Planning ahead to prevent litigation is always best. But when controversies do arise and litigation is unavoidable, companies need sound guidance.

Clients with matters on a path to litigation require a legal team where in-depth knowledge of the intricacies of employee benefits plans and executive compensation meshes with strong dispute resolution skills. In controversies, our team works closely with members of our firm's litigation department to explore the intricacies of each case; these lawyers have substantial experience in handling employee benefits and executive compensation controversies, both in court and through arbitration.

Together, we have:

• Defended a large multi-national corporation against an employee who asserted he had been wrongfully deprived of benefits under the company's defined benefit pension plan; ultimately, the California court dismissed this action
• In a complex ERISA matter, successfully defended a class action for a Fortune 500 client that sponsored a plan in which pension funds were subject to the competing claims of different classes of its unionized workers
• Defended a large publicly held manufacturing concern in class action litigation involving plaintiffs' claims that they were entitled to over $50,000,000 in surplus assets of a defined benefit pension plan
• In two unrelated cases, negotiated favorable settlements for two former executives who were owed additional severance as a result of a "change of control" at their respective companies
• Defended a major national bank regarding claims brought on behalf of a number of pension plans participating in a $500,000,000 frozen common trust fund