Seventh Circuit Ruling Against Northwestern University Clarifies Pleading Standard for ERISA Fiduciary Duty Claims
On March 23, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, on remand from the Supreme Court, explained how the “plausibility” pleading standard of Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), and Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009), should be applied to breach of fiduciary duty claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The Court’s ruling reversed and remanded claims the district court had dismissed alleging Northwestern University violated ERISA by imprudently administering Northwestern’s two defined contribution 403(b) retirement plans.