9th Circ. Says ERISA Preempts UnitedHealth Claims Fight

By Kellie Mejdrich

The Ninth Circuit on Thursday backed a California federal court's decision to toss a medical collector's allegations of underpaid claims and state contract law violations by a UnitedHealth Group unit, agreeing that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act preempted the collector's suit.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Former Live Nation Workers See 401(k) Fee Suit Tossed

By Kellie Mejdrich

A California federal judge tossed a suit from two Live Nation ex-workers alleging excessive fees in their employee 401(k) plan, following the Ninth Circuit in August saying the workers hadn't specifically appealed the lower court's holding that the ticket sales company could enforce a class action waiver.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

$1M AAA Club Settlement Gets Final Nod In COBRA Suit

By Grace Elletson

A Michigan federal judge granted final approval Thursday to a $1 million settlement an American Automobile Association club brokered with a class of workers to resolve their suit claiming they weren't notified on time that they could extend their health insurance after their benefits ended.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Snap Investors' $65M Deal OK'd, But Attys Face 'Cheap' Judge

By Craig Clough

A California federal judge said Thursday he will grant preliminary approval of a $65 million deal to resolve a proposed securities class action against Snapchat, but warned the plaintiffs' side they will "have to see" about the request for 30% of the settlement in attorney fees because he is "notoriously cheap."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Lawmakers Debate Higher Pay, Health Benefits For Boxers

By Alex Lawson

An effort to revamp American boxing got underway on Capitol Hill on Thursday as lawmakers deliberated over legislation to provide better pay and workplace protections for fighters, with Democrats expressing concern over the potential for corruption to flourish in the sport.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Mortgage Insurer Inks $650K Deal To End ERISA Suit

By Grace Elletson

A mortgage insurance company has agreed to pay $650,000 to close a worker's proposed class action filed in North Carolina federal court claiming its mismanagement of an employee retirement profit sharing plan caused a $1.3 million loss.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

11th Circ. Won't Rehear NCR Corp. Compensation Fight

By Carolina Bolado

The Eleventh Circuit denied on Wednesday software company NCR Corp.'s request to rehear a case in which the court ruled that the company cannot issue lump-sum payments to deferred compensation plan participants as alternatives to promised life annuities.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Pond Lehocky Plans 8th Pa. Office, Adds Workers' Comp Atty

By James Boyle

Workers' compensation firm Pond Lehocky Giordano is preparing to expand its Pennsylvania footprint with the launch of an office in York, with the addition of an attorney who moved her practice from defense firm Moore Ingram Johnson & Steele.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

11th Circ.'s 6-Step Review May Be Ripe For Insurer Challenge

In its recent decision in Johnson v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance, the Eleventh Circuit utilized an unwieldy six-step approach to abuse-of-discretion review to find coverage in a disability benefits suit, a standard that creates subtle cognitive bias and that insurers should seek to overturn, says Scott Garosshen at Robinson & Cole.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Preaching Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Becoming a Gospel preacher has enhanced my success as a trial lawyer by teaching me the importance of credibility, relatability, persuasiveness and thorough preparation for my congregants, the same skills needed with judges and juries in the courtroom, says Reginald Harris at Stinson.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Immigration Lawyers Battle Burnout Amid Deportation Surge

By Daniel Connolly

As the Trump administration carries out a mass deportation campaign across the country, immigration attorneys faced with heavy demand and changing norms are feeling the impact of burnout and stress on their practices and emotions, they told Law360.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Calif. Agency Hires Ex-DOJ Crypto Enforcement Director

By Sarah Jarvis

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has brought on a new general counsel who previously served in leadership positions with the U.S. Department of Justice, including director of its cryptocurrency enforcement team.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fla. Judge OKs Release Of Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts

By Rae Ann Varona

A Florida federal judge on Friday ordered the release of grand jury transcripts from an investigation of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, citing a newly enacted law that the government said overrides a prohibition on disclosing the documents to the public.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bonus Spotlight

Katten Exceeds Market Bonus Scale, Orrick Matches

By Tracey Read

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has joined a select few law firms that have gone beyond the BigLaw norm for year-end and special bonuses.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Holland & Knight Adds Ex-House Speaker's Adviser In DC

By Tracey Read

Holland & Knight LLP has added the former senior policy adviser and counsel to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., as a public policy and regulation practice group partner.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Michele Gorman

An SEC panel has asked the agency to adopt regulations that could standardize the way publicly traded companies report details about AI use. Meanwhile, the FCC approved AT&T's $1 billion UScellular deal after AT&T became the latest of the big three mobile carriers to agree to do away with diversity, equity and inclusion policies. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Gupta Wessler LLP and Block & Leviton LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Eleventh Circuit revived a proposed class action against NextEra Energy Inc. that seeks to hold the energy company liable for a share price drop that followed political interference allegations involving a subsidiary.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Mass. IOLTA Panel Says It's Owed Slice Of Residual Funds

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts panel that oversees Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts asked the state's highest court Friday to at least partially unwind a $4 million class action settlement, saying a lower court didn't give it a chance to argue for a portion of what it says are "significant" residual funds.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judges Beat Ethics Suits For Dropping Retirement Post-Trump

By Jake Maher

A Fourth Circuit judge and two district court judges have defeated ethics complaints from a conservative legal organization alleging they improperly reversed their decisions to take senior status after President Donald Trump was elected.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Court Staff Attys Settle Claims Of Undermining Colleague

By Julie Manganis

Six months after Massachusetts' highest court revived some of a former Appeals Court staff attorney's claims in a suit alleging two supervisors intentionally undermined him, the parties have reported reaching a settlement in the case.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »