"A Meeting of Missions"
I always knew that I wanted to use my skills to
help others. Ever since I was young, I found that
I happily fell into the role of the voice for those
who were disempowered. Law was a natural fit
for how I could make a difference in people’s
lives while providing me with an opportunity to
use the power of persuasion in a way that is really
fun for me. Making new law and developing new
legal arguments is exciting for me, and I love that
I am able to use these tools to help those in need.
Our clients are often in the midst of a crisis of
some kind, whether it is because of their declining
health or a dire financial situation, and it is
incredibly rewarding for me to help them through
this time of hardship. I am proud of the work that
we do and the practice we have built. I love being
a woman business owner. Women-owned firms are
a rarity in the legal community, and I view it as
my obligation and responsibility to make things
better for women attorneys. I do this through
leading by example in the legal profession. By
bringing my baby to a conference or along for a
meeting with a colleague, I aim to show that
women can practice in a rigorous work
environment and be parents at the same time. And
by organizing programs such as "Lawyers as
Employers: Creative Solutions for Combating
Female Attrition," for the ABA Labor and
Employment Law's Section, I try to shed light on
this very important issue within the legal
community.
Outside of work, I relax by arranging flowers,
reading, interior designing, cooking fancy meals,
and doing guided meditation on a daily basis. The
kind of focus I get through meditating, flower
arranging or even cooking is the same skill I need
to approach the complicated legal problems that
my clients are facing. My hobbies allow me to
examine these issues in a relaxed way. My
favorite hobby, however, is being a mom to my
two beautiful daughters who think they rule the
roost. And sometimes, they do. I get butterflies of
excited anticipation on my drive to pick them up
from school every day, and it’s truly joyous for me
to spend time with them when we get home.
Having lost one of my twin girls in 2008 due to
consequences of prematurity, I am acutely aware
of how precious my kids are, and I take advantage
of all the time I have to spend with them. Giving
back to the community is another important part
of my family’s life, and we do this primarily
through supporting the March of Dimes in its fight
against prematurity. I love having the opportunity
to help contribute to this important and deeply
personal mission, and to share the story of my kids
to make an impact in others’ lives. We proudly
participate in the annual March for Babies, the
charity’s largest yearly fundraiser. Our family
team has been one of the top earning teams in the
Bay Area for the past three years running, and,
having served as the Bay Area Ambassador
Family, I often speak to various organizations on
behalf of March of Dimes in hopes of inspiring
others to get involved with this organization that is
so near and dear to my heart. It continues to
amaze me that so many areas of my life have
converged into a need to fight for other people.
Whether it is a triumph or a tragedy, I try to
channel my experiences to help better the lives of
others.
I always knew that I wanted to use my skills to
help others. Ever since I was young, I found that
I happily fell into the role of the voice for those
who were disempowered. Law was a natural fit
for how I could make a difference in people’s
lives while providing me with an opportunity to
use the power of persuasion in a way that is really
fun for me. Making new law and developing new
legal arguments is exciting for me, and I love that
I am able to use these tools to help those in need.
Our clients are often in the midst of a crisis of
some kind, whether it is because of their declining
health or a dire financial situation, and it is
incredibly rewarding for me to help them through
this time of hardship. I am proud of the work that
we do and the practice we have built. I love being
a woman business owner. Women-owned firms are
a rarity in the legal community, and I view it as
my obligation and responsibility to make things
better for women attorneys. I do this through
leading by example in the legal profession. By
bringing my baby to a conference or along for a
meeting with a colleague, I aim to show that
women can practice in a rigorous work
environment and be parents at the same time. And
by organizing programs such as "Lawyers as
Employers: Creative Solutions for Combating
Female Attrition," for the ABA Labor and
Employment Law's Section, I try to shed light on
this very important issue within the legal
community.
Outside of work, I relax by arranging flowers,
reading, interior designing, cooking fancy meals,
and doing guided meditation on a daily basis. The
kind of focus I get through meditating, flower
arranging or even cooking is the same skill I need
to approach the complicated legal problems that
my clients are facing. My hobbies allow me to
examine these issues in a relaxed way. My
favorite hobby, however, is being a mom to my
two beautiful daughters who think they rule the
roost. And sometimes, they do. I get butterflies of
excited anticipation on my drive to pick them up
from school every day, and it’s truly joyous for me
to spend time with them when we get home.
Having lost one of my twin girls in 2008 due to
consequences of prematurity, I am acutely aware
of how precious my kids are, and I take advantage
of all the time I have to spend with them. Giving
back to the community is another important part
of my family’s life, and we do this primarily
through supporting the March of Dimes in its fight
against prematurity. I love having the opportunity
to help contribute to this important and deeply
personal mission, and to share the story of my kids
to make an impact in others’ lives. We proudly
participate in the annual March for Babies, the
charity’s largest yearly fundraiser. Our family
team has been one of the top earning teams in the
Bay Area for the past three years running, and,
having served as the Bay Area Ambassador
Family, I often speak to various organizations on
behalf of March of Dimes in hopes of inspiring
others to get involved with this organization that is
so near and dear to my heart. It continues to
amaze me that so many areas of my life have
converged into a need to fight for other people.
Whether it is a triumph or a tragedy, I try to
channel my experiences to help better the lives of
others.
| Cassie Springer-Sullivan css@ssrlawgroup.com Ms. Springer-Sullivan currently serves as a co-chair on the Benefit Claims and Individual Rights Subcommittee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor & Employment Law. Ms. Springer-Sullivan is also an Employee Co-Chair of the ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law’s National Programs Sub-Committee and is a member of the AIDS Legal Referral Panel’s HIV/AIDS Insurance Protection Project Advisory Council. Ms. Springer-Sullivan is the author of the “Employee Benefit Plans Governed by ERISA” chapter of Dividing Pensions and Other Employee Benefits in California Divorces (CEB 2006), and is a co-author of the employee benefits chapter of California Domestic Partnerships (CEB 2005). Ms. Springer-Sullivan is a Contributing Author to Sacher, et al., EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LAW (BNA), Chapter 13, “Benefit Claims and Individual Rights,” and is also a Rewrite Editor of the 2008 and 2009 Cumulative Supplement of Employee Benefits law, 2nd Ed. Ms. Springer-Sullivan is also the author of the article “Abatie v. Alta Health & Life Insurance: A Turnabout by the En Banc Ninth Circuit on the Standard of Review Results in a Win for ERISA Plaintiffs,” which was published in the Fall/Winter 2006 TIPPS Employee Benefits Newsletter, and is a co-author of the Supreme Court Summary of LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Associates, Inc., published by the ABA’s Section of Labor & Employment Law on March 17, 2008. Ms. Springer-Sullivan is also the author of a commentary on ERISA long- term disability cases involving fibromyalgia, entitled “The Resurrection of ‘Female Hysteria’ in Present-Day ERISA Disability Law” for the Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice, a Continuation of The Berkeley Women’s Law Journal (Vol. 20, 2005). Ms. Springer-Sullivan is a frequent speaker on ERISA litigation, including at the November 2011 ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law's Annual CLE Conference in Seattle, Washington on the topic of "What Every Reasonably Insecure Attorney Should Know About ERISA." She also spoke at the benefit claims panel concerning discovery on conflicts of interest and the standard of review at the 2010 and 2011 Midwinter Meetings of the Section of Labor & Employment Law Employee Benefits Committee, sponsored by the ABA; “Building a Fulfilling Career: Lessons for Success” at the California Women Lawyers’ Annual Conference; “The Standard and Scope of Review: What’s Next After MetLife v. Glenn?” at the 2009 Midwinter Meeting of the Section of Labor & Employment Law Employee Benefits Committee, February 19, 2009, sponsored by the ABA; “The New Health and Welfare Plan Landscape” at the 25th Annual Conference on Employee Benefits sponsored by the Western Pension & Benefits Conference, San Francisco Chapter (April 16, 2008); “The Standard and Scope of Review: What’s Next for the Supreme Court?,” at the 2008 Midwinter Meeting of the Section of Labor & Employment Law Employee Benefits Committee, February 28, 2008, sponsored by the ABA; “Benefit Claims: Administrative Proceedings” and “Benefit Claims: Litigation,” at the 21st Annual National Institute on ERISA Basics, May 3, 2007, sponsored by the ABA; “Litigation Update - The Evolving ERISA Legal Landscape,” March 21, 2007, sponsored by the Western Pension & Benefits Conference, San Francisco Chapter; “Benefit Claims and Individual Rights Following Abatie,” at the 2007 Midwinter Meeting of the Section of Labor & Employment Law Employee Benefits Committee, February 10, 2007, sponsored by the ABA. She has also testified before the California Department of Insurance on July 10, 2007, regarding providing sufficient notification to plan participants of offset provisions, and before the Health and Disability Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on June 14, 2004, regarding prohibiting discretionary clauses in ERISA disability plans. Ms. Springer- Sullivan was a member of the Labor and Employment Law Section’s Supreme Court Panel Committee from 2007-2008. She also served as the Employee Co-Chair of the ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law’s Outreach to Law Students Task Force from 2009-2011. Ms. Springer-Sullivan’s notable decisions include Nolan v. Heald College, 551 F.3d 1148 (9th Cir. 2009) (holding that traditional summary judgment rules apply in evaluating an administrator’ s conflict of interest and permitting bench trials with live testimony on the issue), on remand, 745 F. Supp.2d 916, 2010 WL 1837805 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 27, 2010) (awarding long-term disability benefits and finding that MetLife operated under a conflict of interest and abused its discretion); Saffon v. Wells Fargo & Co. Long Term Disability Plan, 511 F.3d 1206 (9th Cir. 2008) (holding that insurers must engage in a clear communications process in administering ERISA benefit claims); Abatie v. Alta Health & Life Ins. Co., 458 F.3d 955 (9th Cir. 2006) (en banc) (overruling previous Ninth Circuit precedent to determine that where a plan administrator operates under a financial conflict of interest, courts must review the administrator’s benefits decisions with “skepticism”); Carstens v. U.S. Shoe Corporation’s Long-Term Benefits Disability Plan, 520 F. Supp. 2d 1165 (N.D. Cal. 2007) (holding that the administrator could not offset the participant’s disability benefits by the amount of her son’s Social Security benefit); Caplan v. CNA Short Term Disability Plan, 479 F. Supp. 2d 1108 (N.D. Cal. 2007) (holding that Plaintiff could simultaneously proceed with claims for breach of fiduciary duty and benefits where each claim sought different relief); Patel v. Sugen, Inc., 354 F. Supp. 2d 1098 (N.D. Cal. 2005) (holding employees’ claims for severance benefits not preempted by ERISA); Fleming v. Kemper Nat. Services, Inc., 373 F. Supp. 2d 1000 (N.D. Cal. 2005) (awarding attorneys’ fees, costs, and prejudgment interest); Fleming v. Kemper Natl. Services, Inc., 320 F. Supp. 2d 951 (N.D. Cal. 2004) (granting Plaintiff’s motion for summary adjudication as to the standard of review because defendants did not comply with the applicable Department of Labor Regulations in administering Plaintiff’s claim); and Cherene v. First American Financial Corp. Long-Term Disability Plan, 303 F. Supp. 2d 1030 (N.D. Cal. 2004) (holding material and substantial evidence of defendants’ conflict of interest existed; dismissing defendants’ reimbursement counter-claim). Ms. Springer-Sullivan also assisted in the preparation of the brief amicus curiae of the Employment Law Center-Legal Aid Society in MetLife v. Glenn, 128 S. Ct. 2343 (2008), and in the brief amicus curiae of the National Employment Lawyers Association in Black & Decker Disability Plan v. Nord, 538 U.S.822, 123 S. Ct. 1965 (2003) (brief available at 2003 WL 1785768). Ms. Springer-Sullivan externed for the Hon. D. Lowell Jensen from August-December 2001, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Berkeley Women's Law Journal from 2001 to 2002. She is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California, and the California state courts. |
