I have talked, certainly more than once, about the fact that the law governing fiduciary obligations in the realm of retirement plans is evolving, and most recently I commented on how it looks as though the Supreme Court is poised to weigh in on the direction of this evolution in the case law. Some of
One Proposal for Enacting Fair Share Legislation While Simultaneously Avoiding ERISA Preemption
We previously mentioned William and Mary law student Darren Abernethy’s upcoming law review note presenting ideas on how to enact so-called fair share legislation – which attempts to obligate employers to provide certain levels of health insurance coverage – without running afoul of ERISA preemption. His note is now out, and those of you who,
Is the Supreme Court Setting Out To Alter the Law of ERISA?
Conventional wisdom holds that the Supreme Court set out last term to change the direction of patent law, and did so. Are they out to do the same thing now with the law of ERISA? I think so. They already have LaRue up on their plate, a case I have said will result in a
We Take Requests: More on Excess Insurance
A loyal blog reader wrote in recently noting a glaring omission of this blog, notably the absence of a subcategory heading over on the left hand side of the blog collecting case law and comments on excess insurance issues. I have added the menu option over there, so readers can find excess cases easily. And
Is This The End For Patenting ERISA Strategies?
I have talked before – probably too much – on this blog about patents, patent reform, and the fact that the courts are in the process, as far as I am concerned, of reigning in what some see as abuse in the patent system and in patent infringement litigation against large technology and other companies.
What Critics of The Standard of Review In Cases Involving Structural Conflicts of Interest Are Really Complaining About
There’s a very interesting long term disability decision that was just issued by the District of New Hampshire that is worth a read, not so much for the case itself as for its commentary concerning the standard of review under ERISA in instances where the administrator has been granted discretionary authority by the plan. The
More on Whether Socially Conscious Investing Is a Breach of Fiduciary Duty
I have raised before the question of whether so-called socially conscious investing would be a breach of fiduciary duty if undertaken by a pension plan or 401(k) fiduciary. The National Law Journal has a neat opinion piece by law professor Edward Zelinsky right now to the effect that it would be. Here’s a link
Is Global Warming A Horror Movie Waiting to Happen for the Insurance Industry?
My colleague, computer patent guru Robert Plotkin, once referred to insurance as a leading indicator when it comes to the issue of global warming, and I have talked before about the idea that governments and societies will act to curb global warming and to deal with related problems only when we reach the point
Reinsurance and LaRue, All in the Same Post
Instead of posting twice in the same morning, I am going to try to address two distinct substantive issues, one involving reinsurance and the other ERISA, all in the same post, hopefully without turning this post into some sort of Frankenstein monster combination of topics that instead should have been kept entirely separate.
On the
Looking To Learn More About Commercial Arbitration?
Fair’s fair, I suppose. As I discussed here, a growing consensus has emerged concerning the limited value and not so limited failings of arbitration as a forum for resolving complex disputes; as I have discussed in other posts, such as here, the efficacy and value of arbitration really depends on the particulars of