“District Court Denies Motion to Compel Arbitration Over Breach of Fiduciary Duties Claims”

This article, published in JD Supra and authored by Hodgson Russ attorneys Peter Bradley, Michael Flanagan, Richard Kaiser, Ryan Murphy and Amy Walters, discusses the Ohio District Court’s recent decision in Hawkins v. Cintas Corps., No. 1:19-CV-1062, 2021 WL 274341, denying a motion to compel ERISA class action claims brought by two employees alleging the company breached “its fiduciary duties of loyalty and prudence by mismanaging and failing to investigate and select better cost options for the plan.” As the article explains, the court found the claims were brought on behalf of the plan, and thus fell outside the scope of the plaintiff’s employment agreements which provided for arbitration of disputes relating to “the rights and claims of Employee,” with no reference to the plan.