| 410 - 12th Street, Suite 325, Oakland, CA 94607 Tel: (510) 992-6130 Fax: (510) 280-7564 |
410 - 12th Street, Suite 325
Oakland, CA 94607
Tel: (510) 992-6130
Fax: (510) 280-7564
Oakland, CA 94607
Tel: (510) 992-6130
Fax: (510) 280-7564
| Spotlight on SSR |
| In the Community |
In June-December 2011, Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP succeeded in reversing denials of benefits in claims insured by Matrix (degenerative disc disease), Hartford (HIV), and Mutual of Omaha (degenerative disc disease as well as HIV). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In June-December 2011, Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP settled cases with Sun Life (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Prudential (HIV), Cigna (cervical disc degeneration), and Hartford (degenerative disc disease). The firm also obtained a waiver of an overpayment claim held by Principal against a client disabled by melanoma. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the first quarter of 2011, Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP obtained from Sedgwick a reversal of a benefits denial in a pre-litigation posture (bi-polar disorder), as well as from Principal (inability to perform own occupation). The firm also discovered a significant benefit calculation error by Unum, resulting in increased retroactive and future monthly benefit payments. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP achieved a significant class action victory in Barnes v. AT&T Pension Benefit Plan-Nonbargained Program, 273 F.R.D. 562 (N.D. Cal. 2011) (granting Plaintiff’s motion to modify the class certification order and leave to amend the complaint) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The firm also obtained victories in Nolan v. Heald College, 551 F.3d 1148 (9th Cir. 2009) on remand, 745 F. Supp. 2d 916, 2010 WL 1837805 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 27, 2010) (awarding long-term disability benefits and attorney's fees to former Executive Director of Heald College who was wrongfully denied benefits by MetLife) and in Barnes v. AT&T Pension Benefit Plan – Nonbargained Program, 270 F.R.D. 488, 2010 WL 3447885 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 1, 2010) (certifying class of pensioners) |
| Cassie Springer-Sullivan has been selected as one of The Daily Journal's 2012 "Top 20 under 40," which recognizes her as one of the top 20 attorneys in the state under the age of 40. The article on Ms. Springer-Sullivan appears as a supplement to the January 18, 2012 publication. The Daily Journal is California's largest legal news provider, with 30,000 daily readers. Click here to see the article. On February 7, 2012, Michelle Roberts will present on public benefit programs at the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center's new Workers' Rights Disability Law Clinic. Michelle Roberts and Cassie Springer-Sullivan will again be speaking at the Midwinter Meeting of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section's Employee Benefits Committee in February 2012. Ms. Roberts will present on attorney-client privilege issues with respect to ERISA benefit litigation, and Ms. Springer-Sullivan will present on effective deposition skills involving insurance companies' conflicts of interest. Click here to register for the conference, which will be held at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California. Click here for a list of family-friendly activities in San Diego that Ms. Springer-Sullivan complied for to encourage working parents to attend the conference. The August 2011 Women Lawyers of Alameda County newsletter featured an article on Cassie Springer-Sullivan in its member spotlight page. Click here to read the article, shown on page 5. Cassie Springer-Sullivan was once again selected by the 2011 Northern California Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star in the field of Employee Benefits. The August 2011 issue of the ABA Journal has published a letter to the editor authored by Cassie Springer-Sullivan concerning the pitfalls of employer-sponsored disability benefit plans. To read the letter, click here. |
| At Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP, we know what it takes to win your case against insurance companies that often seem more interested in lining their pockets than in paying your benefits. We have won or settled our clients’ benefits claims against Unum, Cigna, MetLife, Hartford, Prudential, Standard, RSL, Matrix, Aetna, Blue Cross, Provident, Sun Life, Northwestern Mutual, Managed Health Network, and AT&T/Sedgwick, among others. |
| Our experienced attorneys value professional integrity and meticulous representation of our clients. Our commitment to client satisfaction provides the best possible representation to each client, no matter how big or small the case. Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP is proud to be a women and minority-owned law firm serving the Bay Area community. |
In January 2012, Michelle Roberts was elected co-chair of the AIDS Legal Referral Panel ("ALRP") Board of Directors. In this role, Ms. Roberts will serve on the ALRP Executive Committee and Strategic Planning Committee, furthering SSR's commitment to increasing access to legal services by underserved communities. ALRP is the only institution in the San Francisco Bay Area dedicated solely to providing free and low-cost legal assistance and education on virtually any civil matter to people living with HIV/AIDS. 2012 marks 10 years of Michelle Roberts's volunteer service for the Legal Aid Society - Employment Law Center ("LAS-ELC"). Click here to read Ms. Roberts's Annual Fund appeal for the LAS-ELC Workers' Rights Clinic. Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP is a proud supporter of the March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to fighting prematurity and birth defects. Click here for pictures of the April 30, 2011 March for Babies in San Francisco, CA, where Cassie Springer-Sullivan was a keynote speaker. Michelle Roberts and her daughter, Annabelle Anderson, volunteered on behalf of ALRP for the 2011 Castro Street Fair. Click here for pictures of the event. Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP is now a proud sponsor of United Policyholders, a non-profit dedicated to providing information to insured individuals. Cassie Springer-Sullivan was recognized in the April 2011 edition of the ABA Journal's "Lawyers Giving Back" section for her notable volunteer work for the March of Dimes. Click here to view the article. |
Springer-Sullivan & Roberts LLP represents individuals who have suffered from violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including long-term disability, short-term disability, life, and health insurance claims. |
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