PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - ERISA Forfeiture Litigation
Background - In a wave of class-action litigation beginning around 2023, plaintiffs have alleged violations of fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and prohibited transaction rules in...more
Since September 2023, ERISA plaintiff’s firms have filed approximately 60 class action lawsuits challenging the longstanding practice of plan sponsors using plan forfeitures to offset their employer contributions in 401(k)...more
Another week, another Adams v. Goliath story in the world of ERISA litigation—and this time, Goliath is Cigna. The company is now facing its second lawsuit in as many months over how it handled forfeitures in its $13 billion...more
On July 9th, the Secretary of Labor filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit relating to the appeal of Hutchins v. HP, Inc. In that case, a participant claimed that forfeitures should have been used to offset plan...more
ERISA is filled with traps for the unwary. Some are complex, hiding in layers of regulatory nuance. Others are deceptively simple—like plan forfeitures. Yes, I’m talking about those dollars left behind when participants fail...more
UBS has found itself the latest target in the growing wave of ERISA litigation surrounding the handling of forfeitures in 401(k) plans. In Czakoczi v. UBS AG et al., filed in the District of New Jersey, the allegations mirror...more
Schlichter Bogard, LLC represents participants of the $7 billion Charter Communications, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan in a class action against Charter Communications, Inc....more
In Hutchins v. HP Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed – with prejudice – the plaintiff's claims challenging the use of forfeited employer 401(k) contributions. This is the latest...more
The most recent wave of ERISA litigation is focused on the use of plan forfeitures in 401(k) plans, with the newest case, Armenta v. WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. being filed just last week. Although, for years, many...more
There has been a recent uptick in ERISA class actions challenging the use of 401(k) plan forfeitures. Forfeitures are employer contributions that participants forfeit when they leave employment before those contributions vest...more
The Wagner Law Group continues to monitor the ongoing flood of “forfeiture” litigation. This alert is our seventh reporting on and analyzing the nature of the claims raised by plaintiffs, the defenses asserted against them,...more
The Wagner Law Group continues to monitor the recent flood of retirement plan “forfeiture” litigation. This alert is our eighth update reporting on and analyzing the nature of the claims raised by plaintiffs, the defenses...more
Forfeiture funds in 401(k) plans represent a unique asset pool with specific regulatory requirements and practical applications. Forfeiture funds arise when participants terminate employment with the company before becoming...more
A notable trend in ERISA litigation has emerged as in-house attorneys look to mitigate the risks of coming waves of class action litigation. Beginning in late 2023, there have been several challenges to the use of forfeiture...more
BAE Systems Inc. has won a class action lawsuit about misusing 401(k) plan forfeitures. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, granted BAE’s motion to dismiss...more
On September 19, 2024, the Southern District of California dismissed claims brought by a 401(k) plan participant against Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. regarding the use of forfeitures to offset future employer contributions. ...more
Recently had a client going through an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audit and while talking to an agent, they didn’t disagree with my theory that the idea of being able to reduce employer contributions through forfeitures...more
Last year, we alerted you to the filing of several class action lawsuits alleging that plan fiduciaries violated their duties of prudence and loyalty under Title I of ERISA by using forfeitures to reduce employer...more
We understand that running an automotive supplier business involves more than just industry-specific issues. That's why we regularly provide important insights and tips on broader legal trends to help you navigate challenges...more
Recent developments spotlight issues with forfeiture and other unallocated accounts in defined contribution retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans: •The IRS has set the deadline for plan forfeiture use. •Participants in...more
Last year, we alerted you to the filing of several class action lawsuits alleging that plan fiduciaries violated their duties of prudence and loyalty under Title I of ERISA by applying forfeitures to reduce employer...more
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
401(k) plan sponsors are seeing a string of lawsuits challenging their use of forfeitures to offset matching contributions. In the most recent suit, plaintiffs claimed that a 401(k) plan sponsor violated its fiduciary duties...more
There has been a rash of lawsuits recently challenging how forfeitures are used in retirement plans. (Forfeitures are the amounts remaining when the unvested portion of a participant’s account is forfeited.) The novel theory...more
Conflicting orders on motions to dismiss from two California courts foreshadow issues for a new theory of ERISA liability. Employers have faced a recent wave of novel ERISA class actions that challenge the reallocation of...more