A multiemployer plan that prevails in an action to collect delinquent contributions or withdrawal liability is statutorily entitled to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs “of the action.” In International Painters & Allied Trades Industry Pension Fund v. Florida Glass of Tampa Bay, Inc., No. 23-cv-00045, 2025 WL 712965 (D. Md. Mar. 5, 2025)
Fourth Circuit Approves Award of Estimated Delinquent Contributions
Multiemployer benefit plans generally require contributing employers to submit “remittance reports” that identify the employees that performed covered work, the type of work performed, and the amount of time worked. Plans rely on the timely and accurate submission of these reports to ensure employers remit all required contributions and that participants accrue all benefits owed.
Sixth Circuit Adopts IRS Standard to Determine Whether Activity Constitutes “Trade or Business” for Withdrawal Liability Purposes
Under 29 U.S.C. § 1301(b)(1), all “trades or businesses” under common control with an employer that has withdrawn from a multiemployer pension plan are jointly and severally liable for the employer’s withdrawal liability. The statute does not define what it means to be a “trade or business,” and though the statute references regulations promulgated by the
District Court Holds Unenforceable Trust Provision Requiring Attorneys’ Fees for Arbitration
Employers may be bound by multiemployer pension plans’ trust agreements and collections policies, but the force of these governing documents may have its limits. In Nevada Resorts Ass’n–Int’l All. of Theatrical Stage Emps. and Moving Picture Mach. Operators of the U.S. and Canada Local 720 Pension Trust v. JB Viva Vegas, L.P., No. 2:19-cv-00499