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This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to what constitutes a fiduciary function, a finding of disability despite working full-time, an enforcement of suit limitation clause, the circumstances under which reinstatement is an appropriate remedy, and ERISA preemption. The Saul Ewing LLP...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to a plaintiff’s attempts to seal a complaint seeking disability benefits, an administrator’s uncommunicated decision to discontinue its investigation into certain medical conditions, an administrator’s loss of the deferential standard of review for...

This month’s Friday Five explores two recent decisions that discuss limitations on benefits when both physical disability and disability arising from mental illness are alleged, whether remand of a claim by the court constitutes a new appeal or a continuation of the previous appeal, whether an order...

In It for the Long Haul: Covid, Long Covid, and Covid-Adjacent Claims Issues Caitlin Strauss will be speaking on a panel during the 2023 DRI Life, Health, Disability, and ERISA Seminar in New Orleans, Louisiana. Joining Caitlin on the panel is Lisa E. Montelongo-Connor, Unum and Joni Sobocinski, New...

This month’s Friday Five explores recent decisions that reflect the precise nature of rules and definitions in the context of ERISA claims. For example, effective dates of CFR code provisions and contractually defined limitation periods can draw specific points on the timeline of a case. Similarly...

This month's Friday Five covers cases relating to issue preclusion, coverage where the policy terms are inconsistent with the parties’ behavior, application of the abuse of discretion standard of review, applicability of a waiver of premium provision and compliance with a mandatory appeals process...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to potential impacts of COVID-19, full and fair review of the claim file, an attempt to use an insurer’s internal policy against itself, and a “second bite at the apple” by amending a complaint for denial of benefits to include a claim for breach of...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to discovery in ERISA benefits cases, an appellate court strictly interpreting ERISA regulatory deadlines, a district court authorizing an ERISA breach of fiduciary duty claim based on alleged misrepresentations from an employer, another district court...

This month’s Friday Five explores recent decisions that illustrate the importance of the administrative record built by a claims administrator, and the impact that the depth and thoroughness of the record will have on litigation over claims decisions. Whether reviewing claims under the de novo...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to augmentation of the administrative record following new rationales, attempted alternative ERISA causes of action, untimely ERISA claims, plans governed by ERISA even in the absence of a written plan document, and the limited weight given to residual...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to the interpretation of time periods for claims under life insurance and disability plans, a situation where three separate administrators handled a disability benefits claim (but came to different decisions), the Eleventh Circuit’s parsing of...

Michael Joyce assists clients with litigation, including a wide variety of commercial disputes and insurance matters. His commercial litigation experience includes high-stakes contractual disputes, intellectual property and software cases, trade secret misappropriation and other injunction matters...

Jim Taylor is a trial lawyer with first-chair experience handling complex litigation in federal and state courts. A significant portion of his practice uses that litigation experience and perspective to counsel clients in managing high-profile crises, minimizing financial and reputational risks...

Jim Keller is a trial lawyer, the co-chair of Saul Ewing’s Higher Education Practice and K-12 Schools Practice and a member of the firm's Executive Committee.

Don Lussier represents clients in complex matters involving a wide range of commercial assets across the United States, including real estate, corporate and commercial lending transactions. Clients appreciate his ability to efficiently identify the issues that really matter, and to find creative and...

Caroline Patterson brings more than 25 years of legal experience to her work representing practices and professionals in the health care industry in a variety of transactional, corporate, and regulatory matters. Her experience ranges from providing counsel in mergers, acquisitions, sales and private...

Brian Meltzer advises businesses in the technology, retail, and life sciences sectors on legal issues connected with transactions that facilitate their strategic growth. Companies ranging from start-ups to established enterprises operating as public and private companies rely on his counsel in...

Jennifer Becnel-Guzzo draws on 20 years of litigation and in-house experience to provide strategic legal advice to clients, including institutions of higher education and other entities. Jennifer’s former role as associate vice president and deputy general counsel at a major research university...

Counsel on Claims, Litigation, Transactions, Opinions and Compliance The legal landscape affecting the insurance industry is constantly changing. Whether the result of technological advances and corresponding risk exposures, ever-evolving case law affecting coverage and bad faith standards, or...

Michael Petrizzo brings nearly 30 years of experience to his work guiding clients through mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, and corporate formations, reorganizations and restructurings. Public and private companies, private equity and venture capital firms, and high-net-worth...