The Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in Cunningham v. Cornell University to address the pleading standard for prohibited transactions under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. § 1106(a)(1)(C).Continue Reading Supreme Court to Review ERISA Prohibited Transactions
Laura Flahive Wu
Laura Flahive Wu is an experienced litigator who represents clients in complex litigation, including consumer protection, mass tort matters, and commercial matters. She has a track record of securing favorable outcomes for her clients in state and federal courts, before arbitral panels, and regulatory bodies.
A stand-up litigator, Laura is known for her ability to spot critical issues, and clients frequently rely on her to help them rejuvenate their strategy in challenging cases. In recent years, she has been a leader of the Covington team representing McKesson in the nationwide opioid litigation, including defending nuisance claims and securing a sweeping win in the only distributor opioids trial to proceed to verdict.
Laura has extensive experience representing companies subject to extensive federal regulation and oversight. She is skilled at crystallizing and communicating the complex environment that governs clients’ businesses. Laura's recent successes include defeating claims against one of the nation’s leading consumer products companies in industry-wide, multidistrict class-action litigation; resolving an ERISA dispute for a global energy company; and successful defense of the NFL Clubs in a class action brought by retired players related to pain medications. She represents clients throughout the entire life cycle of a case, including through trial, and is recognized for her collaborative approach.
A Closer Look: Developing Trends in ESG Litigation
Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives have become increasingly important in today’s business setting. Increased awareness and heightened scrutiny of ESG-related issues, combined with third-party litigation funding, has led to a surge in ESG-related litigation and enforcement actions as consumers, regulators, and investors seek to hold companies accountable for claims about their environmental and social impact.
This post explores the emerging trends shaping the landscape of ESG litigation, which are increasingly centralized in courts in the District of Columbia. Such claims are often brought by nonprofit organizations seeking to take advantage of local consumer protection laws which they claim allow them standing to sue.Continue Reading A Closer Look: Developing Trends in ESG Litigation