Proskauer Rose LLP | USA | 11 Apr 2011
In Baldwin v Univ of Pittsburgh Med. Ctr., --- F.3d ---, 2011 WL 1126038 (3d Cir. Mar. 29, 2011), the Third Circuit held that an adoptive mother and her children had standing under ERISA to pursue benefits from the life insurance policies of the deceased biological mother.
Williams Mullen | USA | 15 Mar 2011
The Ninth Circuit overturned the denial of benefits by a plan administrator in a case that provides a useful “reverse weathervane,” showing several mistakes that a plan administrator should not make when reviewing a benefits claim.
Proskauer Rose LLP | USA | 2 Mar 2011
In its seminal ruling in Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Glenn, 128 S. Ct. 2343 (2008), the U.S. Supreme Court held unanimously that a “structural” conflict of interest exists in situations where the same entity evaluates claims for benefits and pays benefit claims.
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren SC | USA | 29 Jul 2010
The Second Circuit recently held that because Taft-Hartley plans are administered by trustees consisting of union and employer representatives, the plans are inherently conflicted when making benefit determinations and this conflict should be considered by federal district courts when reviewing plan determinations.
Fox Rothschild LLP | USA | 12 Jul 2010
You might recall from a previous posting that I discussed the Supreme Court's decision in Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Glenn.
Proskauer Rose LLP | USA | 29 Jun 2010
On June 24, 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held, in Durakovic v. Building Service 32 BJ Pension Fund, 2010 WL 2519645 (2d Cir. 2010), that Taft-Hartley funds (administered by boards of trustees consisting of an equal number of union and employer representatives) are inherently conflicted when making benefit determinations, and that this conflict needs to be considered......
Alston & Bird LLP | USA | 23 Jul 2009
Subsequent to the Supreme Court’s decision in MetLife v. Glenn, 128 S.Ct. 2343 (2008), federal courts around the country have attempted to reconcile Glenn’s holding – that a structural conflict of interest exists when an employer “both funds the [employee benefit] plan and evaluates the claims” – with prior circuit court precedent holding that no conflict of interest exists when......
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP | USA | 23 Jun 2008
On June 19, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four important opinions that will have a lasting impact on employment laws.
Reed Smith LLP | USA | 20 Jun 2008
Adding to a series of recent employment law cases decided by the United States Supreme Court, the Court issued three more opinions affecting employment law on June 19, 2008: two interpreting the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (“ADEA”) and one concerning the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”).