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Ian represents companies, executives, and fiduciaries in connection with Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) litigation, employee benefits and executive compensation matters, class actions, and other commercial disputes. Trained as a trial lawyer, Ian has focused almost exclusively on employee benefits-related litigation for the past 15 years.
I focus my practice on ERISA litigation. With broad experience in this area, I help defend plans, fiduciaries, and companies against claims of breach of fiduciary duty, vesting and funding violation disputes, withdrawal liability disputes, and disputes regarding welfare and pension benefits. I also counsel companies on plan interpretation, amendment, and benefit claims administration. I have first and second-chair experience in litigation involving class actions, non-compete agreements, and executive compensation arrangements. I evaluate and defend liability claims under complex legacy benefit programs and litigate complex business cases.
My experience spans a wide range of industries, and I regularly represent employers in litigation in state and federal courts and before state and federal administrative agencies. My experience allows me to counsel employers regarding their obligations and potential exposure under the state and federal employment statutes.
The below representative experience includes representations from a prior firm.
Courts continue to lower the bar for plaintiffs’ lawyers to avoid dismissal of putative ERISA class actions. Further, plaintiffs’ lawyers continue to test novel theories regarding ERISA’s fiduciary duties of prudence and loyalty. I expect the trend of ERISA class action filings will continue and possibly increase over the next few years.
Washington, DC Labor & Employment partner Ian Taylor provides third-party comments in this article covering Tenneco Inc.’s request that the US Supreme Court reconsider the use in federal benefits law of its “effective vindication” precept. This rule establishes that litigants’ right to sue supersedes limits set by arbitration agreements. Among his comments, Ian discusses that plans should consider potential risks in connection with imposing strict individual arbitration clauses in 401(k) plans when they choose to defend their position.
The following article covers New York University’s motion to strike a group of employees’ request for a jury trial in the revival of a long-running ERISA lawsuit on appeal. The articles mention Washington, DC Labor & Employment partners Jennifer Squillario and Ian Taylor for representing NYU in the case.
The following article covers New York University’s motion to strike a group of employees’ request for a jury trial in the revival of a long-running ERISA lawsuit on appeal. The articles mention Washington, DC Labor & Employment partners Jennifer Squillario and Ian Taylor for representing NYU in the case.
District of Columbia
Maryland
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, B.A.
University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., Maryland Law Review, Moot Court Team, with Honors
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