After nearly a decade in the making, the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule appears to be officially dead. On June 21st, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued its mandate that finalized its earlier...more
6/26/2018
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Management ,
New Guidance ,
Vacated
On May 7, 2018, the DOL issued a Field Assistance Bulletin (“FAB”) addressing the Department’s enforcement policy on the fiduciary rule that was recently vacated by the Fifth Circuit. Although the DOL has elected not to...more
In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule, including the expanded definition of “investment advice fiduciary” and the associated exemptions. The...more
3/19/2018
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
Vacated
The Tenth Circuit recently affirmed the Department of Labor’s authority to impose new conditions for exemption from prohibited transaction rules with respect to the sale of annuity contracts. The case related to the...more
3/16/2018
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Annuities ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Adviser ,
Notice Requirements ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Proposed Rules
On November 27, 2017, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) finalized the delay of the applicability date for certain conditions for exemptions to the fiduciary rule until July 1, 2019. This delay was initially proposed in late...more
11/29/2017
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Delays ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Popular ,
Retirement Plan ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stakeholder Engagement ,
Trump Administration
On August 30, 2017, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) officially proposed delaying the applicability date of exemptions to its fiduciary rule until July 1, 2019. The proposal was expected after DOL stated in a court filing...more
8/31/2017
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Breach of Duty ,
Delays ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Field Assistance Bulletins ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
IRS ,
Mitigation ,
OMB ,
Principal Transaction Exemption ,
Private Right of Action ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trump Administration ,
Written Agreements
On August 9, 2017, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) stated in a court filing that the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) is reviewing a proposal to extend the applicability date for certain requirements under DOL’s...more
On June 29, 2017, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) requested another round of public comment on its fiduciary rule—this time in the form of a Request (“RFI”) for Information. The RFI seeks input on (a) whether to extend the...more
On April 4, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a final rule postponing applicability of the conflict of interest rule and related exemptions for sixty days, until June 9, 2017...more
4/7/2017
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Delays ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Final Rules ,
Investment Adviser ,
Popular ,
Private Right of Action ,
Public Comment ,
Retirement Plan ,
Trump Administration
On March 1, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed a 60-day delay of the conflict of interest rule and related exemptions (currently set to be applicable on April 10, 2017). The Department opened two comment periods...more
On February 17, 2017, a federal district Court in Kansas upheld the U.S. Department of Labor’s conflict of interest rule and related exemptions in a suit brought by Market Synergy Group, Inc. This ruling on the merits follows...more
2/24/2017
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Adviser ,
Investment Adviser ,
OMB ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
Trump Administration
There were two key developments last week concerning the ongoing challenges to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) conflict of interest rule and related exemptions: a Presidential Memorandum calling for a review of the...more
On November 28, 2016, Judge Crabtree in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas ruled in favor of the U.S. Department of Labor and denied the motion for a preliminary injunction filed by the Market Synergy Group,...more
This month we review a recent Second Circuit decision addressing ERISA plan status as a class member in a securities shareholder class action. As discussed in the article, the decision exposes a potential conflict among the...more
12/1/2016
/ AARP ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Appeals ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Budget Recollection Legislation ,
Class Action ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dismissals ,
Due Process ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Filing Deadlines ,
GINA ,
Investment Adviser ,
IRS ,
National Association for Fixed Annuities (NAFA) ,
Preemption ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Presidential Elections ,
Repeal ,
Retirement Plan ,
Reversal ,
Securities Litigation ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Slayer Statutes ,
Summary Judgment ,
Trump Administration ,
Wellness Programs
On November 4, 2016, Judge Moss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the U.S. Department of Labor’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed claims brought by the National Association for Fixed...more
11/18/2016
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Annuities ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Best Interest Standard ,
Chevron Deference ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Due Process ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Presidential Elections ,
Regulatory Flexibility Act ,
Title I ,
Trump Administration
In this update on the litigation challenging the U.S. Department of Labor’s new fiduciary rule, we note that there has been a sixth lawsuit filed and oral arguments in two other cases.
...more
Editor's Overview -
This month, we look at the implications of the two federal district court cases from California that applied the ban on discretionary clauses typically found in ERISA plans to self-insured plans. The...more
10/27/2016
/ Abuse of Discretion ,
Administrative Procedure Act ,
Arbitrary and Capricious ,
Audits ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
De Novo Standard of Review ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Determination Letter ,
Disability Benefits ,
Discretionary Clauses ,
Eligibility ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
EPCRS ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
First Amendment ,
Forum Selection ,
Health Insurance ,
Insurance Code ,
IRS ,
Notice and Comment ,
Pre-Dispute Arbitration ,
Preemption ,
Savings Clause ,
Self-Funded Health Plans ,
State Bans ,
Voluntary Correction Program ,
Wellness Programs
As we previously reported, there are five pending lawsuits challenging the U.S. Department of Labor’s new fiduciary rule. Our Client Alert on the new rule outlines the significance of the rule and the implications of the...more
8/17/2016
/ Annuities ,
Arbitrary and Capricious ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Case Consolidation ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Commercial Speech ,
Cross Motions ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
First Amendment ,
Investment Adviser ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Private Right of Action ,
Statutory Authority
Editor's Overview -
This month we take a look at the plaintiffs' past successes in fee litigations, and the influx of such lawsuits seeking to impose heightened fiduciary standards for 401(k) plans. Regardless of the...more
8/1/2016
/ 401k ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Chevron Deference ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Elizabeth Warren ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Fidelity Investments ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Final Rules ,
Forum Selection ,
Health Insurance ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Pensions ,
Popular ,
Retirement Plan ,
Revenue Sharing ,
Section 162(m) ,
Shared Responsibility Rule ,
Stock Float ,
Tax Deductions ,
Unenforceable Contract Terms ,
Vanguard
Editor's Overview -
In this month’s newsletter, our colleagues focus on two sets of legislative updates. First is a discussion of the IRS’s proposed Treasury Regulations prescribing rules under Section 457 of the...more
7/1/2016
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Confidential Information ,
Deferred Compensation ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Due Process ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Forfeiture ,
Former Employee ,
GINA ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Incentives ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
IRS ,
Medical Examinations ,
Proposed Regulation ,
PTEs ,
Retaliation ,
Section 409A ,
Section 457(f) ,
Section 457A ,
Section 510 ,
Summary Judgment ,
Tax Exemptions ,
Termination ,
Tobacco-Cessation ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Wellness Programs
On April 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor released its Final Rule addressing when a person providing services to an employee benefit plan or individual retirement account (IRA) is considered to be providing investment...more
6/13/2016
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Best Interest Standard ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Due Process ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Final Rules ,
First Amendment ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Editor's Overview -
This month we feature three key developments. First, we review the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Gobeille v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 136 S. Ct. 936, 947 (2016) wherein the Supreme Court held that a...more
4/27/2016
/ 401k ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Best Interest Standard ,
Closely Held Businesses ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Controlled Groups ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
FIfth Third Bancorp v Dudenhoeffer ,
Final Rules ,
Forum Selection ,
Gobeille v Liberty Mutual Insurance Com. ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
M&G Polymers v Tackett ,
Multiemployer Plan ,
Participant-Directed Plans ,
Partnership-in-Fact ,
PBGC ,
Preemption ,
PTEs ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retirement Plan ,
SCOTUS ,
Stock Drop Litigation ,
Sun Capital Partners ,
UAW ,
Vesting ,
Withdrawal Liability
On April 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor (Department) issued its highly anticipated final rule addressing when a person is considered to be a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)...more
4/20/2016
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Best Interest Standard ,
Broker-Dealer ,
CFTC ,
Compensation ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Final Rules ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
PTEs ,
Retirement Plan ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Security-Based Swaps ,
Swap Dealers
On April 6, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor will release its highly-anticipated Final Rule and Exemptions addressing when a person providing investment advice with respect to an employee benefit plan or individual...more