The new overtime rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is going into effect, and employers must ensure that their workplaces follow it. Although ongoing litigation concerning the rule is likely, employers cannot rely on potential outcomes in court cases to delay implementing the rule. The increased salary thresholds for overtime exemptions occur in two phases. The first phase occurred when the threshold Read More
Tesla Shareholders Approve Multibillion-Dollar Compensation Package for CEO Musk
Tesla’s general counsel has announced that its shareholders recently approved a multibillion-dollar compensation package for its CEO, Elon Musk. The shareholders also approved moving the company’s incorporation from Delaware to Texas. Nonetheless, Musk's compensation package remains an issue in ongoing litigation in Delaware. Earlier this year, the Delaware Court of Chancery rejected Musk’s proposed compensation Read More
Media Co. Settles Class Action Suit Alleging Costly 401(k) Funds
A media company has settled a class action lawsuit in which its workers alleged that it failed to negotiate lower investment expenses or properly monitor investment options. Workers at Aegis Media Americas Inc., which Japanese international marketing firm Dentsu owns, accused it of violating its fiduciary duty under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) concerning the workers’ $540 million 401(k) Read More
9th Circuit Explains ERISA Preemption of State Law Claims Arising from Preservice Coverage Communications
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently issued an opinion with critical implications for the healthcare industry. This court decision clarifies the expansive reach of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s (ERISA) preemption of state law causes of action relating to preservice coverage communications between healthcare providers and health plan administrators. The case is Bristol SL Holdings Read More
Class Action Claims Wells Fargo Misused Forfeited 401(k) Funds in Violation of ERISA
A former Wells Fargo employee filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the company, alleging that it violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) in using forfeited 401(k) funds to reduce its own contributions to the plan rather than to benefit plan participants. The case is Thomas O. Matula Jr. v. Wells Fargo & Co. et al., case number 3:24-cv-03504, U.S. District Court for the Northern Read More
32 State AGs Urge Justices to Review 10th Circuit Ruling Concerning ERISA Preemption of State PBM Law
A bipartisan group of attorneys general from 31 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in support of a petition for certiorari by Oklahoma’s insurance commissioner to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. In its ruling, the Tenth Circuit held that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and Medicare Part D partially preempted an Oklahoma law regulating Read More
7th Circuit Finds Retired Miner Entitled to Black Lung Benefits Despite Smoking Habit
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has upheld a review board decision awarding black lung benefit for a retired miner who smoked cigarettes during his 18-year career in the mines. The Court stated that it would not overturn the administrative law judge’s (ALJ) medical findings since the record contained substantial evidence to support the ruling. The case is Safeco Insurance/Liberty Mutual Read More
TIAA’s “Cross-Selling” Amended ERISA Complaint Survives Dismissal
A New York federal district court judge has ruled that an amended ERISA complaint based on a breach of fiduciary duty against the Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America (TIAA) may proceed after it was originally dismissed in 2022. The judge agreed that the complaint contained sufficient evidence of TIAA, a wealth management and investment firm, systematically cross-selling its adviser-managed account Read More










