practice areas

Labor & Employment ERISA Litigation Systemic Employment Litigation Employment Counseling & Litigation Financial Services

bar admissions

Illinois

court admissions

U.S. Supreme Court Illinois Supreme Court U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado U.S. District Court for the Central and Northern Districts of Illinois U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan

Deborah S. Davidson

Email: ddavidson@morganlewis.com

Chicago
77 West Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL 60601-5094
Phone: 312.324.1159
Fax: 312.324.1001

practice accolades

Labor & Employment

The American Lawyer Magazine's Litigation Department of the Year – Labor and Employment Law Finalist 2004, Winner 2006, Finalist 2008, Finalist 2010, and Finalist 2012

Listed in the highest tier for National Labor and Employment Practice in Chambers USA 2012

Ranked in the top tier by The Legal 500 for Labor and Employment Litigation, ERISA Litigation, Labor-Management Relations, and Workplace and Employment Counseling (2012)

Ranked, National Tier 1: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor & Employment by U.S. News and Best Lawyers (2011-2012)

Ranked #1 for "Most Prestigious" Labor and Employment Practice, Vault 2012 Associate Survey

ERISA Litigation

Listed in the highest tier for National ERISA Litigation Practice in Chambers USA 2012

Ranked in Tier 1 for ERISA Litigation by The U.S. Legal 500 (2012)

education

Washington University in St. Louis, 1998, J.D.

University of Tulsa, 1995, B.A., With Honors

Publications

Date	Title	Publication
02/21/1302/21/13	Platform Investments and Target Date Funds, presented at the ABA Employee Benefits Committee, Section of Labor and Employment Law Midwinter Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina	Speech
12/07/12Autumn 2012	How Have Dukes and Spano Changed the Game for Class Certification of ERISA Claims?, Benefits Law Journal, Vol. 25, No. 3	Article
10/22/1210/22/12	Fiduciary Responsibility Under ERISA, presented at the ABA 26th Annual Institute on ERISA Basics, Washington, D.C.	Speech
08/24/122007	Getting the Deal Through 2007 – United States View Publication	Getting the Deal Through
08/05/1208/05/12	Panelist, Where ERISA Class Action Litigation Intersects with Other Areas of the Law, presented at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Chicago	Speech
08/03/1208/03/12	Moderator, What the Supreme Court is Saying About ERISA, presented at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Chicago	Speech
06/08/1206/08/12	Defined Contribution Investment Litigation, presented at the 22nd Annual ABA Institute on ERISA Litigation, Washington, D.C.	Speech
06/08/1206/08/12	Ethics Issues for ERISA Litigators, presented at the 22nd Annual ABA Institute on ERISA Litigation, Washington, D.C.	Speech
02/22/1202/22/12	Handling Benefit Claims for Retirement Plans View Presentation	Webinar
02/19/1202/19/12	Report of the Fiduciary Responsibility Subcommittee, presented at the ABA Employee Benefits Committee, Section of Labor and Employment Law Midwinter Meeting, San Diego, CA View Presentation	Speech
12/07/1112/07/11	Top 10 ERISA Decisions of 2011, presented at the Worldwide Employee Benefits 2011 year-end meeting, Chicago, IL	Speech
11/14/1111/14/11	Fiduciary Disclosures and Litigation, presented at the ABA JCEB 21st Annual National Institute on ERISA Litigation, Chicago, IL	Speech
05/22/11May 2011	Fiduciary Responsibility Under ERISA, presented at the ABA 25th Annual Institute on ERISA Basics, Chicago	Speech
02/22/11February 2011	ERISA Plan Fee and Employer Stock Update, presented at the ABA Employee Benefits Committee, Section of Labor and Employment Law Midwinter Meeting	Speech
11/01/10November 2010	Benefit Claims Litigation: Claims Standard of Review, Discovery and Dispositive Motions, presented at the ABA JCEB 20th Annual National Institute on ERISA Litigation, Chicago	Speech
06/11/102010	Civil Procedure (Chapter 12, contributor), Employee Benefits Law (3d Edition, American Bar Association)	Chapter
06/11/102010	Ethics (Chapter 20, co-editor), Employee Benefits Law (3d Edition, American Bar Association)	Chapter
06/11/102010	Fiduciary Responsibility (Chapter 10, contributor), Employee Benefits Law (3d Edition, American Bar Association)	Chapter
06/11/10Spring 2010	Why Complying with ERISA Section 404(c)'s Safe Harbor for Participant-Directed Investments Is Worth the Effort for Plan Sponsors and Fiduciaries," Benefits Law Journal, Vol. 23, No. 1 View Article	Article
05/19/1005/19/10	Fiduciary Responsibility Under ERISA, presented at the ABA 24th Annual Institute on ERISA Basics, Chicago	Speech
02/22/10February 2010	Ethics Update, presented at the ABA Employee Benefits Committee, Section of Labor and Employment Law Midwinter Meeting	Speech
11/17/0911/17/09	ERISA Fiduciary Litigation	Speech
11/17/0911/17/09	ERISA Fiduciary Litigation, presented at the ABA JCEB 19th Annual National Institute on ERISA Litigation, Chicago	Speech
11/16/0911/16/09	Employer "Stock Drop" Litigation Under ERISA, presented at the ABA JCEB 19th Annual National Institute on ERISA Litigation, Chicago	Speech
07/16/0907/16/09	Seventh Circuit Denies Reconsideration of 401(k) “Fees” Case View LawFlash	Labor and Employment LawFlash
06/18/0906/18/09	Morgan Lewis Team Wins Second Post-Enron ERISA “Stock Drop” Trial for Tellabs View LawFlash	Labor and Employment LawFlash
06/10/0906/10/09	Fiduciary Responsibility Under ERISA	Speech
06/10/0906/10/09	Fiduciary Responsibility Under ERISA, presented at the ABA 23rd Annual Institute on ERISA Basics, Chicago	Speech
02/20/0902/20/09	ERISA Plan Fee Litigation and DOL Regulatory Developments, presented at the ABA Employee Benefits Committee, Section of Labor and Employment Law Midwinter Meeting	Speech
11/07/0811/07/08	ERISA Service Provider Litigation: Health Benefits and the War Against PBMs, presented at the 19th Annual ABA Institute on ERISA Litigation, Chicago	Speech
06/04/0806/04/08	Fiduciary Responsibility Under ERISA, presented at the 21st Annual ABA Institute on ERISA Basics	Speech
05/22/0805/22/08	The Latest on ERISA 401(k) Litigation: What Plan Sponsors, Insurers, and Fiduciaries Need to Know in 2008 (Labor and Employment Spring Webinar Series)	Webinar
02/29/0802/29/08	ERISA Plan Fee Disclosures: Legislative Proposals, DOL Regulatory Developments and Litigation, presented at the ABA Employee Benefits Committee, Section of Labor and Employment Law Midwinter Meeting, New Orleans, LA	Speech
01/01/082008	Ethics (Chapter 20, co-editor), Employee Benefits Law, Cumulative Supplement (2nd Edition, American Bar Association)	Chapter
01/01/082008	Fiduciary Responsibility (Chapter 10, contributor), Employee Benefits Law, Cumulative Supplement (2nd Edition, American Bar Association)	Chapter
12/02/0712/02/07	ERISA Remedies, presented at the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education Seminar on ERISA Fiduciary Litigation	Speech
11/02/0711/02/07	ERISA 401(k) Service Provider and Fee Litigation, presented at the 17th Annual ABA Institute on ERISA Litigation	Speech
09/18/072007	Fiduciary Responsibility (Chapter 10, contributor), Employee Benefits Law, Cumulative Supplement, (2nd Edition, American Bar Association)	Chapter
05/01/0705/01/07	Fiduciary Responsibility Under ERISA, presented at the 21st Annual ABA Institute on ERISA Basics	Speech
09/18/062006	Fiduciary Responsibility (Chapter 10, contributor), Employee Benefits Law, Cumulative Supplement (American Bar Association)	Chapter
11/01/05Winter 2005	How Does a Securities Fraud Settlement Affect an ERISA "Stock Drop" Case? Benefits Law Journal, Vol. 18, No. 4	Article
05/01/0505/01/05	Downsizing and ERISA Section 510, presented at the ABA's 19th Annual Institute on ERISA Basics	Speech
05/10/04Winter 2004	"Similarly Situated" Discovery in ERISA § 502(a)(1)(B) Benefit Denial Cases Decided Under the Arbitrary and Capricious Standard of Review, Benefits Law Journal, Vol. 17	Article
05/10/0405/10/04	Downsizing and ERISA Section 510, presented at the ABA's 18th Annual Institute on ERISA Basics	Speech
03/15/0403/15/04	Dockets Jammed--Recent Trends in ERISA Litigation: Fiduciary Misrepresentation, Changes to Retiree Medical Benefits, and ERISA Preemption of State Law, presented at the Chicago Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Seminar "Benefits for Baby Boomers and Beyond"	Speech
12/15/0312/15/03	The Evolving Standard of Judicial Review Under ERISA § 502(a)(1)(B), presented to the Chicago Bar Association Employee Benefits Committee	Speech