United States Second Circuit

In ERISA class action that alleged defendant breached its fiduciary duty in failing to act in class plaintiffs' best interest in defendant's capacity as a pharmaceutical benefits manager for employee welfare benefit plans, order certifying the instant action as a class action is vacated to the extent the court failed to properly consider the conflicts of interest among members of the class and in approving the Settlement Agreement.

Appellate Information

• Decided 10/04/2007
• Published 10/04/2007

Judges

• MINER, Circuit Judge:, Before:  MINER and POOLER, Circuit Judges, and BLOCK, Judge.

Court

• United States Second Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Kenneth P. Ross, Coleman Law Firm, Chicago, IL (Robert F. Coleman and Sean B. Crotty, Robert F. Coleman & Associates, Chicago, IL, and Eugene I. Pavalon, Pavalon, Gifford, Laatsch & Marino, Chicago, IL, on the brief), for Movants-Appellants Central States Southeast and Southwest Areas Health and Welfare Fund, Sweetheart Cup Company, Inc., and Iron Workers Tri-StateWelfare Fund., W. Scott Simmer, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP, Washington, D.C. (Christopher P. Sullivan, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP, Washington, D.C., and Robert A. Scher, Foley & Lardner LLP, New York, NY, on the brief), for Movants-Appellants Group Hospitalization and Medical Services d/b/a Carefirst Blue Cross Blue Shield., Linda J. Cahn, Law Firm of Linda J. Cahn, Esq., Morristown, NJ, Movant-Appellant., Stephen J. Herman, Mathis, Casey, Kitchens & Genell, LLP, New Orleans, LA, for Intervenor Plaintiff Betty Jo Jones.


• For Appellees:
  
• Arthur N. Abbey, Abbey Spanier Rodd & Abrams LLP, New York, N.Y. (Karin E. Fisch, on the brief), for Plaintiffs-Appellees Elizabeth O'Hare, Genia Gruer, Mildred Bellow, Walter J. Green, and Marissa Janazzo., Philippe Z. Selendy, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, New York, N.Y. (David Boies and Edward Normand, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Armonk, NY, on the brief), for Plaintiffs-Appellees Elizabeth O'Hare, Genia Gruer, Mildred Bellow, Walter J. Green, and Marissa Janazzo.