The Supreme Court Ruling Against the Defense of Marriage Act

Online, August 5, 2013 (Newswire.com) - United States v. Windsor

The Supreme Court ruling against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)was tested on Monday when a federal judge ruled that a lesbian widow is entitled to survivor benefits from her deceased wife's employer.

Employee sponsored retirement plans, health care benefit plans and pension funds will all have to rethink how they make decisions around coverage, benefits and payouts given this development

Judge C. Darnell Jones II cited United States v. Windsor, the case that struck down DOMA as unconstitutional in June, when he ruled that Philadelphia-based law firm Cozen O'Connor P.C. owed benefits to Jennifer Tobits, whose wife Sarah Ellyn Farley held a $41,000 profit-sharing plan before her death.

Join us at the ERISA Litigation Conference this coming September 9-10 in New York where experts will discuss how this decision and the Affordable Care Act will impact health benefits and coverage and experts on retirement plans will talk about risks and best practices for preventing litigation in light of the new environment brought forth by this landmark ruling.

www.momentumevents.co/erisa/

Attendees will also update their knowledge relating to

• Establishing fiduciary defenses under 404(c) after recent challenges of the Moench presumption
• Defending against the uptick in ESOP litigation and establishing strategies for proper valuation
• Complying with and defending against challenges surrounding the DOL's fee disclosure rules
• Combating the wave of increased litigation around ERISA and non-ERISA defined benefit plans
• Determining what constitutes equitable relief after Cigna and its progeny
• Preparing for litigation that will arise out of the implementation of the ACA

Plus, in-house faculty from Mercer, Crawford & Company, Health Care Service Corp., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sherwin Williams, United Retirement Plan Consultants, Blue Prairie Group, Wells Fargo & Co., Galderma S.A., FedEx Corp., Campbell Soup Company, Cigna, Southern California Edison Company will provide you with clarity and certainty on mounting rigorous and complete defenses.