In Taveras v. UBS AG, 2013 WL 692535 (2d Cir. Feb. 27, 2013), the Second Circuit held the Moench presumption of prudence did not apply to fiduciaries of an eligible individual account plan where the plan document neither required nor “strongly” encouraged investment in the defendant’s stock fund. The Court accordingly reversed and remanded
The ERISA Litigation Group
Seventh Circuit Enjoins Enforcement of ACA Based on Religious Beliefs
In Grote v. Sebelius, 2013 WL 362725 (7th Cir. Jan. 30, 2013), the Seventh Circuit held that members of the Grote family, and their company, Grote Industries, were entitled to an order enjoining enforcement of the Affordable Care Act’s requirements that non-grandfathered health plans cover certain preventative health services, including contraceptives, without cost-sharing. Plaintiffs…
Fourth Circuit Allows Post-Distribution Suits to Enforce State Law Waivers
The U.S. Supreme Court previously held that an ERISA plan administrator must distribute benefits to the beneficiary named in the plan, regardless of any state law waiver purporting to divest that beneficiary of his right to the benefits. That case explicitly left open the question of whether, once the benefits are distributed by the administrator,…
Eighth Circuit Declines to Award COBRA Penalties in the Absence of Prejudice
In In re Interstate Bakeries Corp., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 1663 (8th Cir. Jan. 25, 2013), the Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling that Hostess’ failure to provide a COBRA notice to a terminated employee did not cause the employee to suffer a sufficient degree of prejudice to be entitled to recovery of…