News & Analysis as of

Employee Benefits Discretionary Clauses

Saul Ewing LLP

The Friday Five: Five Current ERISA Litigation Highlights - July 2022

Saul Ewing LLP on

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to interpretation of regulatory deadlines, the enforceability of discretionary clauses, circuit courts going both ways on appeals from summary judgment rulings in favor of plans,...more

Littler

Congress Considers Banning Discretionary Clauses in ERISA Plans

Littler on

On May 12, 2022, the “Employee and Retiree Access to Justice Act” was introduced in the House of Representatives by Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA).  Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced a companion bill in the Senate. The bill seeks...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Last Call: Don’t Forget Your Retirement Plan’s Required Year-End Amendments for 2021

As 2021 winds down, retirement plan sponsors should confirm that their plan documents are amended by December 31, 2021, to comply with certain plan changes: • Hardship Distributions. 401(k) plans and 403(b) plans must be...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

Choice-of-Law Plan Provision Enforced As A Matter of Federal Common Law

The Tenth Circuit recently concluded that, as a matter of federal common law, a choice-of-law provision in a long-term disability insurance policy, which was part of the plaintiff’s employer’s ERISA plan, must be enforced...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Cutting Costs in a COVID-19 World – Reducing or Suspending Company Contributions to a 401(k) or 403(b) Plan

In response to the current economic crisis caused by COVID-19, many companies are considering cost-savings measures to improve their companies’ financial stability. One such cost-saving option is the reduction or suspension...more

Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC

The Need for Clarity: Standard of Review

In Griffin v. Hartford Life & Acc. Ins. Co., 898 F.3d 371 (4th Cir. 2018), the Fourth Circuit addressed the issue of whether a related company of an entity that enjoyed the abuse of discretion standard also was entitled to...more

Kilpatrick

A Recent 5th Circuit ERISA Decision is Not as Far Reaching as it Appears

Kilpatrick on

To reduce the cost of maintaining an ERISA plan and reduce the expense of ERISA litigation, it is helpful to have courts both apply a deferential standard of review and limit the review to the administrative record. If an...more

Robinson+Cole ERISA Claim Defense Blog

Fifth Circuit Joins Sister Circuits by Overruling Default Deferential Standard of Review

In Ariana M. v. Humana Health Plan of Tex., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 5227, *5, 2018 WL 1096980 (March 1, 2018) (“Ariana M. II”), a majority of judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in an en banc decision,...more

Stinson LLP

Director Discretionary Compensation Subject to Entire Fairness Standard According to Delaware Supreme Court

Stinson LLP on

In a recent decision by the Delaware Supreme Court in In re Investors Bancorp Stockholders Litigation, the court found that director equity grants based on director discretion are subject to an entire fairness standard of...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

District Court Applies Texas Ban on Discretionary Clauses in Insurance Contracts

A federal district court in Louisiana upheld a Texas state law prohibiting insurers from granting themselves discretion to interpret benefit plans when deciding benefit claims. These so-called “discretionary clauses” are...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Ninth Circuit Holds that ERISA Preempts State Insurance Law Bans on Discretionary Clauses for Self-Funded ERISA Plans

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently confirmed that ERISA preempts state insurance law bans on discretionary clauses for self-funded ERISA plans....more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Grounding Deferential Review in California – No Preemption for Discretionary Clause Ban

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: In a decision with wide ranging implications, the Ninth Circuit has ruled that a discretionary clause in an employer drafted plan document is subject to, and invalidated by, California’s insurance...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Fifth Circuit: Discretionary Ban Does Not Mandate De Novo Review

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

In Ariana M. v. Humana Health Plan of Texas, Inc., No. 16-20174 (5th Cir. Apr. 21, 2017), the Firth Circuit concluded that Texas’ ban on discretionary clauses in certain insurance policies did not require a de novo review of...more

13 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 1

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide