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Benefits
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August 15, 2024
Okla. Says 10th Circ. PBM Ruling Defies High Court Precedent
Oklahoma urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Tenth Circuit decision nullifying certain parts of a state law regulating pharmacy benefit managers, arguing the appeals court's ruling openly conflicts with sister circuits and previous high court rulings while pushing federal benefits law beyond its limits.
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August 14, 2024
Computer Equipment Co. Hid Demand Decline, Investor Says
Cloud network equipment company Extreme Networks Inc. misled investors about its financial prospects and declining client demand as its customers' buying habits changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.
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August 14, 2024
Wintrust Escapes BlackRock 401(k) Fund Suit
An Illinois federal judge agreed Wednesday to permanently toss a proposed class action against Wintrust Financial Corp. alleging mismanagement of an employee 401(k) plan, finding ex-workers hadn't plausibly alleged their employer violated federal benefits law by offering what they said were underperforming target-date funds.
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August 14, 2024
Fuel Co. Can't Halt Fund's Contributions Dispute, Judge Says
An airplane fueling services company can't escape claims from a Teamsters benefit plan seeking more than $150,000 in unpaid contributions and other costs, a New York federal judge ruled, finding ambiguities with provisions in an agreement about contribution obligations preclude dismissal.
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August 14, 2024
Calbiotech Beats Ex-Worker's 401(k) Retaliation Suit
A former Calbiotech Inc. employee must return a $12,500 payment he received after being terminated, a California federal judge ruled, finding he breached his severance agreement by filing a lawsuit claiming he was let go for asking about the life sciences company's 401(k) plan documents.
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August 14, 2024
Judge Blocks Missouri's Anti-ESG Rules, Handing SIFMA Win
A Missouri federal judge found Wednesday that the state's anti-ESG rules for brokers and advisers violate the First Amendment and are preempted by federal laws, handing the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association an early win in its suit against state officials.
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August 14, 2024
Nordstrom Saddled 401(k) Plan With High Fees, Workers Say
Nordstrom cost workers millions in savings by failing to trim excessive fees from its $3.4 billion retirement plan and using forfeited plan funds to cushion its contribution promises, a group of current and former workers alleged in a suit filed in Washington federal court.
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August 14, 2024
Chancery Says Unisys Must Advance Ex-Workers' Legal Fees
Pennsylvania information technology company Unisys Corp. must front the legal fees and expenses for two executives it hired away from French competitor Atos SE and then sued for trade secret infringement after they went back to Atos two years later, Delaware's Court of Chancery has ruled.
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August 13, 2024
Atlassian Again Beats Investor Suit Over Software Co.'s Slump
Investors in software company Atlassian Corp. haven't shored up claims that the company hid a slowdown in a key growth metric before a 2022 earnings miss, a San Francisco federal judge has decided, dismissing a proposed class action but giving plaintiffs one more shot at their claims.
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August 13, 2024
2nd Circ. Partially Revives Retirees' JPMorgan Benefits Suit
The Second Circuit on Tuesday partially resurrected a retired JPMorgan Chase employee's putative class action claiming it failed to properly notify and inform workers after the retirement plan was converted to a cash balance plan, ruling that JPMorgan had properly notified retirees as to only some aspects of the change.
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August 13, 2024
Intuit Can't Escape Ex-Employee's 401(k) Forfeiture Suit
A California federal judge has rejected Intuit's bid to toss a former employee's proposed class action claiming the company improperly used money from forfeited, nonvested accounts to reduce its own 401(k) matching contributions, but the judge trimmed claims the plaintiff agreed to drop related to the plan's administrative committee.
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August 13, 2024
10th Circ. Says Mine Can't Undo Worker's Black Lung Benefits
A Tenth Circuit panel on Tuesday rejected a coal mining company's attempt to prevent a retired Utah miner from getting benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act, finding the miner's time working in above-ground facilities did not remove the law's presumption in his favor.
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August 13, 2024
9th Circ. Reverses Order Sending Insulin Suit To State Court
The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday sided with CVS Caremark and Express Scripts, ruling that a lower court erred in 2023 when it agreed to send California's allegations of inflated insulin prices back to state court.
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August 13, 2024
Quarry Liable For Layoff Notices, NLRB Tells DC Circ.
The National Labor Relations Board correctly found that a quarry operator illegally issued layoff notices to union supporters, the agency argued to the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday, saying the company hadn't followed its practice of laying people off during cold weather.
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August 13, 2024
Yellow Takes Teamsters' Win Over Restructuring To 10th Circ.
Yellow Corp. has asked the Tenth Circuit to revive its $137 million lawsuit accusing the Teamsters of driving the logistics firm into bankruptcy by fighting a necessary corporate restructuring, according to an appeals notice.
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August 13, 2024
Wash. Social Media Ban Violates Workers' Free Speech
The Washington State Court of Appeals has said a state law barring injured workers from posting videos of their state workers' compensation medical exams on social media is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights.
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August 13, 2024
Ex-Rep. Santos Warned Not To Hide Evidence As Trial Nears
A New York federal judge cautioned former U.S. Rep. George Santos on Tuesday that failing to turn over discovery could box in his defense to allegations of campaign finance fraud and other criminal charges at a trial set to begin next month.
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August 13, 2024
Capital Group Can't Force 401(k) Fund Suit To Arbitration
A California federal court refused to force individual arbitration of a proposed class action against The Capital Group Companies Inc. from a 401(k) plan participant alleging mismanagement, finding an arbitration provision in plan documents couldn't waive statutory rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
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August 13, 2024
Ex-Tilray Exec Can Collect $4M Arbitration Award
A Minnesota federal judge has confirmed a more than $4 million arbitration award in favor of a former Tilray Brands Inc. executive who took the company to arbitration over her termination, finding that the pharmaceutical company hasn't established that the award should be vacated.
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August 13, 2024
Firms In State Street Case See $400K Slashed From Fee Bid
A Massachusetts federal judge known for scrutinizing attorney fees in class action suits trimmed more than $400,000 from a requested award for two firms who led a $4.3 million settlement with State Street Corp. over its employees' 401(k) plans.
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August 12, 2024
9th Circ. Won't Rethink Upending Sutter Health Antitrust Win
The Ninth Circuit refused Monday to reconsider a panel's split decision overturning Sutter Health's defeat of insurance plan purchasers' $400 million antitrust suit, summarily rejecting hospital system arguments that the court wrongly put in play corporate "purpose" and decades-old communications.
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August 12, 2024
Norfolk Southern Says Cuts To Investors' Suit Aren't Enough
Norfolk Southern Corp. told a New York federal court on Friday that a magistrate judge's recommendations to trim an investor proposed class action over losses stemming from the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, derailment didn't go far enough, and urged the court to dismiss the entire complaint.
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August 12, 2024
Kimberly-Clark Cuts Settlement Deal In 401(k) Fee Suit
Kimberly-Clark Corp. agreed to settle a proposed class action from participants in the toilet paper company's $4 billion employee 401(k) plan who alleged mismanagement, according to a mediator's report filed in Texas federal court.
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August 12, 2024
Beyond Meat Escapes Investor Suit Over Production Woes
A California federal judge has tossed a proposed class action accusing vegan burger manufacturer Beyond Meat of securities fraud, saying investors will need to be more specific about what the company's CEO knew at the time he touted the company's allegedly faltering partnerships with fast-food restaurants like McDonald's.
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August 12, 2024
Ex-Morris James Paralegal Loses Unemployment Pay Fight
Delaware's Supreme Court on Monday denied an ex-Morris James LLP paralegal's attempt to revive his bid to collect unemployment benefits after he agreed to leave the firm, saying he failed to show that a lower court made a "reversible error" in upholding the denial of his jobless pay bid.
Expert Analysis
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9th Circ. Clarifies ERISA Preemption For Healthcare Industry
The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Bristol SL Holdings v. Cigna notably clarifies the broad scope of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's preemption of certain state law causes of action, standing to benefit payors and health plan administrators, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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A Closer Look At Feds' Proposed Banker Compensation Rule
A recently proposed rule to limit financial institutions' ability to award incentive-based compensation for risk-taking may progress through the rulemaking process slowly due to the sheer number of regulators collaborating on the rule and the number of issues under consideration, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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Perspectives
Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.
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Series
Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.
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How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case
The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.
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Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content
From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.
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Series
Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.
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How HHS Discrimination Rule Affects Gender-Affirming Care
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' new final rule, which reinterprets the Affordable Care Act's anti-discrimination provision, greatly clarifies protections for gender-affirming care and will require compliance considerations from sponsors and administrators of most group health plans, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance
A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.