any ESG Funds

Troutman Pepper Locke on

On January 10, 2025, in Spence v. American Airlines, a federal district court in Texas ruled that American Airlines (the company) and the committee overseeing its 401(k) plans (the committee) breached their duty of loyalty...more

Pullman & Comley - Labor, Employment and...

Employee Benefit Plan Fiduciaries: Why Solid Fee Benchmarking Should Be On Your To-Do List

Certain transactions between employee benefit plans and “parties in interest” are prohibited under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). ...more

Carlton Fields

DOL ESG Rule Withstands Demolition of Chevron Deference

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In Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the U.S. Supreme Court knocked down Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc., leaving the doctrine of Chevron deference in rubble. The doctrine stated that, when a...more

Alston & Bird

IRS Proposes Changes to 401(k) Catch-Up Contributions

Alston & Bird on

Our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group discusses what plan sponsors and fiduciaries need to know about the Internal Revenue Service’s proposed changes for employees 50 or older who make additional elective...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Supreme Court Lowers Bar to Pleading Prohibited Transactions, Despite “Serious Concerns” of Meritless Litigation

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In a unanimous decision reversing dismissal of prohibited transaction claims based on fees paid to defined contribution plan recordkeepers, the Supreme Court held that ERISA’s prohibited transaction exemptions are affirmative...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Correcting Liquidity, Valuation, or Transfer Problems With OTC-Traded Stocks in Retirement Plans to Minimize Enforcement and...

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Over 8,000 stocks trade on American stock exchanges, but billions of dollars in daily trades in these listed stocks and 12,000 more unlisted (non-exchange-traded) stocks occur outside of an exchange in Over-The-Counter...more

Saul Ewing LLP

The Friday Five: Five ERISA Litigation Highlights - February 2025

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This month’s Friday Five covers an appellate ruling on a complicated case raising both state and federal claims, an instance of procedural improprieties in the administrative review process informing the court’s substantive...more

Carlton Fields

Insurer Allowed to Benefit From Foreign Tax Credits Distributed by Underlying Funds

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The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a life insurance company did not breach its fiduciary duties by retaining the benefits that it derived from foreign tax credits. The plaintiffs argued that, under...more

Pullman & Comley - Labor, Employment and...

Retirement Plan Update – Forfeitures are New Focus of Fiduciary Breach Litigation

Many employer-sponsored defined contributions plans, including 401(k) profit sharing plans and money purchase pension plans include a vesting schedule – a period over which a plan participant earns a nonforfeitable right to...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

DOL Issues New Guidance Streamlining the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program

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The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a much awaited amendment to its Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFC Program). Notably, the amendment adds a self-correction feature for the delinquent transmittal of...more

DLA Piper

Supreme Court Debates ERISA Exemptions in Cunningham v. Cornell University

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The US Supreme Court heard argument on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from Cornell University and its employees over dismissal of a class action alleging that Cornell University’s retirement plan paid unreasonable recordkeeping...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

The DOL May Not Actually Want to Hear From You: New Guidance Streamlining the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program

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The DOL updated its voluntary fiduciary correction program (“VFCP”) which was introduced over 20 years ago to allow plan sponsors to corrected enumerated fiduciary breaches. The amended VFCP now allows for self-correction of...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Organizing Your Company’s Health and Welfare Plans Part 2: Creating a Committee Checklist

Saul Ewing LLP on

In the prior article we discussed the reasoning behind creation of a health and welfare committee to oversee administration of the health and welfare plans. In creating a charter, a plan sponsor will need to decide whether to...more

Carlton Fields

The Case of Excessive Fees: Supreme Court to Investigate Pleading Standard in ERISA Excessive Fee Litigation

Carlton Fields on

ERISA class action litigation against retirement plan fiduciaries remains a prominent feature of the legal landscape this year. These lawsuits typically involve allegations that plan fiduciaries acted imprudently in...more

Williams Mullen

Annual Employee Benefits Compliance Checklists - Corporate Counsel

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The following checklist highlights key issues for corporate counsel with respect to employee benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements....more

Williams Mullen

PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - ERISA Forfeiture Litigation

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On this episode of Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion, host Brydon DeWitt discusses pending court cases regarding the proper use of forfeitures that arise under defined contribution plans. He outlines how these new...more

Nossaman LLP

Court of Appeal Ends Decade-Long Dispute and Upholds Board’s Fiduciary Decisions Regarding Funding of Retirement System

Nossaman LLP on

On March 27, 2024, after nearly a decade of dispute and five years of litigation, the First District Court of Appeal unanimously rejected all claims that a participating employer brought against the Alameda County Employees’...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Considerations When Establishing a New 401(k) Plan or Migrating to a New 401(k) Provider

Fenwick & West LLP on

Establishing a new 401(k) plan or migrating to a new 401(k) provider is a complex process involving multiple stakeholders. Companies should expect up to four months between the commencement of the process until finalization...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

SeaWorld Litigation will continue

A class action lawsuit brought by former SeaWorld employees that alleged participants in the SWBG LLC 401(k) plan were harmed will continue. The former employees’ arguments sustained the fiduciary breach of the duty of...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Court Finds Named Plaintiffs Inadequate to Represent Proposed Class on ERISA Excessive Fee Claims

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: A recent decision from the Eastern District of Michigan serves as a reminder that—while courts are often quick to certify classes in ERISA cases—plaintiffs must satisfy the requirements of Rule 23 and that...more

Robinson Bradshaw

Fiduciary Fundamentals: The Basics

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The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a body of federal laws and regulations that govern the provision and operation of certain employer-sponsored benefit plans. While its structure and requirements...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Senator wants crypto option, good luck

As Bitcoin starts inching back up, I’m in the black again and expect more clamor for crypto options in 401(k) plans. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, reintroduced legislation to create a law, the Financial Freedom Act...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

2 ERISA Rulings Highlight Need for Different Defense Tactics

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Albert Einstein is famously credited with saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." This adage comes to mind as defense counsel continue to resort to the same strategies for...more

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