The Supreme Court Considers the Standards Governing the Interpretation of ERISA Plans
The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in Conkright v. Frommert, No. 08-810, in which the Court has been asked to consider the proper standard of review that applies to an interpretation of a plan covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”). Specifically, the Court is faced with the questions of: (1) whether courts must defer to a plan administrator’s interpretation of an ERISA plan outside the context of an administrative claim for benefits; and (2) whether a district court’s interpretation of plan terms should be reviewed only for abuse of discretion if the court interprets the plan in remedying an ERISA violation.