On September 17, 2026, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit handed employers a significant win in Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund v. Consumers Concrete Corp., No. 25-1765, affirming a district court ruling that rejected
Spotlight on Benefits
Spotlight on Benefits, published by Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, focuses on developments and issues related to employee benefits and executive compensation under ERISA and related laws. The blog covers topics such as retirement plan limits and adjustments, regulatory updates including IRS rules and SECURE Act provisions, state-level paid family leave programs and their impact on benefit plans, and judicial interpretations of ERISA remedies. It provides analysis of legislative and regulatory changes affecting defined contribution and defined benefit plans, compliance considerations for plan sponsors, and recent court decisions shaping fiduciary duties and equitable relief under ERISA.
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Latest from Spotlight on Benefits
What Employers Need To Know About Trump Account Contribution Programs
On August 11, 2026, the IRS published proposed regulations providing guidance on employer contributions to Trump Accounts under new Section 128 of the Internal Revenue Code. The regulations are only proposed and would not take effect until the plan year…
Third Circuit Holds That 401(k) Fiduciaries’ Good Process Defeats Claims of Imprudence
By Rick Pearl
New Proposed Rules Would Allow Employers to Offer Fertility Benefits as “Excepted Benefits” Outside Their Major Medical Plans
On May 13, 2026, the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services jointly published proposed regulations that would establish a new category of “limited excepted benefits” for fertility-related coverage under Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA),…
Minnesota Secure Choice: What Employers Need to Know as Compliance Deadlines Approach
By Cynthia Lee & Inés Sosa
DOL Takes Aim at Proxy Advisory Services—What Plan Fiduciaries Need to Know About Technical Release 2026-01 and Their Fiduciary Duties Related to Proxy Voting
ERISA Litigation Roundup: Supreme Court Unanimously Rules Multiemployer Pension Plans May Use Post-Measurement-Date Actuarial Assumptions to Calculate Withdrawal Liability
The IRS Makes It Easy for Employers to Set Up an Educational Assistance Plan
By Mark Rosenfeld & Inés Sosa
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued a template plan document that employers can use to establish a qualified educational assistance program under Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). For employers looking for a straightforward plan, the IRS…