Identifying whether an insurance company is a proper party defendant in a claim for benefits under ERISA has for many years presented a surprisingly difficult question. Left to struggle with the issue, the federal courts developed a somewhat complex body of conflicting law on the issue.
Author: Paul J. Schneider, JD, LLM, is senior counsel to Paisner~Litvin, LLP, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, where he has advised clients on taxation and employee benefit matters for more than 30 years. He is a charter fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and has served as chairman of the Important Developments Subcommittee of the American Bar Association Tax Section’s Employee Benefits Committee. Mr. Schneider is a graduate of Lehigh University, Columbia University School of Law (JD), New York University (LLM in Taxation), and LaSalle University (MBA). Mr. Schneider frequently writes articles and lectures on tax and employee benefits-related topics, and is the former coeditor of ERISA: A Comprehensive Guide, 4th Edition (Aspen, 2011).
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