Deborah S. Davidson
Deborah S. Davidson is co-chair of Morgan Lewis’s ERISA litigation practice. She represents plan sponsors, fiduciaries, service providers, and other clients facing a host of employee benefits litigation nationwide, with a particular focus on class action litigation. Debbie defends lawsuits involving all types of employee benefit plans, including 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans, defined-benefit plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), top-hat plans, church plans, severance plans, and health plans. Debbie is rated nationally for ERISA litigation by Chambers (Band 2) and The Legal 500 (as one of 15 Leading Lawyers). She has written and spoken extensively on various employee benefits matters and served as National Employer co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Employee Benefits Committee.
Through her benefits litigation practice, Debbie handles claims covering a host of issues, including retirement plan investments, plan fees and expenses, plan forfeitures, plan design and administration issues, employer securities and ESOPs, issues involving plan service providers, challenges involving defined benefit plans, health and welfare plan issues, retiree medical benefits, early retirement programs, severance plans, top-hat plans, church plans, claims to recover plan benefits, alleged interference with benefits, preemption issues, and other claims. Debbie also counsels clients on litigation risk management.
Debbie frequently writes and speaks on employee benefits and ERISA litigation. She has been a chapter editor and contributing author for the Employee Benefits Law Treatise and Supplement (BNA) for chapters on fiduciary responsibility, ethics, and civil procedure. She is also a member of the national faculty of the ABA’s Joint Committee on Employee Benefits.
