Benefits litigation and claims. Benefits claims and litigation can involve a single plaintiff or approach “bet-the-company” status. Each case is highly influenced by careful structuring of claims proceedings and trial tactics.

Since the passage of ERISA in 1974, Vedder Price has won many leading cases in the employee benefits field, including two Supreme Court cases and dozens of important cases in the courts of appeals and federal district courts. These cases have involved plan amendments and terminations, alleged breaches of fiduciary duties, federal preemption of state laws, withdrawal liability claims and many other subjects.

While we take pride in our successful record in complex litigation, we have also guided clients through the use of the claims procedure process to avoid litigation and managing suits toward early settlement or victory on summary judgment.

Agency representation. We represent clients and their plans before the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and obtain determinations from those regulatory agencies on the qualified status of plans and interpretive questions that arise in the course of plan administration. We also represent clients in the event of audit by any number of agencies.

We maintain close contact with policy makers, enabling us to provide up-to-date information about developments and trends and to bring clients’ concerns to the attention of appropriate people in order to provide answers and results.