ERISA Litigation

	June 11, 2012 ERISA Litigation We have witnessed an explosion in litigation involving employee benefit plans in recent years -- including class actions -- and there is no sign that this trend is letting up. Plaintiffs’ class action lawyers are constantly “trawling the waters” for new kinds of ERISA actions to file. The cash balance plan age discrimination cases of yesterday are giving way to today’s securities lending and excessive fee cases, and the ever present stock drop cases. The way to mount a successful defense in complicated ERISA litigation is with attorneys who have the substantive knowledge of employee benefits law and the litigation skills and experience to be able to put that knowledge to work. Our ERISA litigation attorneys possess that critical blend of knowledge and experience. We are a relatively small group of five attorneys with more than 50 combined years of specialized ERISA experience. Two of our ERISA litigation partners spent more than 20 years between them in senior positions at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. This group of attorneys runs every ERISA litigation matter the firm handles, utilizing additional resources from the firm’s general litigation, employee benefits, and tax practices when necessary. This unique team approach to ERISA litigation seeks to ensure that clients get the best of both worlds as we combine the skills of lawyers with nationally recognized technical experience with tough litigators who employ creative “outside the box” thinking to develop successful litigation strategies. Even our opposing counsel have described us as “formidable.” Our attorneys are experienced in all aspects of ERISA, as well as the Internal Revenue Code, the Bankruptcy Code, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other laws affecting employee benefit plans. We have handled a wide variety of benefit issues arising under these statutes in connection with defined benefit pension plans (including cash balance plans), defined contribution pension plans, ESOPs, and health and welfare plans. By evaluating our clients’ strategic goals at the outset of a case, and continually throughout it, our litigators always have their “eye on the prize.” As a result, we are able to navigate our clients through complex litigation efficiently and effectively. We are particularly suited to handle complex benefit issues faced by companies that are confronting bankruptcy or are in financial distress. We regularly help companies navigate this specialized area of the employee benefits world, both as special pension counsel in bankruptcy cases and outside of bankruptcy. Our experience and services include: Fiduciary breach litigation Class actions Managed care litigation Stock drop litigation Cash balance plan litigation PGBC counseling and litigation Benefits claim litigation Commercial payer disputes Benefits issues in bankruptcy Administrative appeals Fiduciary compliance ESOPs Independent fiduciary representation Withdrawal liability DOL investigations IRS audits Benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions Voluntary compliance submissions Determination letter requests Executive compensation VEBAs / MEWAs
1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-5339 T202.857.6000 F202.857.6395 1675 Broadway New York, NY 10019-5820 T212.484.3900F212.484.3990 555 West Fifth Street, 48th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90013-1065 T213.629.7400F213.629.7401		www.arentfox.com