Washington, D.C., September 2, 2025– On Thursday, August 28, The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) and coalition allies filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Maneman v. Weyerhaeuser Company, (Maneman). The amicus brief urges the court to dismiss the case.
This case is part of a growing trend in class action litigation, where the trial bar targets routine transactions involving the administration of pension plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). In Maneman, the Plaintiff is challenging a transaction in which a defined benefit pension plan maintained by Weyerhaeuser purchased annuity contracts from an insurance company by transferring assets to the insurer, which agreed to be liable for payment of the pension benefits. Plaintiffs challenged the transaction under ERISA’s fiduciary duty rules. The amicus brief urged the court to dismiss the case, explaining that the plaintiffs lack standing because they failed to allege an actual injury from the transaction.
“The Plaintiffs’ bar is throwing spaghetti at the wall with these pension risk transfer lawsuits, hoping something sticks,” said Andy Banducci, Senior Vice President for Retirement and Compensation Policy at ERIC. “If meritless claims move forward, plaintiffs’ firms get a payday while employers, employees, and the retirement system are left with both a hefty bill and fewer resources in retirement plans. The court has an opportunity to put an end to this by dismissing the case and sending a clear message that these actions won’t be tolerated.”
ERIC was joined by the American Benefits Council and the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets Inc. on the brief. Seyfarth Shaw LLP prepared the amicus brief, which is available here.