ERISA Litigation

  • Overview

    Ever since the Enron debacle, it seems that ERISA litigation has been on the rise. Enron proved to be only the first in a series of high-visibility stock drop cases filed against well-known companies. More recently, a new spate of class action lawsuits has been brought against household corporate names, alleging that plan fiduciaries paid their service providers more than reasonable compensation for investment and record-keeping services. While many corporate sponsors have been named as defendants in these lawsuits, financial institutions providing services to plans have not been spared. And the trend may continue, as the U.S. Department of Labor is revising its disclosure requirements in proposed and final regulations that may prove to be fertile litigation ground for the unwary.

    At Thompson Hine, we have assembled a litigation team composed of members from multiple practice groups, including Business Litigation, Corporate Transactions & Securities, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Labor & Employment and Tax, combining litigation experience with the substantive knowledge necessary to address the complex and varied issues presented in litigation arising under ERISA.

    We handle the full range of ERISA litigation, from defending pre-litigation DOL enforcement actions involving plan fiduciaries and service providers to breach of fiduciary duty, benefits claims, cash balance plans and retiree litigation:

    • Employer stock, cash balance and 401(k) cases
    • Fiduciary breach litigation
    • ERISA preemption litigation, including employer stock drop cases, retiree health care cases, plan termination and reversion cases, ESOP stock valuation cases, co-fiduciary liability and service provider cases, and ERISA §510 cases
    • Plan termination and reversion litigation
    • Benefits claims litigation
    • Multi-employer plan litigation
    • Cash balance litigation
    • ESOP litigation
    • Claims litigation
    • Retiree health litigation
  • Areas of Focus
  • Experience
    Representative Experience

    Employer Stock & 401(k) Cases

    • Wright v. Oregon Metallurgical Corp., 360 F.3d 1090 (9th Cir. 2004)
    • Tatum v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 294 F. Supp. 2d 776 (M.D.N.C 2003), rev’d, 392 F.3d 636 (4th Cir. 2004), on remand, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7239 (M.D.N.C. 2006)
    • In re Broadwing, Inc. ERISA Litig., 39 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 1735 (S.D. Ohio 2006)

    Fiduciary Breach Litigation

    • Ramsey v. Formica Corp., 398 F.3d 421 (6th Cir. 2005), cert. denied, 126 S. Ct. 340 (2005), on remand, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 966 (S.D. Ohio 2006)
    • DOL v. Plan Benefit Services, Inc., No. 07-11474 (D. Mass. 2007)
    • Nat’l Air Traffic Controllers As’n v. Dental Plans, Inc., 407 F. Supp. 2d 1 (D.D.C. 2005)
    • DOL v. SBWA Local 125 Health Plan, No. 9:02-cv-80945 (S.D. Fla. 2002)
    • Friedrichsen v. Massillon-Cleveland-Akron Sign Co., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21471 (N.D. Ohio 2007)
    • Houck v. Bd. of Trustees IUNHCAMP, No. 03-2494-R (C.D. Cal. 2003)
    • IUNHCAMP Trustees v. HealthMarket, Inc. & American Travelers Assurance Co., 1:03-CV-1376 (N.D. Ga. 2003)
    • Louisville Bar Association v. Thacker, et al, Civil Action No. 3:02-CV-260-H (W.D. Ky. 2002)
    • Waite v. IDG 401(k), No. 01-CV-0297 (N.D. Ga. 2001)
    • In re Larry Marshall Engineering Corp., No. 98-50440 (Bankr. N.D. Cal.)
    • In re TMCI Electronics, Inc., No. 98-60153 (Bankr. N.D. Cal.)
    • DOL v. Hyde, CV-98-3019 (N.D. Cal. 1998)
    • Reich v. Goldstein, 839 F. Supp. 1068 (S.D.N.Y. 1993)
    • Kentucky Laborers Dist. Council Health & Welfare Trust Fund v. Hill & Knowlton, 24 F. Supp. 2d 755 (W.D. Ky. 1998)
    • New Orleans Employers Intern. Longshoremen's Ass'n, AFL-CIO Pension Fund v. Mercer In-vestment Consultants, 635 F.Supp.2d 1351, 2009 WL 2156907, (NO. 1:06-CV-2822-ODE), (N.D.Ga., 2009)
    • Dramse v Delta Family-Care Disability & Survivorship Plan, 269 Fed. Appx. 470, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 5412, 44 Employee Benefits Cas (BNA) 1331 (5th Cir., 2008)
    • Smith v. Delta Airlines, Inc., 215 Fed.Appx. 848, 2007 WL 186509, 40 Employee Benefits Cas. 1740, (NO. 06-13915), (C.A.11 (Ga.), 2007)
    • Fontaine v. Guth, Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2004 WL 3246722, (NO. CIV.A. 3:02-CV-67-JT), (N.D.Ga., 2004)

    Retiree Health Litigation

    • Hardy v. Midland Enterprises, Inc., 2003 U.S. App. LEXIS 8426 (6th Cir. 2003)
    • Bender v. Newell Window Furnishings, Inc., 182 L.R.R.M. 3012 (W.D. Mich. 2007)
    • Noe v. PolyOne Corp., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92098 (W.D. Ky. 2006)

    ERISA Preemption Litigation

    • Tolton v. American Biodyne, 48 F.3d 937 (6th Cir. 1995)
    • ANB Bankcorp v. Equitable Life Assur. Soc’y, 86 F. Supp. 2d 1113 (N.D. Okla. 2000)
    • ETI v. Equitable Life Assur. Soc’y, No. 2001-01085 (D.C. Okla. 2001)

    Plan Termination & Reversion Litigation

    • Jensen v. Moore Wallace N. Am., Inc., 41 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2406 (6th Cir. 2007)
    • Varhola v. Doe, 820 F.2d 809 (6th Cir. 1987)
    • Clevenger v. Dillard’s, Inc., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90586 (S.D. Ohio 2007)
    • Shepherd v. Babcock & Wilcox of Ohio, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6349 (S.D. Ohio 2000)

    Benefits Claims Litigation

    • Hensley v. Parker-Hannifin Corp., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7433 (E.D. Tenn. 2006)
    • Nichols v. UNUM Life Ins. Co., 2005 U.S Dist. LEXIS 37017 (S.D Ohio 2005), aff’d, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 21505 (6th Cir 2006)
    • Brandt v. Fleet Capital Corp. (In re TMCI Elec.), 279 B.R. 552 (N.D. Cal. 2000)
    • Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Cronenwett, 162 F. Supp. 2d 889 (S.D. Ohio 2001)
    • Steers v. UNUM Life Ins. Co, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35397 (S.D. Ohio 2006)
    • Slater v. Newell Rubbermaid, Inc., 2005 WL 1651970 (M.D. Pa. 2005)
    • Washburn v. UNUM Life Ins. Co., 43 F. Supp. 2d 848 (S.D. Ohio 1998), aff’d, 2000 U.S. App. LEXIS 6481 (6th Cir. 2000)
    • DeBloise v. Kemper, No. 1:00CV2144 (D.D.C. 2000)
    • In re Harper, No. 98-2847 (D.D.C. 1998)
    • Ward v. Retirement Bd. of Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan, --- F.3d ----, 2011 WL 2462848, (NO. 11-10320), (C.A.11 (Ga.), 2011)
    • Morningred v. Delta Family-Care & Survivorship Plan, --- F.Supp.2d ----, 2011 WL 2580300, (NO. CIV.A. 10-272 MPT), (D.Del., 2011)
    • Grant v. Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan, Slip Copy, 2010 WL 3749197, (NO. 109-CV-1848-RWS), (N.D.Ga., 2010)
    • Gipson v. Administrative Committee Of Delta Air Lines, Inc., 350 Fed.Appx. 389, 2009 WL 3437490, (NO. 09-11748), (C.A.11 (Ga.), 2009)
    • Mehen v. Delta Airlines, Inc., 297 Fed.Appx. 621, 2008 WL 4706241, (NO. 06-16388), (C.A.9 (Ariz.), 2008)
    • Townsend v. Delta Family-Care Disability and Survivorship Plan, 544 F.Supp.2d 1352, 2008 WL 533805, N.D.Ga., February 26, 2008 (NO. 1:06-CV-2040-JEC), aff'd 295 Fed.Appx. 971, 2008 WL 4507571, (NO. 08-11340), (C.A.11 (Ga.), 2008)
    • Smith v. Delta Airlines, Inc., 215 Fed.Appx. 848, 2007 WL 186509, 40 Employee Benefits Cas. 1740, (NO. 06-13915), (C.A.11 (Ga.), 2007)
    • Dramse v Delta Family-Care Disability & Survivorship Plan, 269 Fed. Appx. 470, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 5412, 44 Employee Benefits Cas (BNA) 1331 (5th Cir., 2008)
    • Hanna v. Delta Family-Care Disability and Survivorship Plan, Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2006 WL 1885181, (NO. 3:04CV1333 J12TEM), (M.D.Fla., 2006)
    • Freitas v. Delta Family-Care Disability and Survivorship Plan, Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2006 WL 1320932, (NO. CIV-S-05-994DFLPAN), (E.D.Cal., 2006)
    • Byrom v. Delta Family Care--Disability and Survivorship Plan, 343 F.Supp.2d 1163, 2004 WL 2525205, (NO. CIV.A.1:03-CV-1685-J), (N.D.Ga., 2004)
    • Heffner v. Delta Air Lines, Inc., Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2004 WL 1688515, (NO. 2:02CV1378 DS), (D.Utah, 2004)
    • Fontaine v. Guth, Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2004 WL 3246722, (NO. CIV.A. 3:02-CV-67-JT), (N.D.Ga., 2004)

    Multi-Employer Plan Litigation

    • Bd. Trustees IBEW Local 1919 Pension Fund v. Davey Tree Expert Co., No. 2:07-cv-00261-DSC (W.D. Pa. 2007)
    • Int’l Painters & Allied Trades Indus. Pension Fund v. The Painting Co., No. 1:07-cv-01070 (D.D.C. 2007)
    • John Flynn, et al. v. Continental Masonry Corporation, No. 1:00CV02868 (D.D.C. 2001)
    • New Orleans Employers Intern. Longshoremen's Ass'n, AFL-CIO Pension Fund v. Mercer In-vestment Consultants, 635 F.Supp.2d 1351, 2009 WL 2156907, (NO. 1:06-CV-2822-ODE), (N.D.Ga., 2009)
  • ERISA Litigation Blog

    Our Business Litigation and Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice groups collaborate to write posts for ERISALitigation.com, our weekly blog covering the latest issues related to ERISA litigation and litigation-avoidance. As a firm that excels in handling the full range of ERISA litigation and in counseling clients on how to avoid ERISA litigation through training, compliance and careful drafting, we hope you will find our updates, tips and best practices valuable.

    Please visit us at https://www.ERISALitigation.com/ and update your bookmarks accordingly. To receive an email notification whenever a new post is published, please subscribe to the blog.

    If you have any questions, please contact your Thompson Hine relationship attorney or Brian J. Lamb (Business Litigation practice group leader) or Laura A. Ryan (Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group leader).

  • Professionals

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