Participation in 401(k) plans has grown astronomically since they came into existence almost 30 years ago. Today, tens of millions of employees participate in 401(k) plans, and total assets under management exceed $7 trillion. It is little wonder that 401(k) plans have increasingly become targets for litigation over the last decade. In 2017 alone, dozens of new cases were filed against 401(k) plans, with settlements collectively exceeding $145 million. Litigation has also extended to substantively similar 403(b) plans. It is therefore important for plan sponsors and administrators to be aware of recent litigation trends and take appropriate steps to minimize litigation risks.

Basis of 401(k) Fee Litigation
401(k) plans are “employee welfare benefit plans” governed by the Employer Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) and, as such, must be managed exclusively for the benefit of plan participants. Plan sponsors and administrators (collectively “plan fiduciaries”) are accordingly subject to a fiduciary duty—which courts refer to as “the highest duty known to law”—requiring them to act prudently (i.e. with the “care, skill, and prudence” of a prudent person) and loyally (i.e. only for the benefit of plan participants) towards plan participants. Practically, this means that plan fiduciaries must carefully consider the expenses of the plan; and the type and cost of investment options.

Common Allegations in 401(k) Fee Suits
Flowing from the fiduciary duties owed, fee suits commonly allege that plan fiduciaries:

• Should have offered substantively identical but less expensive investment options;
• Did not obtain the best possible price from plan service providers; and
• Failed to adequately monitor the cost of investments and administrative expenses over time.
• Poor investment performance (though many courts have found that poor performance alone does not indicate that the fiduciary’s decision-making process was flawed); and
• Prohibited transactions claims, as ERISA prohibits fiduciaries from making payments to “parties in interest” from plan assets (though often, courts have found that exemptions clearly applied to permit payments).

Recent Trends in 401(k) Fee Litigation
Recent trends indicate the plaintiffs’ bar has broadened their sights: increasingly targeting other defendants apart from larger 401(k) plans, and alleging new bases of breach.

Plaintiffs’ Bar Increasing Targets of Litigation
Historically, plaintiffs have targeted larger 401(k) plans. Recent settlement successes against 401(k) plans have buoyed the plaintiffs’ bar, and smaller plans are increasingly targeted. Large universities, which offer 403(b) plans, are also increasingly targeted. In August 2016, a dozen suits were filed against universities. In 2017 and 2018, new suits have continued to be filed with regularity against universities.

Recent Bases of Fiduciary Breach
There has been an uptick of claims targeting investment options. Plaintiffs are challenging proprietary funds (wherein fiduciaries include their own proprietary funds in the 401(k) plan), alleging that those investments benefit the fiduciary at the expense of plan participants. Plaintiffs are also targeting money market funds, claiming that the plans should have offered stable value funds instead; as the latter serves the same purpose but yields highest interest rates.

What Can I Do to Minimize Litigation Risk?
Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet. Plaintiffs’ firms are savvy, and whether plan fiduciaries have discharged their fiduciary duties is often a fact-sensitive inquiry; meaning that early resolution of litigation (i.e. at the motion to dismiss stage), is not always possible.

However, ERISA does not impose a duty on fiduciaries to achieve perfect outcomes. As long as fiduciaries consistently strive to make decisions in the best interests of plan participants, they have a good chance of demonstrating that they have discharged their fiduciary duties when challenged in court. In other words: process, process, process. Brotherston v. Putnam Investments, LLC, 2017 WL 1196648 (D. Mass. Mar. 30, 2017) illustrates this. There, plaintiffs claimed that Putnam’s proprietary products were too expensive and that Putnam lacked a fiduciary process. The court had the opportunity to review Putnam’s processes post-discovery, and found that there was no evidence to show that Putnam had breached its fiduciary duties by placing its interests ahead of participants, or that a reasonable fiduciary “in the shoes of” Putnam would have chosen a different investment lineup.

Thus, while obtaining early judgment may be difficult, establishing a robust process to consistently monitor the plan’s investment selection and plan expenses is key to demonstrating discharge of fiduciary duties and increasing the odds of success on a dispositive motion later in the litigation.