ERISA -- 2020



Intel Corporation Investment Policy Committee v. Sulyma   (U.S. Supreme Court)

Statute of limitations for ERISA claims

In March of 2019, the NAM filed an amicus brief seeking U.S. Supreme Court review of an appellate decision that improperly expands the statute of limitations period for employee lawsuits against their employers under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The case arose with a class action claim by a former Intel employee alleging that Intel violated its fiduciary duty under ERISA by investing in risky assets that lost value. A district court dismissed the case because the plaintiff brought his claim after ERISA’s three-year statute of limitations period expired. On appeal to the 9th Circuit, the plaintiff argued that even though he received information about the investments more than three years before the lawsuit, he did not recall reading the documents and therefore lacked “actual knowledge” of the investments necessary to trigger the statute of limitations period. That reasoning somehow persuaded the 9th Circuit to reverse the district court’s dismissal and reinstate the case. The Ninth Circuit’s decision inappropriately expands exposure to potential litigation for manufacturers that sponsor retirement plans. In support of Intel’s petition for Supreme Court review, the NAM filed an amicus brief that explains the harmful implications of the decision on manufacturers and why the Court should grant review. On June 10, 2019, the Court granted review of the case for the Court’s 2019-2020 term, and on August 28, 2019, the NAM filed its amicus brief on the merits. Unfortunately, on February 26, 2020, the Court unanimously affirmed the Ninth Circuit’s interpretation of the three-year statute of limitations provision.


Related Documents:
NAM brief  (August 28, 2019)
NAM brief  (April 3, 2019)