Bloomberg interviews Jeff Hahn about former Department of Labor officials’ push to protect worker benefits

Stris & Maher partner Jeff Hahn was featured in a recent Bloomberg article highlighting how a group of former U.S. Department of Labor officials is actively opposing recent policy shifts they believe weaken protections for workers’ retirement and health benefits, particularly by challenging efforts to limit litigation against employers.

The article, titled “Ex-Benefits Enforcers Assemble to Counter Trump Shifts in Court,” chronicles how former DOL officials from the Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Plan Benefits Security Division wrote lawmakers this month to oppose a bill that would make it harder for workers to sue employers over their benefit plans.

According to the article, while it’s common for former government officials to sign onto friend-of-the court briefs and issue statements critical of subsequent administrations, it’s unusual to see an organized effort among the small group of high-ranking DOL officials warning against the department’s positions.

Hahn, who previously litigated ERISA cases at the DOL, said the group’s success will partly depend on their persuasiveness. Courts have traditionally taken into account amicus briefs from individuals or groups with deep knowledge of the subject of the case, he added.

To read the full Bloomberg article, click here.