Blog Posts

        Category: Benefit Plans of Exempt Organizations
        by Christopher S. Lockman on July 7, 2025

        The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision Cunningham v. Cornell University, 145 S.Ct. 1020 (2025) significantly lowers the pleading standard for...

        by Eric D. Altholz on October 10, 2024

        In November 2023, the IRS issued proposed regulations addressing the SECURE 2.0 long-term part-time (LTPT) employee eligibility requirements...

        January 9, 2024

        The Internal Revenue Service gave retirement plan sponsors end-of-the-year gifts by providing guidance under twelve sections of the SECURE 2.0 Act of...

        by Karen K. Hartford on March 8, 2021

        Join us on Thursday, March 18 for the next segment in the virtual series that comprises Verrill’s 2021 Employment Law Annual Update! For this...

        December 1, 2020

        UPDATE (added February 10, 2023): With the passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, Congress made the safe harbor correction method for employee...

        by Eric D. Altholz on November 10, 2020

        With the publication of Revenue Ruling 2020-23, the IRS completed a cycle of helpful guidance regarding the termination of 403(b) plans that began...

        by Eric D. Altholz on July 13, 2020

        Proposed Regulations published by the Treasury Department last month provide helpful clarifications regarding the application of the excise tax under...

        by Eric D. Altholz on July 30, 2019

        Tax-exempt employers whose 403(b) plans have failed to comply with the "once in, always in" eligibility rule in the past should be well on their way...

        May 23, 2019

        Identifying an employer's highly compensated employees is crucial to the administration of qualified retirement plans, as well as 403(b) plans that...

        by Eric D. Altholz on July 23, 2018

        The IRS has once again confirmed that an employee benefit plan maintained by a church or church-affiliated organization is not subject to ERISA...

        July 2, 2018

        All signs point to the IRS expanding access to the determination letter ("DL") program for individually designed plans in 2019. This would be a...

        by Eric D. Altholz on February 20, 2018

        Corporate entities under common control are generally treated as a single employer for purposes of applying the core rules that govern employee...

        by Eric D. Altholz on January 2, 2018

        Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 20, 2017, and President Trump signed the bill into law on December 22nd. As everyone knows by...

        by Eric D. Altholz on December 28, 2017

        Here is a round up of cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court and the First and Second Circuit Courts of Appeals in 2017 involving ERISA employee...

        by Eric D. Altholz on November 7, 2017

        It's early days yet for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act released last week by the House Ways and Means Committee, but one thing is clear: Congressional tax...

        by Eric D. Altholz on June 20, 2017

        In this Verrill Voices podcast, Eric Altholz and Misti Munster discuss the implications of the recent Supreme Court decision in Advocate Health Care...

        by Eric D. Altholz on June 7, 2017

        Earlier this week, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned decisions by three federal Circuit Courts of Appeals and held that an...

        by Eric D. Altholz on April 6, 2017

        Verrill Dana Employee Benefits attorneys Eric Altholz and Chris Lockman provide a brief update on class action lawsuits alleging various breaches of...

        by Eric D. Altholz on July 13, 2016

        It has been a long time coming (nine years to be exact), but the Treasury Department has at last published proposed regulations that harmonize...

        by Eric D. Altholz on May 5, 2014

        Within the past five months, two federal District Court judges have cast doubt on the validity of IRS letter rulings (and similar DOL opinion...

        by Eric D. Altholz on January 13, 2013

        Nearly 20 years after the IRS first established a limited program for the correction of 403(b) plan administrative errors, 403(b) plans have finally...

        by Eric D. Altholz on March 29, 2012

        Special thanks to Peter J. Dill, a Senior Consultant at Towers Watson (Boston), for his consultation and input on this post. Treasury Regulations...

        by Eric D. Altholz on October 5, 2011

        IRS Revenue Procedure 2011-44 imposes a new notice requirement upon any employer requesting a ruling from the IRS to confirm the status of an...

        by Kenneth F. Ginder on August 12, 2011

        A "church plan" – whether maintained by an actual church or by a church affiliated organization (such as a college or hospital that is church...

        by Eric D. Altholz on June 9, 2011

        We are pleased to offer a guest post by Warren Kerper, Managing Principal in the Boston office of Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, Inc.Warren advises...

        by Eric D. Altholz on April 20, 2011

        Executive pay in the exempt organization setting has been subject to scrutiny and regulation since long before corporate bad actors and the financial...

        by Eric D. Altholz on March 12, 2011

        Those of us who deal with Section 403(b) plans (a/k/a tax sheltered annuity plans) rejoiced when Treasury published Final Regulations under Code...

        by Eric D. Altholz on July 14, 2010

        One of the most well known, yet commonly flouted, requirements in the world of 403(b) plans is the "universal availability" requirement. Section...

        Firm Highlights

        Blog

        What is a Bonus for Purposes of ERISA?

        An ongoing dispute about a Department of Labor advisory opinion published last September raises a basic but unanswered question under the ERISA: What...
        Media Mentions

        Verrill Recognized by WMTW for Partnership Supporting Hunger Relief in Maine

        Verrill was recently featured in coverage by WMTW News 8 for its role in a collaborative effort to combat food insecurity across southern...
        Press Releases

        33 Verrill Attorneys, Across Four Offices, Recognized in the 2026 Chambers USA Guide

        BOSTON, Massachusetts, PORTLAND, Maine, WESTPORT, Connecticut, and WASHINGTON, D.C. – Verrill has been recognized as a Leading Firm in 14...
        Blog

        Will the Knicks Beat the Spurs? (Are Prediction Market Event Contracts Gambling?)

        For those of you who like to keep score, currently 18 states are engaged in litigation over prediction markets, such as Kalshi and Polymarket,...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        DOJ Announces Faster Review and Enhanced Enforcement for Benefits-Fraud FCA Matters

        On May 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division issued a new memorandum, “Accelerating Review and Enhancing Enforcement in...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        DOJ Announces Minnesota Health Care Fraud Takedown; Signals Intensified Medicaid Enforcement Nationwide

        On May 21, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced a first-of-its kind Minnesota Health Care Fraud Takedown charging 15 defendants, including...
        Media Mentions

        Lauren Galvin Quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly on Arbitration and Anti-SLAPP Protections

        Verrill Partner Lauren Galvin was recently featured in a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly article highlighting a notable Superior Court decision...
        Blog

        Section 530A Accounts: What Employers Should Consider Before Offering Contributions to “Trump” Accounts

        Section 530A accounts, commonly referred to as Trump accounts, have attracted attention since the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in...
        Blog

        Navigating PBM Reform: Regulatory Changes, Market Shifts, and Practical Guidance for ERISA Fiduciaries

        Pharmacy Benefit Manager (“PBM”) arrangements have long relied on rebates with limited transparency into true drug costs. Recent regulatory and...
        Blog

        DOL’s Proposed Regulation on Selecting Alternative Investments: Broad Implications for 401(k) and 403(b) Plan Fiduciaries

        On March 30, 2026, the Department of Labor issued a proposed regulation purporting to implement an executive order to expand access to “alternative...
        Press Releases

        Verrill Welcomes Private Clients & Fiduciary Services Attorney Gracie Castle

        BOSTON, Massachusetts – Verrill is pleased to welcome Gracie Castle to the firm’s Private Clients & Fiduciary Services Group as an Associate,...
        Published Works

        Francesco De Vito Authors Article in the Journal of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys

        Verrill Partner Frank De Vito authored an article featured in the Spring 2026 issue of The Abstract, the journal of the American College of Mortgage...