News & Analysis as of

Investment Management 403(b) Plans

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

Northwestern University’s Alternative Explanations Not Strong Enough To Defeat ERISA Excessive Fee Claims

On remand from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit issued its opinion in Hughes v. Northwestern University, concluding that participants in two Northwestern 403(b) plans plausibly pled fiduciary-breach claims based on...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Plan sponsor taken off 403(b) lawsuit, advisor isn’t so lucky

A plan sponsor was spared from a 403(b) lawsuit, but the advisor is still on the hook. Two plaintiffs filed a complaint in Texas federal court against their employer, Legacy Counseling Center, Inc. the plan’s manager,...more

Verrill

Next Steps for Making Collective Investment Trusts Available to More Retirement Plans

Verrill on

Collective investment trusts (“CITs”) have become an increasingly popular choice for 401(k) plan investment menus over the past decade, consistent with a trend toward lower-cost investment options that has been driven, in...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

Defendants Secure Motion to Dismiss Victories in Three Post-Hughes Decisions

In April, we wrote here about the discouraging trend of opinions allowing commonly asserted breach of fiduciary duty claims in 401(k) and 403(b) plan investment litigation to survive motions to dismiss. While it may be too...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

[Podcast]: Key ERISA Fee and Investment Litigation Developments and the Impact of Hughes v. Northwestern University

In this episode of The Proskauer Benefits Brief, Myron D. Rumeld, partner and co-chair of Proskauer’s ERISA Litigation group and senior associate Tulio D. Chirinos, review the current state of affairs with respect to the...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

District Court Enforces 403(b) Plan Arbitration Clause with Class Action Waiver But Allows for Plan-wide Non-monetary Relief

A federal district court in Florida sent a proposed ERISA breach of fiduciary duty class action to individual arbitration on the basis of a plan arbitration clause that allowed for individual relief and plan-wide injunctive...more

Dechert LLP

In Which Direction Does Hughes v. Northwestern Take the ERISA Analysis of 401(k)/403(b) Investment Menus?

Dechert LLP on

On January 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Hughes v. Northwestern University that establishing and offering a broad range of investment options for a participant-directed retirement plan does not ensure...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

DOL Statement on Private Equity Investment Emphasizes Fiduciary Responsibility

On December 21, 2021, the Department of Labor (the “DOL”) published a Supplemental Statement (the “Supplemental Statement”) to its June 3, 2020 Information Letter (the “2020 Letter”) addressing fiduciary considerations for...more

Carlton Fields

DOL to Plan Sponsors: “It’s All About the Benjamins!”

Carlton Fields on

Dear Department of Labor: The fiduciary role of selecting 401(k) and 403(b) plan investment options based on diversification and projected risk and return is too easy. Can we sacrifice some returns in order to promote social...more

Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti,...

Preventative Medicine For Your 401(K) And 403(B) Plan

Multiple new lawsuits have been filed since the start of 2020.  Complications caused by the Coronavirus have not slowed the onslaught of 401(k) fee litigation across the country. Last month, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. was...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

DOL Issues Final “ESG” Rule Restricting ERISA Fiduciary Consideration of Non-Pecuniary Investment Factors

On October 30, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued a final rule on factors for selecting plan investments, which restricts “do-good” or “ESG” investing.  In response to public comments, the final rule rolls...more

Carlton Fields

Three Timely Benefits Items Everyone Should Know

Carlton Fields on

Carlton Fields tax attorney Lowell Walters discusses three timely employee benefits issues: using employee benefits to reduce expenses; helping retirement plan participants in an inconsistent investment market; and, the...more

Bowditch & Dewey

DOL Proposes New Rules for Selecting Retirement Plan Investments

Bowditch & Dewey on

If you are a member of the committee for your employer’s pension, 401(k), profit-sharing, or 403(b) plan, you should check out a set of proposed rules for selecting investments. If you have an outside investment advisor, as...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Best Practices for Plan Sponsors #9

Best Practices: Lessons Learned from Litigation (#2)—the Vanderbilt Case - I am writing two series of articles that together are called “The Bests.” One is about Best Practices for Plan Sponsors, while the other is about...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

The Third Circuit Carries On The Judicial Debate Over The Level Of Specificity Needed In An ERISA Fee Complaint

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Synopsis: A new Third Circuit decision has allowed an ERISA fee complaint to stand even though there were no specific allegations of fiduciary errors in the process of selecting investment options and fees. ...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Georgetown University Defeats Retirement Plan Fee Litigation and “If a Cat Were a Dog, It Would Bark”

McDermott Will & Emery on

Recently, the US District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a proposed class action lawsuit brought by former Georgetown employees under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) over fees and...more

Verrill

Stronger Than its Weakest Links: NYU Survives 403(b) Fee Lawsuit

Verrill on

The first breach of fiduciary duty claim to survive to trial alleged that the NYU Retirement Plan Committee failed to consolidate recordkeeping services, failed to property manage the RFP process, failed to allow potential...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

ERISA Newsletter - Second Quarter 2018

Proskauer Rose LLP on

As we head into the thick of summer, all eyes are on President Trump's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy and the impact the new Justice will have on shaping the law for...more

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

Retirement Plans: The Fiduciary Landscape and Best Practices to Avoid Liability for Plan Investments

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC on

The landscape surrounding retirement plans maintained by institutions of higher education has been changing in recent years, although certain critical responsibilities that are imposed on plan sponsors have been in place...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Top US Universities Hit with Retirement Plan Lawsuits: Lessons for Plan Sponsors

The recent wave of 403(b) lawsuits against more than a dozen prominent US universities could herald similar suits for other 403(b) plan sponsors. Plan sponsors can minimize their risk by reviewing their plan governance...more

Franczek P.C.

Multiple Universities Sued Over 403(b) Retirement Plan Investment Fees

Franczek P.C. on

In the last several days, a number of large private universities have been sued regarding the investment fees in their 403(b) retirement plans. The lawsuits claim that these universities breached their fiduciary duties under...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

ERISA Class Actions Filed Against Higher Education Institutions

Ballard Spahr LLP on

Several ERISA breach of fiduciary duty class actions involving allegedly excessive retirement plan fees were filed this week against higher education institutions including colleges, universities, and medical schools. The...more

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