Bell v. Pfizer, Inc.’s Empirical Analysis
626 F.3d 66 · 2010
Citation profile
4 federal appellate · 2 district ·
Relationships
Applies 29 U.S.C. § 1001 (§ 2 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) · 29 U.S.C. § 1002 (§ 3 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) · 29 U.S.C. § 1104 (§ 404 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) · 29 U.S.C. § 1132 (§ 502 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974)
Relies on Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance v. Russell · Varity Corporation v. Howe · Mertens v. Hewitt Associates · Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance v. Knudson · Pegram v. Herdrich
Most-quoted passages
The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 22 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“a person is a fiduciary with respect to a plan to the extent (i) he exercises-any discretionary authority or discretionary control respecting management of such plan or exercises any authority or control respecting management or disposition of its assets, (ii) he renders investment advice for a fee or other compensation, direct or indirect, with respect to any moneys or other property of such plan, or has any authority or responsibility to do so, or (iii) he has any discretionary authority or any discretionary responsibility in the administration of such plan.”
3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“[A] fiduciary shall discharge his duties with respect to a plan solely in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries and—(A) for the exclusive purpose of: (i) providing benefits to participants and their beneficiaries; and (ii) defraying reasonable expenses of administering the plan; (B) with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent ■man acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like charae-ter and with like aims; ... - (D) in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the plan insofar as such documents and instruments are consistent with the provisions of this subchapter and subchapter III of this chapter.”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“[W]here a plaintiff asserts a breach of fiduciary claim based on a material misrepresentation or omission, the plaintiff must establish detrimental reliance.”). To prove breach of the fiduciary duties of loyalty or prudence, plaintiffs only have to show that defendants were ERISA fiduciaries, that they breached their fiduciary obligations towards plaintiffs, and that the plan’s losses”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.