Overview
Widely recognized as one of the country's premier ERISA litigators, Paul Ondrasik has served as lead counsel in numerous ERISA class actions and individual cases throughout the United States involving employer stock, 401(k) plan fees, and other plan investment matters, fiduciary responsibility, corporate transactions, and preemption. With more than 40 years of experience in the employee benefit plan field, Paul combines proven trial litigation skills and a technical background in ERISA law. He has received first tier rankings from both Chambers USA and The Legal 500 US every year those publications have rated lawyers in the area of national ERISA litigation, and in 2017 he was recognized by The Legal 500 as an inaugural member of its Hall of Fame. In 2018, Super Lawyers listed him as one of Washington, DC's Top 10 attorneys for the fourth consecutive year. And, just recently, he was named Washington, DC's 2021 "Lawyer of the Year" for ERISA Litigation by Best Lawyers in America, a distinction he has enjoyed three times in the last decade. He serves as co-head of Steptoe's ERISA, Labor & Employment Group.
Paul is a charter fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, and the Chair of Labor Committee of the Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section of the American Bar Association. He is a frequent lecturer and author on fiduciary responsibility, preemption, and other ERISA matters for a variety of educational organizations, and previously served as co-chair of the annual ERISA Litigation Conference for more than two decades.
- District of Columbia
- Pennsylvania
- Supreme Court of the United States
- US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia
- US Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- Hon. Warren E. Burger, Supreme Court of the United States, 1976-1977
- Hon. Collins J. Seitz, US Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1975-1976
- J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1975, Notes Editor, Virginia Law Review; Order of the Coif
- A.B., Princeton University, 1972, Distinction in American Civilization
Areas of Work
Representative Matters
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Muri v. National Indemnity Co., 2019 WL2513694, Case No. 8:17-V-00178 (D. Neb. 2019) – secured summary judgment dismissing a putative class action asserting fiduciary breach claims against a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary based on the failure to remove an allegedly "risky" mutual fund from the investment menu available to participants under the company's 401(k) pension plan.
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In re Whitley v. BP, P.L.C., 838 F.3d 523 (5th 2016) – court held plaintiffs' putative class action complaint seeking to recover plan losses on employer stock following Deepwater Horizon explosion failed to state a viable employer stock drop claim.
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Houssain v. Chenault, et al., Case No. 1:15-cv-08184 (S.D.N.Y. 2017) – secured dismissal of putative class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with plan's employer stock holdings.
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In re American Express ERISA Litig., 762 F. Supp. 2d 614 (S.D.N.Y. 2010) – dismissal of putative class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with plan's holding of employer stock.
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Fox v. McCormick, 20 F. Supp. 3d 133 (D.D.C. 2013) – dismissal of putative class action against trustees of national Taft-Hartley pension plan alleging fiduciary breach and prohibited transactions.
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Pharm Care Mgmt. Ass'n v. District of Columbia, 613 F.3d 179 (D.C. Cir. 2010) – court held that key provisions of a District of Columbia law regulating pharmacy benefit managers was preempted by ERISA.
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In Re Honda of America Mfg. ERISA Fees Litigation, 661 F. Supp. 2d 861 (S.D. Ohio 2009) – dismissal of putative class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with fees and investment options in 401(k) plan.
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Glanton v. Advance PCS, Inc. 465 F.3d 1123 (9th Cir 2006) – court affirmed dismissal of putative ERISA class action brought against leading pharmacy benefits manager on lack of constitutional standing grounds.
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Albrecht v. Comm. on Employee Benefits of the Federal Reserve Employee Benefits System, 357 F.3d 62 (D.C. Cir. 2004) - successfully defended claims of fiduciary breach based on failure to eliminate plan’s mandatory employee contribution feature.
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Flanigan v. General Elec. Co., 242 F.3d 78 (2d Cir. 2001) - successfully defended ERISA fiduciary and statutory claims arising from complex corporate transaction involving, among other things, trust-to-trust transfer of assets exceeding $1 billion.
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Ironworkers Field Pension Trust v. Loomis Sayles & Co., 259 F.3d 1036 (9th Cir. 2001) -successfully defended fiduciary breach claims based on investment of plan assets in complex mortgage derivatives.
Speaking Engagements
- "Best Practices in Defined Contribution Plans," 63rd Annual Conference, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Las Vegas, NV, October 24, 2017
- "The Evolving State of Remedies and Equitable Relief under ERISA Sec. 502(a)(3): New Remedies Post-Montanile," 2017 ERISA Litigation Conference, ACI, New York, NY, November 2-3, 2017
- "The Evolution and Future of Employer Stock Class Actions," ERISA Litigation Update, Financial Resources Associates, LLC, June 13, 2017
News & Publications
Client Alerts
The Department of Labor Provides Final Changes to the QPAM Exemption
April 10, 2024
By: Melanie Nussdorf, Eric G. Serron, Paul J. Ondrasik, Jr., Raisa M. Daigneault
Client Alerts
Fiduciary Rule Client Advisory
November 3, 2023
By: Melanie Nussdorf, Paul J. Ondrasik, Jr., Eric G. Serron, Scott A. Sinder, Nick Sutter, Raisa M. Daigneault
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 28 Practice Rankings, 34 Individual Awards in Legal 500 US 2023
June 14, 2023
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 25 Practice, 72 Individual Mentions in Chambers USA 2023
June 1, 2023
Client Alerts
DOL Issues Final Rule on the Use of ESG Factors in Retirement Investments
December 7, 2022
By: Eric G. Serron, Paul J. Ondrasik, Jr., Michael Dockterman, Melanie Nussdorf, Ida Adibi
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 27 Practice Rankings, 26 Individual Awards in Legal 500 US 2022
June 16, 2022
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 27 Practice, 72 Individual Mentions in Chambers USA 2022
June 3, 2022
Press Releases
Steptoe Receives 27 Practice Rankings, 31 Individual Awards in Legal 500 US 2021
September 13, 2021
Resources
Financial Services Group Advisory
June 12, 2019
By: Micah S. Green, Scott A. Sinder, Kate Jensen, Paul J. Ondrasik, Jr., Melanie Nussdorf, Eric G. Serron
Noteworthy
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Charter Fellow, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
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Law Dragon, Hall of Fame, Corporate Employment Lawyers (2019-2020)
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Super Lawyers, Washington, DC (2007-2020)
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Super Lawyers, Washington, DC, "Top 10" (2015-2018)
- Super Lawyers, Washington, DC, "Top 100" (2010-2017, 2020-2021)
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Chambers USA, Band 1, ERISA Litigation, Nationwide (2005-2022)
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Chambers USA, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, DC (2010-2023)
- Legal 500 US, Hall of Fame, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation & Retirement Plans: Design (2020-2023)
- Legal 500 US, Hall of Fame, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation & Retirement Plans: Transactional (2020)
- Legal 500 US, Hall of Fame, Labor & Employment: ERISA Litigation (2020-2022)
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Legal 500 US, Labor & Employment: ERISA Litigation, "Leading Lawyer" (2007-2019)
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Legal 500 US, Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation & Retirement Plans, "Leading Lawyer" (2018-2019)
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Legal 500 US, Labor & Employment: Employee Health and Retirement Plans, "Leading Lawyer" (2017)
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Legal 500, Hall of Fame, Inaugural Member (2017)
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Best Lawyers in America, "Lawyer of the Year," Litigation: ERISA (2012, 2017, 2021)
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Best Lawyers in America, ERISA Litigation (2005-2022)
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Human Resource Executive/Law Dragon, Nation's Top 20 Lawyers in Employee Benefits (2012-2017)
Professional Affiliations
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Chair, Labor Committee of the Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section of the American Bar Association