6/29/2026 4:21:53 PM California Court Lets ESOP Non-Company Stock Suit Proceed By Andrew Salek-Raham Lawrence Brett In the past few years, several cases have been filed against ESOP fiduciaries who allegedly invested employer contributions in an ESOP's...
5/12/2026 4:51:34 PM Assistant Secretary of Labor Discusses EBSA’s Efforts to Restore Regulatory and Litigation Balance, Including as to ESOPs By Andrew Salek-Raham Larry Blocho On May 8, 2026, Assistant Secretary of Labor Daniel Aronowitz delivered remarks at The ESOP Association’s National Conference in...
5/12/2026 4:51:07 PM 401(k) Plan Defendants Prevail on Forfeiture Claim at Bench Trial By Andrew Salek-Raham Larry Blocho A federal district court issued a mid-trial ruling in favor of the defendants regarding their use of forfeitures in Stephan v. Trader...
4/16/2026 12:59:56 PM EBSA Issues Guidance Signaling Continued Shift in ESOP Regulatory Environment By Lars Golumbic Andrew Salek-Raham Larry Blocho On April 14, 2026, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) issued Field Assistance Bulletin (“FAB”) No. 2026-01. The new...
3/31/2026 2:11:25 AM ESOP Sponsor & Trustee Defeat Novel Releveraging Lawsuit By Lars Golumbic Andrew Salek-Raham Larry Blocho A federal court granted summary judgment to all defendants in Shipp v. Central States Manufacturing, Inc., No. 5:23-cv-05215 (W.D. Ark.),...
3/24/2026 6:49:54 PM Employer Scores Another Tobacco Premium Surcharge Win By Kara Petteway Wheatley On March 20, a federal court in Ohio dismissed a tobacco premium surcharge lawsuit in its entirety for failure to state a claim. This...
2/5/2026 2:36:09 PM Second Tobacco Premium Surcharge Case Dismissed By Kara Petteway Wheatley On February 3, 2026, a federal court in Missouri granted a motion to dismiss a tobacco premium surcharge lawsuit. This is the second time...
1/8/2026 2:51:56 PM ESOP Non-Company Stock Suit Reaches Appeals Court By Andrew Salek-Raham Lawrence Brett Several cases have been filed challenging the investment decisions concerning non-company stock assets held in employee stock ownership...
10/15/2025 4:17:24 PM Happy HSA Day! By Katie Amin Christine Keller Today is HSA Day, a day created to promote the benefits of HSAs! As HSA enthusiasts, we are happy to join in on the celebration with...
9/18/2025 7:45:11 PM A Noteworthy Top Hat Decision By Lou Mazawey A recent Eleventh Circuit decision is worth noting for employers that sponsor SERPS and other “top hat” plans that provide annuity and...
9/8/2025 8:28:24 PM Tobacco Surcharge Class Action Litigation Risks Continue By Viv Hunter Kara Petteway Wheatley Plaintiffs have filed more than 40 lawsuits against employer health plans that impose a tobacco surcharge. We anticipate that plaintiffs...
9/2/2025 9:12:44 PM On the 51st Anniversary of ERISA By Lou Mazawey On this day 51 years ago, President Gerald Ford signed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA") into law. Groom's story...