Akin Gump Notches 7th Circuit Win in Pension Fund Case
Contact:
(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump secured a victory on behalf of the Pipe Line Contractors Association (PLCA) before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in a case involving the PLCA’s exit from the Teamsters Central States multiemployer pension fund.
PLCA members had contributed to the fund for many years on behalf of their Teamster-represented employees, but the fund was undercapitalized and, under federal pension law, when an employer exits the fund, it is assessed its proportionate share of the underfunding. At issue in the case was when PLCA members exited. The appeals court reversed the district court’s grant of summary judgment for Central States and determined that PLCA companies had properly exited the fund in 2011—a decision that will reduce the group’s total liability to Central States by an estimated $100 million.
Larry Levien, a partner in Akin Gump’s labor and employment practice, led the representation of the PLCA. He was joined by fellow labor and employment partner Lauren Leyden, senior counsel Eric Field, Charles Stewart and Beth Cyr, and associate Allison Somers; and Supreme Court and appellate practice co-head Rex Heinke.
Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
# # #
People Mentioned in This News
